Coastal Rivers expands Marsh River Bog conservation area with land purchase in Newcastle
A view across Marsh River Bog toward Coastal Rivers’ newest conservation land in Newcastle, expanding connected habitat across 112 acres of forest and wetlands. Courtesy of Coastal Rivers
An ovenbird nest tucked discreetly into the leaf litter on the new property. These ground-nesting songbirds depend on large, undisturbed mature forests with thick leaf litter. Courtesy of Coastal Rivers
A view across Marsh River Bog toward Coastal Rivers’ newest conservation land in Newcastle, expanding connected habitat across 112 acres of forest and wetlands. Courtesy of Coastal Rivers
An ovenbird nest tucked discreetly into the leaf litter on the new property. These ground-nesting songbirds depend on large, undisturbed mature forests with thick leaf litter. Courtesy of Coastal RiversCoastal Rivers Conservation Trust is pleased to announce the acquisition of 112 acres in Newcastle, expanding the permanently protected habitat around Marsh River Bog.
This two-parcel acquisition borders both the Marsh River Bog and the adjacent property acquired from the Penny family in late 2025. Together, these connected conservation lands safeguard critical wildlife habitat, protect water quality, and strengthen the ecological resilience of the Marsh River watershed.
The newly protected area features a diverse landscape of forest, forested wetlands, freshwater marsh, wet meadows, and shrub habitat. Approximately 45 acres of the property consist of wetlands, which play an essential role in filtering water and storing floodwaters before they reach the Marsh River. Additionally, the property includes roughly 740 feet of frontage along a stream feeding directly into the Marsh River.
The connected forest and wetland habitats host a wide range of species, offering key shelter and movement corridors for birds, mammals, amphibians, and other native wildlife.
“It’s exciting to build on the conservation of the neighboring Penny property and protect another 112 acres around Marsh River Bog,” says Katie Beaver, Deputy Director of Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust. “By connecting these properties, we’re creating a larger area of protected habitat while also safeguarding wetlands and water quality in the Marsh River watershed.”
Visitors looking to explore the newly protected area can take advantage of the Marsh River Bog Preserve trail, which was relocated last year to a new trailhead behind Mexicali Blues on Route 1 in Newcastle. It is a wonderful fall hike and offers clear views across the entire protected wetland.
Funding for the acquisition was made possible through generous low-cost lending from Maine Coast Heritage Trust and funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management, awarded in 2024. Coastal Rivers has also applied for additional grant funding through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), which remains pending.
For more information, email info@coastalrivers.org or visit coastalrivers.org.
