www.wellsreserve.org/news/2006-05-05_ksbf.htm

PROTECTION OF KEY LAUDHOLM PARCEL AIDED BY KENNEBUNK SAVINGS BANK FOUNDATION

WELLS, MAINE - Laudholm Trust has until the end of May to match a $50,000 challenge grant from the Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation that will complete the purchase of a 2½-acre parcel at the heart of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm. Donations are being accepted at www.laudholm.org, 646-4521, and the Wells Reserve Visitor Center.

Since the Wells Reserve was established at historic Laudholm Farm two decades ago, this parcel has ranked as the highest priority for acquisition.

Nearly every visitor to the Wells Reserve appreciates the Diane and Frederick Lord property, a managed grassland bordering the reserve's most popular hiking trail. Thousands of trail users gaze across the Lord parcel each year, taking in Drakes Island, Mount Agamenticus, and the Gulf of Maine.

Laudholm Trust and the Wells Reserve signed a purchase-and-sale agreement with the landowners last spring and fund raising to complete the purchase has gone well. The $50,000 goal is within reach thanks to strong support from the members of Laudholm Trust.

Laudholm Trust invites the community to join in preserving this signature vista. The Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation will match every gift made toward this effort, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000. Gifts made to Laudholm Trust double in value with this challenge grant.

For many years, Kennebunk Savings Bank has been a steady supporter of Laudholm Trust and the Wells Reserve, contributing to the annual Laudholm Nature Crafts Festival and making important contributions to the trust's biggest projects. This challenge grant is the largest single commitment that the Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation has made to Laudholm Trust and the Wells Reserve since the bank began supporting the organizations in 1984.

The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, with facilities at historic Laudholm Farm, is committed to investigating coastal environments and increasing understanding of their ecology. The reserve receives core funding from the nonprofit Laudholm Trust and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Wells Reserve is located at 342 Laudholm Farm Road, just off Routes 1 and 9 near the Wells-Kennebunk line. For more information, visit www.wellsreserve.org.

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