New London, New Hampshire (August 29, 2023) – Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently donated $2,500 to the New London Conservation Commission to support the organization’s project to improve the safety of the Philbrick-Cricenti Bog boardwalk. On completion of the project, the boardwalk, which was originally constructed with wooden planks, will be made of an all-weather, anti-slip, aluminum that is safer for residents and visitors to navigate.
“The Philbrick-Cricenti Bog provides such fascinating insight into our environment, and the New London Conservation Commission has done an amazing job of not only protecting the bog but also making it safer and more accessible to the public,” said Katherine Paine, Assistant Vice President Branch Relationship Manager at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “We are proud to support the Commission’s efforts.”
Philbrick-Cricenti Bog is a kettle hole bog system, composed of several distinct but intermixed natural communities. Three loop trails lead onto the bog and feature boardwalks floating on a mat of tundra-like vegetation that give visitors the opportunity to get a closer look at the bog without disturbing the area and its inhabitants. The bog is home to a variety of flora and fauna and several species of birds.
There have been three phases to the boardwalk improvement project. For phase 1 of the project, the commission upgraded the first 350 feet of the boardwalk from wooden planks to the aluminum walkway. During phase 2, which was also supported by a donation from the Bank, extended the walkway to the floating bog mat. The third and final phase will extend the walkway to the Quaking Loop.
"The New London Conservation Commission is pleased to accept a second donation from Bar Harbor Bank & Trust for the Philbrick-Cricenti Bog Walkway Project,” said Mark Vernon, Trails Steward at New London Conservation Commission. “Since project inception nearly three years ago, the Bog Walkway has been substantially transformed. Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has been an instrumental partner in this endeavor. The Commission and our community are very grateful for the support."
The Philbrick-Cricenti Bog property is owned by the Town of New London and managed by the Conservation Commission, which is responsible for the development, maintenance, and signage associated with more than 30 miles of hiking trails.
Learn more about Philbrick-Cricenti Bog at www.nl-nhcc.com/philbrick_cricenti.html.
Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE American: BHB) is the parent company of its wholly owned subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. Operating over 50 locations across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is headquartered in Bar Harbor, Maine and has more than $3.9 billion in assets. As a leading Northern New England community bank, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust offers a full range of personal and business banking services, as well as wealth management services through its subsidiary Bar Harbor Wealth Management. For more information about Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, visit www.barharbor.bank or call 888-853-7100. Member FDIC.
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From left to right: Robert Brown, Chair of the New London Conservation Commission; Mark Vernon, Trails Steward at New London Conservation Commission; and Katherine Paine, Assistant Vice President Branch Relationship Manager at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.