Forty-six acres of forests and wetlands in Palmyra, Maine, are protected in their natural state forever thanks to a donation by Pat Foley. The Leonard Dewes Burgweger Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary was the first acquisition in Maine for the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust.

For Pat Foley, this land donation fulfilled a lifelong dream of “leaving the world a little better” with a site for the “web of life” to continue unhindered by humans.

“We are destroying habitat and creating an imbalance for the whole planet. And it’s not to our benefit. This is a spot I was in control of,” Ms. Foley said when interviewed by the Bangor Daily News in 1997.

This sanctuary provides safe haven for many animal species including both red and grey foxes, black bear, raccoons, wild turkeys and white-tailed deer. Birds of all kinds are also abundant here. Among those who frequent these woods and wetlands are eastern king birds and the scarlet tanagers.

Ms. Foley purchased the land in the 1970s when she was I n search of property where she could enjoy wildlife and natural surroundings. She intended to leave the property to a land trust in her will, but for financial reasons made the decision to donate it earlier. The Wildlife Land Trust met her desire to preserve the land without fear of it being sold or traded, or ultimately developed.

The property is near the Palmyra-St. Albans town line and next to a wildlife management area. The land will always be maintained as a wildlife sanctuary where development, destructive logging practices, commercial and recreational hunting and trapping will be prohibited forever.

WLT has promised to protect this property as sanctuary forever -- and that promise will be kept.  If you can help with the cost of stewardship for this and the other properties WLT protects, please donate here.

» Learn how to care for wild birds in cold weather in Wildlife NOTES.

» Read about the owls in our midst.

» Please consider WLT in your estate planning.

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