FRENCHBORO — Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a statewide land conservation organization, recently completed a shore cleanup at its preserve on Frenchboro Long Island.

Led by regional steward Terry Towne, and with support from the Butler Conservation Fund and The Greenrock Co., the effort yielded 140 large trash bags, 175 lobster traps and other debris that together totaled nearly four tons.

“It was truly a team effort by our outstanding partners, and blessed by a fantastic stretch of calm, warm weather … so rare in March. In the end, I couldn’t believe what a positive impact the effort made on the character of this beautiful island,” Towne said.

Towne managed a crew of four workers from A.C. Parsons Landscaping of Tremont (paid for by the Butler Conservation Fund) to remove the trash. The Greenrock Co. supplied a barge to haul the material as well as an in-kind supply of labor to handle and prepare the material for transport once it reached the mainland at Bartlett Island Landing.

A second phase of the cleanup will continue the second week in June when Maine Coast Heritage Trust will work with students through the Rozalia Project (a nonprofit focused on removing marine waste) to pick up plastic debris and stage additional traps for removal.

For anyone interested in visiting Frenchboro, Maine Coast Heritage Trust is hosting three field trips this summer, scheduled for June 20, July 18 and Aug. 15.

For more information about the field trips, or about Frenchboro Preserve, visit mcht.org/preserves.

For more environmental news, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.