It has the land, now the Sippican Lands Trust is working on getting the public to take advantage of all that its 40-plus properties has to offer.

“It’s really strange how people in town don’t know about the land,” said Lands Trust staff member Yelena Sheynin.

To get the word out, Lands Trust staff is working on creating more visible markers for the properties.

“We’re trying to find more convenient parking for people,” Sheynin said. “We want to make the land more visible to people with signs and kiosks so that people know it’s Lands Trust property.”

There are a number of obstacles to overcome when caring for the properties, Sheynin said.

Since it first was organized in 1974, Sheynin said the Lands Trust has relied on volunteers to keep up with the maintenance of its properties, including protecting the local wildlife and mowing the few thousand acres of grass.

With more land, comes more responsibility. Sheynin said the staff is always looking for more volunteers to help keep up with the workload.

Besides overgrown shrubbery, the Lands Trust has also had to contend with ATV riders that use the property despite signs placed along the trails that forbid such use.

“We have issues with landscapers dumping their stuff here. People ride their ATVs even though that’s not allowed. Some people steal stones to use on their property,” Sheynin said.

Sheynin said the Lands Trust is hoping that with more volunteers and with more public use of the property, people will become as protective as she is about the land.

Come this fall, the Lands Trust will start hosting some family activities, including a story time scavenger hunt at the Peirson Woods property.

“It’ll get kids reading and it gets them out in nature,” Sheynin said.

“That’s the beauty of the Lands Trust,” Sheynin said. “This is accessible to everyone no matter your income. You’re free to walk the land. I’m a big believer in that.”

For more information about the Lands Trust properties or to volunteer, contact Yelena Sheynin at Yelena@sippicanlandstrust.org.