The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) launched its inaugural crowdfunding campaign on Jan. 10 and is closing in on 50 percent of the $15,000 fundraising goal. With the campaign spreading as far as Washington State, Florida, and Hawaii, KELT is enthused to see the interest and generosity of nature-lovers across Maine and the United States.

The planned Squam Creek Preserve is a 144-acre property that was part of land settled around 1740 by the Dunton and his family when the area was known as “Jeremisquam.” As one of the first families on the island, they farmed the land and established the tidal mill on Heal Pond to the south. The northern part of the property was part of the original Dunton farm and boasts stone walls, cellar holes, and a cemetery. The southern part was settled by the Hodgdon family sometime before the first survey was completed on the island in 1865. The foundation of the Hodgdon home, livestock pens, extensive stone walls, and the family cemetery are beautifully preserved on this portion of the land. The last known member of the Hodgdon family lived at the family homestead until 1940. Since 1959, the Segerstrom family has gently cared for this land and KELT is honored to acquire this ecologically rich place and care for it into the future.

To donate, visit http://www.worthwild.com/initiatives/62 by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 14.