Rockland — The Georges River Land Trust announces a new partnership with Lowe’s of Thomaston and Stanley Black & Decker for the donation of tools and materials to support the GRLT’s conservation properties and its Georges Highland Path trail system.

Lowe’s and Stanley Black & Decker donated two 18-volt cordless impact driver/drill kits valued at $400 that are currently being used to construct a new 250-foot-long raised pedestrian boardwalk at GRLT’s Pleasant Point Nature Preserve in Cushing. Lowe’s also donated a collection of hand tools valued at $322 to the land trust. Armed with shovels, loppers, and pruning saws, volunteer groups now have the means to effectively assist GRLT staff with maintenance projects on the Georges Highland Path, GRLT’s 40-mile system of conservation trails.

“Our trails work often takes us deep into the woods,” explained GRLT’s Trails Manager Bruce Gerard in a news release, “so portability is an important consideration with all of our power tools. We are really grateful to Lowe’s and Stanley Black & Decker for accommodating our specific needs and acting very quickly to get these new tools into our hands and out to the work sites.”

Georges River Land Trust acquired the 65-acre Pleasant Point Nature Preserve in 2008 from a group of 25 local residents who had worked for a dozen years to purchase and protect this area of mixed woodland and wetland on the Cushing peninsula. The property has more than two miles of hiking trails and is open to the public, free of charge.

The Georges Highland Path, built and maintained by GRLT, boasts more than 40 miles of trail that gives hikers a unique look at the St. George River watershed. The goal of the path is to help people forge a close relationship with the land and to develop an active interest in protecting the landscapes and natural resources of this region.

For more information, please visit Georges River’s website, grlt.org, or call 594-5166.