Francis Small Heritage Trust, Inc.

On Monday, August 24, 2026, the Francis Small Heritage Trust had the privilege of hosting the Saco River Wildlife Center (SRWC) at our Jagolinzer Preserve for a heart-warming release. Three orphaned minks—named Jack, Janet, and Chrissy—were returned to their natural habitat after months of care and rehabilitation.

The young minks originally came to SRWC in the spring as tiny orphans. Under the care of dedicated foster mom Sylvia, they were bottle-fed and nursed to health until they were mature enough to forage and survive independently. When SRWC reached out searching for a release site with suitable cover and direct access to both fresh running stream water and the river, Jagolinzer Preserve was selected as the perfect environment.

Board members from FSHT joined Cathy Dragoni, Meredith, and Sylvia from SRWC to carry the carrier crates along the trail down to the water’s edge. One by one, the doors were opened, and the curious trio stepped out into the pine needles and stream banks to explore their new, permanent sanctuary.

This successful release highlights the value of conserved lands like Jagolinzer Preserve—not only as places for community enjoyment, but as vital, safe sanctuaries for local wildlife. We are immensely grateful to the team at Saco River Wildlife Center for their dedication to wildlife rehabilitation and for letting us share in this special moment.

We have some exciting updates to share from Jagolinzer Preserve in Limington! Next time you visit, you’ll notice brand-new wooden signs marking key areas, along with a fun new path to explore.

How the “Dragon Lizard Trail” Got Its Name

During a recent educational outing, one of our visiting 2nd graders misheard our welcome message to the Jagolinzer Preserve and thought we said “Dragon Lizard”! We found the name so delightful and memorable that we decided to officially name our newest trail addition after it.

Trail Route & Details

The Dragon Lizard Trail connects the ridge down to the river:

• Start: Top of the “Bypass” trail.
• Route: Travels east, crossing the eastern portion of the Jagolinzer Loop trail, then meanders north down toward the scenic Saco River.
• Finish: Reconnects to the main loop trail just east of the bridge.
• Navigation: The trail is currently heavily flagged so you can easily find your way. In the near future, custom dragon lizard signs will replace the temporary flagging.

Wayfinding & Trail Updates

Along with the new trail, several signage updates were recently installed around the preserve:

• A main Jagolinzer Preserve entrance sign is now posted at Olive’s Way, clearly visible right from Route 25.
• Signs near the waterfall have been rearranged to make navigating the area clearer and easier.
• New trail markers line the Dragon Lizard Trail and key junctions.

A huge thank you to Dick and his two young trail volunteers for their hard work installing signs and opening up this fantastic new route for our community to enjoy!