YORK, Maine (AP) – A Maine land trust says it has purchased seven acres of land that will help it protect species of birds and fish in the southern part of the state.

The York Land Trust has purchased the parcel near its headquarters in York. The move links the land trust’s headquarters to its 300-acre Smelt Brook Preserve. The land trust says it purchased the land for $229,000.

The trust says the parcel of meadow and marsh also includes frontage on Smelt Brook, which is a tributary of the York River. The trust says the river is a habitat for at least 100 species of birds and 26 species of fish.

The trust says a new trail winds through the parcel and adjacent land to give visitors a chance to visit.