← Back to The People Behind Harpswell Heritage Land Trust
Meet our Newest Trustees
Don Westfall
Don Westfall was introduced to Harpswell Heritage Land Trust through his volunteer work with the Harpswell Invasive Plant Partnership (HIPP). That and through walking his dog on the land trust’s trails.
“Mine and my dog’s favorite is the Hackett and Minot Trails.” Don said. “It’s just beautiful.”
Don and his wife, Tuckie, moved to Harpswell seven years ago from Alexandria, VA after he retired from a career mostly in agricultural and manufacturing policy, including a stint as Director of Marketing for the Maine Department of Agriculture. Having attended Bowdoin College, Don said that moving to Harpswell was kind of like coming home.
Given that it’s “almost impossible to live here and not be asked to volunteer with something,” Don and Tuckie both got involved soon after moving in. Don with HIPP, as a docent at the Skolfield-Whittier House in Brunswick, and now with HHLT, and Tuckie with Harpswell Aging at Home and the Harpswell Garden Club.
Don is interested in history and has researched the history of Bowdoin College’s land acquisitions. He will bring his interests and skills to service on the Programs and Stewardship Committees.
New trustees Don Westfall and Rachel Beane (Amelia Graham photo)
Rachel Beane
Rachel Beane is no stranger to those who attend HHLT’s public programs, as many people over the years have learned about geology from her at the Giant’s Stairs and other locations.
Rachel has taught geology at Bowdoin College since 1998, where she is currently the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Natural Sciences in the Department of Earth and Oceanographic Science.
“I learn when I teach. And I enjoy connecting with and guiding my students,” Rachel said. “There is a lot of development that happens in college.”
Rachel and her husband moved to Harpswell in 2001. They have two children, both sophomores — one in college and the other in high school. The whole family loves playing outside together, especially kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking, and camping.
Rachel is re-joining the HHLT board, having previously served as a trustee from 2008-2011, and more recently as a community member on HHLT’s Programs Committee. Rachel is jumping right in by chairing the Programs Committee.
She is involved with HHLT because of her commitment to land preservation and public access and because she feels its important to “be a part of the community in which I live.”
