Not long before her last day as executive director of the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT), Julia McLeod sat in her office and smiled warmly when asked what accomplishments pleased her most during her nearly 12-year tour with the organization.

“There are really two answers,” said McLeod, who joined the land trust as a part-time outreach coordinator in 2012. “During my entire time at HHLT, I’m most proud of our programming with the Harpswell Community School. Through our efforts, every kid in public school here in town has experienced an outdoor, place-based education. And they love it!”

She noted that June was the 10^th anniversary of the HHLT/HCS collaboration and it’s still going strong. As one parent, Bethany McNelly-Davis, wrote with thanks about the program: “Our children are connecting with the rich woods that surround their school building. These outdoor lessons give them tools to treat the world around them as a ‘classroom,’ ask good questions, and see what a place and time in nature has to teach. Our kids love planning on ‘Julia days’ as they dress to be outside and maybe get dirty.”

After becoming full-time outreach director in 2019, McLeod was appointed acting executive director by the HHLT Board of Directors in early 2022, following the retirement of Reed Coles, who had held the position for 17 years. She was named executive director in August 2022.

“As ED, I feel like I helped professionalize the organization, upgraded the financial record-keeping and got us successfully through our first-ever audit,” she said. “But most importantly, I’m proud that we have built a team that will keep the land trust moving forward.” When McLeod joined HHLT, she doubled the size of the staff. The land trust now has five full-time staff members with six seasonal part-time workers.

Tim McCreight, incoming president of the HHLT Board of Directors, offered praise for McLeod’s accomplishments and emphasized the need to continue to build on them. “Everyone can agree that nature-based education for young children is a good idea, but if we adults fail to create an awareness in future generations of the importance of conservation and preservation, all the hard work being done today could be at risk,” he said.

McLeod, who lives in Bowdoin with her family, said she is optimistic about the future of the land trust as she begins a new career path that she hopes will build upon her love of working with young children in an educational setting. She will start work as an ed tech in the library of a Gardiner elementary school later this month and plans to begin taking classes to earn her teaching certificate.

“HHLT is really imbedded in the town and has such strong support,” she said. “Our programming, like the Nature Day Camp, and our preserves will continue to be popular. I think the key challenge will be how the land trust can serve the under-represented parts of the Harpswell community – with accessible trails and in all areas of town and with the fishing community.”

McLeod also sees challenges ahead with the impact of climate change and the increasing severity of storms along the coast of Maine. “Plus, the price of real estate in town is just so high,” she said. “The land trust is going to need to take time to really think about how to prioritize its resources and understand what diversity means in Harpswell.”

McCreight said McLeod is leaving HHLT in a very solid financial position by expanding the donor base, completing a $2.1 million “Forever Campaign” in 2022 and acquiring the 57-acre Anna M. Tondreau Preserve on Great Island, which had its official opening at the end of June. “Thanks to Julia’s leadership during the last two years, HHLT is poised for an outstanding future,” he said. “We will miss Julia and wish her all the very best.”

He added that the Board of Trustees has formed a search committee to find McLeod’s successor and has posted a job description with the hope of having the position filled sometime this fall.