By Christina Schechtman

When Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) first began its conservation efforts in 1983, it started the way many burgeoning grassroots organizations do: a crew of dedicated volunteers meeting in the kitchens and living rooms of Trustees, staff members working from home offices, and Board meetings held in a nearby church hall. By the early 2000s, HHLT had built an impressive conservation portfolio that came with considerable stewardship responsibilities. As the conservation work grew, this informal operational model became a bit limiting. Out of this uncertainty came a clear vision – the need for a permanent home for HHLT.

In 2001, HHLT hired its first executive director, Spike Haible, and began the hunt for a place to call home. Of the search, Haible says, “The force was with us. We just needed an adequate, modern space to get on with our work as more projects began to present themselves.” Despite the momentum, the search would not be an easy one. With commercial space scarce in Harpswell, no existing building met HHLT’s needs. It wasn’t until 2004 that things finally came together. Bill Barron and Jomay Zhang donated the land where the current office stands, and HHLT was able to move forward with plans to build its home.

From the start, HHLT’s vision for the space went far beyond desks and storage space. The Board saw an opportunity to increase the community’s involvement with the land trust and designed the space accordingly. A community meeting room would provide much-needed space for educational events and a no-cost meeting spot for area organizations. The office exterior was also designed to reflect, “a traditional Maine house and connected barn,” said former executive director and board member Reed Coles. Every part of the building was intentionally planned to increase HHLT’s commitment to the community it served.

Visibility in the community quickly translated into real conservation outcomes. Coles remembers, “Shortly after the office opened, a couple passing by stopped in and told me they had been meaning to speak with the Trust about conserving some of their land but didn’t know how to find us. That visit resulted in conserving 37 acres on Harpswell Neck.” Another time, a man stopped in and pledged a half-million dollars to help support the Trust’s work. “The office has been critical in supporting numerous fundraising campaigns to acquire new preserves and construct new trails,” said Coles. Ironically, the success of the building soon revealed its limits.

In 2006, when the building was completed, the Board thought it would serve the land trust’s needs for 20 years. But no one anticipated how quickly the organization would grow, or how popular its programming would be within the community. For example, HHLT’s portfolio of conserved land has grown more than 60% since 2006, with 1890 acres now under conservation. And Nature Day Camp, which started as a volunteer-led, one-week event, is now a 6-week program serving 170+ kids each summer. The number of staff was expanded from one full-time employee to five to meet education, stewardship, and fundraising demands, and community areas soon became office space out of necessity.

“We vastly expanded our Nature Day Camp, started place-based learning for the students of the Harpswell Community School, and created a steady stream of indoor and outdoor educational and family events,” said Coles. He continued, “This growth has created the need for yet more space to accommodate the Trust’s work while providing the event and community meeting space as originally intended.”

To that end, HHLT is embarking on a building expansion project this year to accommodate the growing staff and programming needs of the organization. With the addition of new offices, the community room can once again be dedicated to its original purpose. Additional parking, a screened porch, and an interpretive trail and gardens will allow the office to return to its planned use as a programming and community space for HHLT and other organizations.

For those who helped envision the original office, this moment is deeply personal. “I’m proud to have been a part of making the original building happen and appreciate how well it has served up to now,” said Haible. Haible believes this expansion is the next logical step of an evolving organization. An organization that remains firmly rooted to its tenants of conservation and community, ready to serve. “I hope the increased utility will enhance HHLT’s ability to fulfill its core mission of land conservation and stewardship,” he said. “HHLT has come a long way since my day.”