By S.V. Lowery

Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) evolved considerably to reach its present form since its origin almost 100 years ago.  As Doug Warren reported in January 2018, it “grew out of the Harpswell Heritage Trust, which was formed by the Harpswell Historical Society, which was founded in 1978 as an off-shoot of the Civic Committee of the Harpswell Garden Club, which dates back to 1931.” Venerable indeed! But hardly static, as recent events affirm.

Each year it calls its membership to an annual meeting.

This year’s meeting was particularly celebratory following a year in which HHLT faced a number of challenges. Perhaps most daunting among them was the loss of experienced staffers to new opportunities. Finding the right people to step in was no easy task, but as HHLT Executive Director Matt Newberg—himself a relatively new hire, coming on board in the fall of 2024— reported, an amazing team emerged. The last of the core staff was hired just before the 2025 Land Trust Alliance conference in Cleveland, making it possible for the early September event to serve as a kind of staff retreat. Matt, together with Emma Balazs, Brandon Hall, Lauren Dumont, and Kim Van Zorge, returned from the conference with a deeper understanding of how they could work together to fulfill the organization’s mission.

A threat of storm clouds loomed over the Cranberry Mountain Events venue on Great Island as the annual gathering kicked off at 6:30 p.m. on 21 July 2026. The roughly 100 members nibbled on snacks and had the opportunity to purchase restaurant raffle tickets before Matt Newberg’s formal welcome.

Judy Wallingford, HHLT VP and candidate for President, introduced the incoming Trustees and Officers for a vote. New trustees Sven Pulsifer, Jenny Baca, Brooke Barnes, Jamie Hark, and Alicia Pulsifer Heyburn were approved by acclamation. The HHLT officer slate was then put before the meeting, which confirmed Judy Wallingford as President and former President Tim McCreight as Vice President, while Ed Robinson and Lew Hinman retained their posts as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.

Tim McCreight took the floor to express a graceful thank you and acknowledgment of the work of the three departing trustees: Ron Davis, following 18 years of service; Wendy Batson, who served 9 years; and Don Westfall, after a 3-year stint.

Business out of the way, Tim called on Matt Newberg to give the membership a rundown of the year. Matt introduced the staff, including seasonal Salka Impact Land Steward Abby Ward, Nature Day Camp counselors, and stewards. Some programs that had been put on hold last year for a variety of reasons were, he reported, back full throttle. The Nature Day Camp was fully licensed this summer, and runs for six weeks, with two age-group sessions per week. The Summer Cruise, suspended for a couple of years, sailed again on 7 July, a sold-out event. The organization is financially healthy, even exceeding its immediate goals.

Matt reported that staff shortly will take up temporary residence at the former West Harpswell School (also known as the former Harpswell Coastal Academy) while construction is underway to expand the HHLT offices so they can meet the needs of expanded programing and staff. All and all, the success generated by the organization’s committed and creative staff was worthy of celebration.

Among the several projects now on HHLT’s plate is the effort to provide Great Island’s Long Marsh with the resilience it needs to survive as a functioning salt marsh. HHLT is working with the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Town of Harpswell, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, and Baxter State Park on restoration of the marsh, its ecosystem weakened by past agricultural practices. (See Christina Schechtman’s article and Lauren Dumont’s article for further information.)

The annual meeting’s guest speakers this year were Geoff Wilson (founder of SMARTeams and founder and sanctuary manager of Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary in Saugus, MA) and Matt Craig (Casco Bay Estuary Partnership) for a talk they titled “Salt Hay Farming & Marsh Restoration.” Mr. Craig started us off with a description of salt hay farming, showing the techniques used and how the technology and focus changed from the 1700s to the 1900s. During his talk, he referenced an illustration that clearly depicts Long Marsh from Lost Paradise: A Boyhood on a Maine Coast Farm, by Robert P.T. Coffin (1934). Coffin, the 1936 Pulitzer Prize poetry awardee, grew up on Long Marsh. (The book was reviewed in The New York Times Book Review, October 28, 1934, evoking the marsh with mention of how “[Coffin] was also a man among men, who talked with the haymakers….”)

Geoff Wilson then picked up the discussion with an explanation of the dynamics of salt marshes and what’s needed to restore their ability to survive when confronted with rising sea level and, in the case of Long Marsh, intense weather impacts. As if to emphasize his words, a puff of wind came into the open-sided pavilion to hit the screen where graphics were projected. Down it fell onto the projector. There was a brief interruption while the screen was set aright and the slide show reset. For the rest of the talk, Lands & Stewardship Director Emma Balazs’ hands acted as stabilizer for the screen against the occasional wind gusts.

Thanks to HHLT and to the other organizations that have coalesced around Long Marsh, there’s a good chance it can be restored to the ecological niche it originally evolved to provide.

The meeting broke up before dark encroached, though storm clouds made it less than bright. Rain held off until most attendees were well on their way home.

For anyone who purchased raffle tickets, the results are posted on the website here.