Explore, Play, Discover Take a step into the Forest Playground and you will quickly discover that it is not a typical playground. It is much more. This is a place where all of our senses are invited to play. The elements and materials here provide inspiration for fun, connection, creativity, movement and discovery. Children experience… Read more
It’s easy to feel cooped up during the cold and dark of winter. It’s worth the effort to overcome your inertia and get yourself and your family outside! Research shows that being outdoors helps our mood, our brain and our body. Luckily in Harpswell there are lots of options for where to go. This being… Read more
Interested in birding? We encourage you to watch a recording of Judy Marino’s 2021 Intro to Birding workshop. Click here for the recording. Download a helpful resource sheet for beginning birders created by Judy Marino. This Intro to Birding session will present basic guidelines and hints for identifying birds, with emphasis on appropriate habitat as… Read more
What is the winter solstice? The earth travels around the sun once each year. The tilt of the earth is what gives us seasons. When the Northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, we have winter in Maine. During this time, the sun is lower in the sky and days are shorter. The winter… Read more
The perfect waterproof guide for your summer adventures! Harpswell Heritage Land Trust has created a custom guide to the common plants, animals and algae found along Harpswell’s shoreline. Printed on waterproof paper, the guide is easy to stick in your back pocket when heading out to explore. This visual guide features color illustrations to help… Read more
Harpswell Heritage Land Trust is offering exploration kits to give families the tools, ideas and inspiration to create lasting outdoor memories! We are deeply committed to making these kits accessible and are offering them for a suggested donation. You can pay as little or as much as works for your budget, no questions asked. The… Read more
Try out three recipes for the solstice from Maine Coastal Cooking – Down East Recipes Dating from 1664, which was published in 1963. Spiced Cider 1 gallon cider 1 tablespoon whole cloves 1 tablespoon allspice berries 4 sticks cinnamon (about 2 inches each) 3 lemons (optional) 3 oranges (optional) Place cider and spices in a… Read more
By Cynthia Friend Probably the world’s oldest profession was “sky-watcher.” These were the ones who watched, remembered, and knew things. They could answer important questions like, “Is the sun ever coming back? When?” This was before there were numbers—before there was math! Until modern times, people have awaited the first sunrise that follows the longest… Read more
There are many ideas and options for making winter solstice lanterns. Here are a few of our favorites. Glue and Tissue Paper Lantern Click here for directions. Milk Carton and Papier Mache Lantern Click here for directions. Glass Jar and Tissue Paper Lantern Click here for directions. Paper Lantern Gather these materials: Thick watercolor paper…. Read more
Using their backyards as laboratories, participants in the Signs of the Seasons program help scientists document the local effects of global climate change. Hundreds are trained to observe and record the phenology (seasonal changes) of common plants and animals living in their own communities — a citizen science project that fills a gap in regional… Read more