Nature Day Camp was a huge success this summer, engaging 166 campers and four junior counselors with nature in Harpswell. Children enjoyed exploring tide pools, catching butterflies, learning about Harpswell history, swimming, making new friends, catching crabs, and getting messy! One happy camp parent wrote: “We love this camp the most out all off the things… Read more
It’s been a great school year for outdoor learning at Harpswell Community School! Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s Julia McLeod has brought HCS students out to the woods more than 80 times during this school year for science learning and nature-based play. Her work reached every student at our local public elementary school. Some highlights of… 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
Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s Nature Day Camp ran uninterrupted for 22 years until Covid struck and the land trust made the difficult decision to cancel its camps in 2020. When the camp returned in 2021, it was to very high demand from families for outdoor fun and normalcy. The 2021 camp season was full of… 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
There are many ideas and options for making winter solstice lanterns. Here are a few of our favorites. [Updated 12/3/2025] Nature Art Lanterns 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
Looking for a simple, fun and educational project? Make your own tree identification wheel to practice your ID skills. Read more
By Gina Snyder Recently I downloaded the iNaturalist app on my smartphone and have been having some fun with it. I found out about it from a blog about things to do during pandemic social isolation. I’ve always been curious about what I’m seeing in the woods, often tagging along with bird watching friends or… Read more
From mid-March to the end of May 2020, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) posted a simple outdoor activity idea and nature riddle for kids every weekday. Some days we also posted other resources, like downloadable chapters of the Junior Ranger Activity Book. Created to support parents who found themselves homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic, these… Read more