As of Wednesday, August 18, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) has created a pedestrian-only area at Stover’s Point Preserve. This was done to preserve the wildlife habitat and plant life at the preserve. As an added benefit, families with small children will be able to enjoy the beach without worrying about nearby vehicle traffic. HHLT… Read more
This gift comes from a long heritage and a deep connection to and love of the land. The donors’ family has owned the land since 1763 when Michael Sinnett bought 30 acres on Orr’s Island. The land was divided over the decades as each new generation built homes for their families. Next to the gift… Read more
Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) is pleased to announce that it has successfully raised $350,000 to purchase and preserve two properties at the mouth of Strawberry Creek. These properties make up a key part of the signature view seen across Mountain Road from Harpswell Town Hall and are important to Harpswell’s marine economy. HHLT will… Read more
Harpswell is blessed with a wealth of beautiful, iconic, natural vistas. Consider the seascape off Basin Point, the fishing harbor at Mackerel Cove, or Long Reach as seen from the high ledges of the Cliff Trail. So, it’s appropriate that the view from the Town Office on Mountain Road looking south to the mouth of… Read more
As I have researched the property that Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) is working to preserve, two questions have niggled at me. The first is, “Why is this tidal creek named Strawberry Creek?” Like with Mill Cove or Widgeon Cove, can we simply assume the obvious — that the creek was known for wild strawberries?… Read more
Originally published in the October 2020 issue of the Harpswell Anchor By Kara Douglas Sixty acres of clam flats and 68 acres of eelgrass beds, a fringing salt marsh, wading bird and waterfowl habitat strewn with rockweed, an iconic view from the town office looking south into Harpswell Sound: the intertidal zone and shoreland at… Read more
We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of our fundraising campaign for Strawberry Creek! Thanks to the support of more than 300 individuals and three grants, we have raised the $350,000 needed to preserve these spectacular properties. Click here to read an article about the project that was published in the Times Record. Click… Read more
This is one in a series of articles exploring the history of HHLT preserves. What makes Johnson Field Preserve precious is that it’s only a field—a field preserving a view that makes the hearts of locals and visitors sing. It’s a view to dream about when you’re longing for the best places of your life,… Read more
This is one in a series of articles exploring the history of HHLT preserves. Little Ponds is the wild Maine blueberry of preserves. Its 22 acres in East Harpswell burst with goodness in the realms of nature; historical agriculture, fisheries, and industry; and literature. Yes, even literature. Several Great Island family names tie into the… Read more
One of a series of articles exploring the natural and human history of Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s protected land. For a sweet morsel of a park with delicious tidbits of human and natural history, I recommend Houghton Graves Park on Orr’s Island. You can walk under boughs of ancient apple trees to a picnic table… Read more