This article concerns the intersection of the natural world around us with the world of science, in this case, biological science and genetic engineering. Science has not always been kind to our environment and the creatures who share the Earth with mankind, but increasingly we find examples where breakthroughs can significantly alter the prospects for… Read more
HHLT Hires New Executive Director
The Harpswell Heritage Land Trust announced today that Matt Newberg has been hired as Executive Director to fill the position left vacant when Julia McLeod left the Trust in July. For the last five years, Newberg, a Harpswell resident, has been Head of School at the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Hinckley. Previously, he… Read more
Lindy Magness, the Outreach & Education Director for Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, came to Harpswell in the immediate aftermath of last winter’s destructive storms. The shock visited on the land by the force of wind and water had a profound impact on her. She determined to explore what we can do in the face of… Read more
Fannah, our young guide, quietly maneuvered the safari vehicle through the brush and African sage, coming to a stop 25 feet from our target. The towering acacia tree overhead was skeletal, a victim of debarking by rapacious elephants, with dead limbs littering the ground. A mound of white sand amidst the debris marked the den’s… Read more
Harpswell has an abundance of preserves and trails, some created after purchase or donation of the land, others the result of an easement on the rights for development of the land. But how might a property embark on this journey so well described by Mary Connolly in her series “When Land Becomes Part of a… Read more
Hunting and Trapping in Harpswell
Don’t forget your blaze orange! Recreational hunting is a respected tradition in Maine. Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) is dedicated to providing public access to its preserves for many uses, including hunting, when appropriate. If you like to get outdoors during hunting season, we urge you (and your dogs) to wear blaze orange. In 2024, firearms… Read more
As I stepped out of the house with a bag of birdseed in hand, I was focused on filling the “squirrel proof” feeder and getting back to work. Focus is a good thing unless you are so single-minded that you blunder into a situation where slow is better than fast, like popping out to the… Read more
We had so much fun at Nature Day Camp this year! For the first time ever, we welcomed over 200 children to explore, learn and play in Harpswell. Read more
Just as I began my back cast, out of the corner of my eye I caught movement along the shoreline. Letting my rod dip back toward the water I waited to see what creature was poking around in the understory among the large boulders. Suddenly out popped a head with a curious look on its… Read more
Julia McLeod: Devoted Educator
Not long before her last day as executive director of the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT), Julia McLeod sat in her office and smiled warmly when asked what accomplishments pleased her most during her nearly 12-year tour with the organization. “There are really two answers,” said McLeod, who joined the land trust as a part-time… Read more