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… Read more
At our Annual Meeting & Celebration on July 21, 2026, 5 new Trustees were voted in by HHLT’s membership. Please join us in welcoming these new Trustees, who bring a variety of backgrounds, interests, and experiences to our Board. Jenny Baca grew up in Texas, with deep family roots in New Mexico. She spent her… Read more
By Martha Brant On a cool and damp Fall morning several years ago, Susan and Scott Salka were taking one of their favorite Harpswell walks along the Cliff Trail. It was there they met a young military veteran who had lost his legs and was using specialized braces to navigate his way up to the… Read more
After graduating college with a degree in agriculture, Russell Turner began his career in the Peace Corps and later worked for an international aid organization, CARE. Followinga stint owning a cacao farm in central America, he returned to the US unsure of where he wanted to settle next. His brother lived in Portland at the… Read more
By Christina Schechtman When Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) first began its conservation efforts in 1983, it started the way many burgeoning grassroots organizations do: a crew of dedicated volunteers meeting in the kitchens and living rooms of Trustees, staff members working from home offices, and Board meetings held in a nearby church hall. By… Read more
Schiller Coastal Studies Center (SCSC) is folded into the wooded shoreline on the west side of Orr’s Island. The property – formerly a farm, now a center for interdisciplinary research and education – is comprised of field, forest and marine habitats. Locals may be most familiar with the network of trails that loop the length… Read more
Excited shouts resonate through the thin line of trees that separate my yard from the one next door. Two boys are racing across the lawn, chasing a small dog who ducks under the bushes and pops up beside my apple tree. He tries to escape, but the boys are onto the dog’s tricks. One circles… Read more
This January Katie Neal is leaving HHLT after five and a half years to take over as Recreation Director & Community Services Coordinator for the Town of Harpswell. We are so thrilled to see Katie step into this role and look forward to working with her in her new capacity. When asked to look back… Read more
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
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