“Stop!” hissed our guide Fernando, putting his hand in the air as he halted mid-stride along the jungle trail. Since we had spotted a Central American coral snake earlier that morning my first thought was that we had encountered another venomous denizen of the thick rain forest. There are many dangerous snakes in that region,… 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
HHLT’s This Week in Harpswell photo project is back! Have you enjoyed Harpswell’s scenic wonders? Yes! Have you ever been inspired to reach for a camera or phone to capture a moment of Harpswell beauty — a sunset, a dewdrop, a smile, or the majestic arc of forest giant? Most likely. If you’re like most… Read more
After careful consideration by both staff and the Board of Trustees, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust has made the difficult decision to pause its Nature Day Camp program in 2025. We apologize to campers and their families, and we share in your disappointment. Nature Day Camp has been an important part of our identity at HHLT… Read more
On a crisp, steel-gray night I sat with good friends and cold feet in a small plywood shack on a thick slab of ice. No, it was not a winter camping trip, rather I was smelting. The dictionary defines smelting as “a process of applying heat and a chemical reducing agent to an ore to… 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 land trust and other organizations in Harpswell are the fortunate beneficiaries of generous townspeople with a special awareness of the importance of history. Here is an example. In 1786, a man named Waitsill Merryman built a small wooden house located across the road from the Union Church, just south of what we now know… Read more
Many folks believe that a strict reading of the Bible informs us that while animals may live with us here on Earth, they will not join us in the afterlife. Devoted pet owners who fervently hope to rejoin with Fifi or Cuddles through eternity rebut that view, arguing that God showed great concern for animals,… Read more
We are so grateful for everyone who has been a part of our 2024 here at HHLT whether you made a donation, volunteered, attended a program, partnered with us, or just passed by us on a trail. Rather than try to summarize such a busy twelve months, we wanted to share a collection of photos… Read more
“Oh, man,” I muttered to myself a couple weeks ago, “there’s another one!” My thought was triggered by seeing another log pulled apart by a black bear, the third one in just a couple days. The bruins have been increasing in number in the area around our New York cabin for a decade, and I… Read more