By Debra Benveniste Despite the record-breaking cold of this year’s winter, Maine, like much of the northeast, is warming faster than the global average.[1] Over the years spanning 1901-2000, coastal Maine’s air temperature climbed an average of 3.2 degrees and the Gulf of Maine’s water temperature increased by an average of 3.8 degrees. This trend… Read more
Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2025 edition of This Week in Harpswell! Many talented photographers took photos of Harpswell scenery, HHTL preserves & trails, wildlife, and more during four weeks in 2025. After a public voting period, 12 winners were selected throughout the year, and those 12 winning photos can now be found… Read more
We appreciate everyone who participated in the December edition of our This Week in Harpswell project – over 50 photos submitted from 15 talented Harpswell photographers! For more about our photo project and to find out when the next one will be happening click here. Congratulations to our four winning photos for December, which will… Read more
By Kim Van Zorge Each year, as the fall season fades and we settle into the rhythm of the shorter, darker days of winter, the much-anticipated return of spring feels far away and out of reach. But even as the snow flies and the ground freezes, a hopeful gardening task awaits – one you might… Read more
Some people find the winter months a bleak time for watching local birds because most of the colorful songbirds have fled to warmer climes. Fortunately, our warming winters mean we can enjoy Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, and a few other pretty faces but all those showy warblers are long gone. I enjoy this time of… Read more
As a coastal community that is 80% water, you might think Harpswell is an unlikely place to worry about wildfires, but when you look around and see that much of the remaining 20% is forested, you realize why it is important to know more. There are several federal and state agencies that regulate and protect… Read more
Mike could hardly believe his eyes as he stalked as close as he dared to the apparition on the stony beach. If you are persistent and patient, long hours of searching sometimes pay off in unexpected moments. Mike settled into position and began taking shots he had hardly imagined would come his way. The focus… Read more
To call this iconic bird “common” seems an insult but it distinguishes one of our favorite birds from other loons in the Gavia genus, such as the red throated, Pacific and Great Northern loons. But any Maine tourist worth her salt can spot these stunning black and white, red eyed birds at a distance. I… Read more
The bass gave an audible gulp as it broke the water in front of the boat. I assumed Lew had hooked another smallmouth, since he had out-fished me handily most of the morning. When I turned to see if Lew was into another good fish, I noticed that his line was nowhere near the circles… 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