Originally published in the Harpswell Anchor “My great-great-grandfather’s boat blew into Cundy’s Harbor in a storm and he decided to stay.” That’s Rob Watson describing how his family ended up there back in the 1850s. The Watsons have run the general store in Cundy’s Harbor since Rob’s grandfather, who worked in the saltfish business, founded… Read more
It was another great week for our “This Week in Harpswell” photo project! Twenty-one photographers shared 132 images taken in October. Thank you to all who participated! Click here for more about the photo project. Read more
See below for video recordings of past webinars in our 2021 “Stories of Change” series. Rockweed Research from the Bottom up with Hannah Webber Click here to watch a webinar recording from October 26, 2021. Rockweed, Ascophyllum nodosum, covers much of the rocky intertidal in Maine; it is ecologically and economically important. This talk… Read more
Originally published in the Harpswell Anchor Harpswell has over 200 miles of coastline. From the long stretch of Harpswell Neck to the wiggly ins and outs of Quahog Bay, there is great variety. Some of the coast drops steeply off into the waters of Casco Bay, while other parts have gradual, shallow, intertidal transitions from… Read more
In response to the success of his first Nature Notes book, Ed Robinson has written another book of wildlife essays! The new book, just released in October 2021, is titled Nature Notes from Maine: Puffins, Black Bears, Raccoons & More. Readers of the first volume enjoyed not only the stunning photographs and drawings, but also… Read more
This essay comes from Ed Robinson’s new second volume in the Nature Notes series, titled Nature Notes from Maine: Puffins, Black Bears, Raccoons & More. Click here to learn more and order yours! It was cold in the dark October woods, thank goodness for my down jacket. As dawn crept slowly over the horizon behind… Read more
Originally published by the Harpswell Anchor A family’s decision to forgo a payday from developers and instead offer their Great Island woodlands to the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust at a $1.1 million discount stems from a commitment to conservation and a generational connection to the land. “Virgin pine forest and coastal land are no longer… Read more
Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) has launched an ambitious campaign to preserve 57 acres of woodlands, undeveloped shorefront and associated intertidal areas at the northern end of Quahog Bay across the street from Harpswell Community School on Great Island. HHLT signed a purchase and sale agreement for the parcel with the Tondreau family, which has… Read more
Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s Nature Day Camp ran uninterrupted for 22 years until Covid struck and the land trust made the difficult decision to cancel its camps in 2020. When the camp returned in 2021, it was to very high demand from families for outdoor fun and normalcy. The 2021 camp season was full of… Read more
It was just after dawn as I drove north along Route 123 on a beautiful sun-streaked August morning. Passing the huge Merriconegan farmhouse, I noticed the salt marsh was nearly full at high tide. Suddenly my eyes were drawn to a sight I could hardly believe. Amidst the wildflowers and field vegetation stood a tall… Read more