Temperatures are falling and snow is piling up around town. That is great if you are a skier or snowmobiler, but it also spells good news for our dinner table. This is the time of year when one of Maine’s seafood delicacies becomes available to satisfy our cravings. This fishery is also an important contributor… Read more
One way you might like to engage is to become a citizen scientist. Armed with your smartphone, you can visit several of the trails and preserves in Harpswell and collect data for the Harpswell King Tide project. It’s a fun and easy way to make a difference. As a recent returnee from the west, I… Read more
(Photo by Bob Hilscher iStock) The holidays are upon us, and everywhere you see red – flashing lights, bright ribbons, ugly sweaters, you name it. While there are many shades of red, the one we’re interested in is “cardinal red,” so popular it has an official designation in the Pantone Matching System for paints as… Read more
Looking back on her childhood growing up in New York state, Lynn Knight remembers weekend walks in the woods with her father and brother. Or sometimes trips to one of the many nearby harbor beaches in all four seasons. “Every weekend my father took us somewhere we could play outdoors in nature,” Lynn recalled. Her… Read more
Looking out the bay windows in a cozy nook of his cluttered living room, Jeff Marshall introduces the spectacular view ranging from southwest to northwest in what he calls “my nature theater” with a gracious, sweeping gesture. Out on the shore of Doughty Cove here on Sebascodegan (Great) Island, huge sheets of ice are stacked… Read more
How has your garden grown? Did the native shrubs you planted during our wet spring survive summer’s heat? Did you remember to water the new plants every week? And how about those vegetables? Are the zucchini and tomatoes pouring in? This is the time of year we celebrate the harvest. The ripe red tomatoes are… Read more
By Alicia Heyburn Have we lost something in our culture? I bet you could think of several things that have shifted in our society since you were a child, but I’m thinking of play. Good, simple, screen-free, sand-castle building, hide-and-seek, sprinkler-running, somersaulting, fairy house making, play. Remember that? Well, its good for all of us,… Read more
Now that we’ve planted and nurtured our gardens, it’s time to admire the gardening of others. Time spent in gardens has been shown to benefit our mental health. This time with trees, flowers and other plants recharges our psyche, and boosts our general wellness. According to the late Oliver Sacks, neurologist and author, nature has… Read more
Success! A great blue heron caught in Harpswell is now flying around wearing her new solar powered GPS transmitter. This project was made possible by help from HHLT volunteers and Harpswell Coastal Academy teachers and students. Danielle D’Auria, a wildlife biologist with Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, spent weeks scouting the Harpswell area… Read more
By Melissa Fochesato, Director of Mid Coast Center for Community Health & Wellness Although many Americans understand the importance of physical activity, a majority of us are not getting enough. Physical inactivity is now a leading cause of death worldwide. Recently, public health experts have been studying the effects of a person’s environment on physical… Read more