by Alicia Pulsifer Heyburn “Go take a hike!” This used to be an aggressive phrase, but now it can be considered a prescription to reduce stress, lower anxiety and create a calming feeling of connectedness. In 1984, American biologist Edward O. Wilson wrote a book titled Biophilia, in which he claimed that humans possess an… Read more
By Doyle Dietz Published Dec. 2, 2018 in the Pottsville (Pa.) Republican Herald These four books knock it out of the park with a grand slam of gift giving for Christmas or any occasion. From left to right are “The World Is Our Classroom: How One Family Used Nature and Travel to Shape an Extraordinary… Read more
One in a series of profiles of people who played a key role in the first 35 years of the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust. There have been numerous watershed events in the first 35 years of Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT). Among them: The acceptance of a preservation easement on the historic Tarr-Eaton House in… Read more
One of a series of articles exploring the natural and human history of Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s protected land. For a sweet morsel of a park with delicious tidbits of human and natural history, I recommend Houghton Graves Park on Orr’s Island. You can walk under boughs of ancient apple trees to a picnic table… Read more
On a blustery January day, Andy and I laid in the snow-filled corn field for several hours among our goose decoys with nothing to show for our efforts but chilled toes and fingers. Occasionally we would see a V-shaped flock high in the distance, but our calling had little effect on birds that… Read more
In the autumn I spend a lot of time perched in trees. Deer hunting is mostly a good excuse for watching and listening to the sights and sounds of nature. As I approach a tree stand, the forest around me goes silent. If I remain still, things return to normal within a few minutes and… Read more
One of a series of articles exploring the natural and human history of Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s protected land. If you want an invigorating hike through a forest to a pristine water view of another forest preserve, get thee to the Long Reach Preserve. You’ll clamber up and over two ridges, quickly losing the hubbub… Read more
One in a series of profiles of people who played a key role in the first 35 years of the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust. Sitting around a table in the family home just up the hill from Houghton Graves Park on Orr’s Island, Allan and Patty Graves want to make one thing perfectly clear: “It’s… Read more
Since 1983, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) has been working with the community to preserve special places in Harpswell, ensure public shore access, build and maintain trails, provide engaging educational programs and protect scenic views, clean water and wildlife habitat. In 2018 we celebrate our 35th anniversary. One of the ways we are celebrating is… Read more
By Andrea Stevens Perhaps you have enjoyed a hike at our Long Reach Preserve, zig-zagging up and down slopes through the oak-pine forests and crossing the sponge-like peat of the shrub bog in the valley. Or maybe you have followed the timber bridges through the wetland forest at Curtis Farm, eventually reaching the stunning scenery… Read more