The King A friend once suggested that I write more stories about insects. I reminded him that insects are not a topic of polite conversation in Maine unless we are griping about ravenous mosquitoes, invasive brown tail moths or swarming black flies (often suggested with tongue in cheek as the next state bird). Don’t get… Read more
After graduating college with a degree in agriculture, Russell Turner began his career in the Peace Corps and later worked for an international aid organization, CARE. Followinga stint owning a cacao farm in central America, he returned to the US unsure of where he wanted to settle next. His brother lived in Portland at the… Read more
Imagine you’re 7 years old. You’ve just come home through a typically chill, rainy April night. Just another Maine mud-season drive… and then you see on your doorstep, a large, black splay-toed creature with bulging eyes and bright yellow spots all over its body. What kid wouldn’t be fascinated? Though he didn’t realize then, for… Read more
My recollections of early youth get a bit fuzzier over time but I remember my first outing with a fly rod. I was probably 12 years old, using an old Shakespeare rod and a top water “popper,” a floating frog imitation that made a lot of noise when retrieved quickly. Friends gave permission to fish… Read more
We appreciate everyone who participated in the March edition of our This Week in Harpswell project – over 60 photos submitted from 19 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 March: “Lookout Point,”… Read more
Some bird species are so distinctive in appearance that you can identify them at a glance. A Northern Flicker flying away reveals a bright white patch on its rump. A large flash of bright red around your home is likely the male Northern Cardinal. This month’s bird is equally distinctive during breeding season, with the… Read more
Moving to Maine in 2007 was a big step, having lived abroad for many years. We were excited by the natural beauty and recreational opportunities around us. I was keen to learn about fishing the myriad lakes, ponds and streams in this lightly populated state. I found a few friendly souls through volunteer work with… Read more
By Christina Schechtman When Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) first began its conservation efforts in 1983, it started the way many burgeoning grassroots organizations do: a crew of dedicated volunteers meeting in the kitchens and living rooms of Trustees, staff members working from home offices, and Board meetings held in a nearby church hall. By… Read more
As I walked along the harvested cornfield a small flock of light-colored birds took rapid flight. These were one of the smallest winter visitors to our area, the Snow Bunting. Sometimes described as an Arctic specialist, this is the most northern breeding song bird on Earth. The birds are lovely all year, but the breeding… Read more
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