Let’s test your wildlife knowledge: what is the heaviest arthropod on Earth? Too obscure for you? Ok, what is the longest crustacean out of roughly forty thousand different species in the world? Still not sure? Well, I’m certain every reader will know which creature has the biggest financial impact on Maine’s economy. That’s right; it’s… Read more
This article was published in the Harpswell Anchor, July 2018. By Kara Douglas On a windy afternoon near the end of the school year about 40 third graders have gathered on the sloping lawn at Harpswell Community School. They sit in a lopsided circle, speaking in turns as attention moves counter-clockwise around. “My favorite preserve… 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. In 2005, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust had reached a crossroads. After more than two decades of conserving property in town, HHLT had recently completed the highly successful Special Places Campaign that… Read more
By Monique Coombs, Director of Marine Programs, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association According to the Department of Marine Resources, “the Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is the most important pelagic fishery resource in the state of Maine.” This is mostly because herring is a forage fish that not only feeds larger prey in the ocean but also… Read more
Go to Little Yarmouth Island Preserve. You can paddle there easily after putting in at the Bethel Point boat ramp near Cundy’s Harbor. Crossing to Yarmouth Island is quick, and once you duck between Yarmouth Island and Little Yarmouth, you are in a world of your own. It’s the world of color that you’d… Read more
Nature Notes from Maine: A collection of stories and images to celebrate the natural world around us Volume one released in 2018 by Harpswell Heritage Land Trust “This book is full of great stories about Maine’s wild animals. The stories are highly entertaining and brought back memories of some of my own wildlife encounters. These… Read more
Probably to my own betterment, Otter Brook Preserve has taken me into a world I’ve been skeptical about–the world of bird songs. I’ve scoffed at the possibility of identifying a bird by its song because I doubted my ability to do such a thing. My foray into this seemingly hostile territory (“hostile” for someone… 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. Walter “Doc” Phillips and his wife, Joan, were on the ferry to Islesboro back in the early 1990s when a fellow passenger told them about a nature camp for youngsters that… Read more
Mallard (John Berry photo) Yes, a duck loved me – and I loved her. In fact it was four ducks and I loved all of them. They were mallards, beautiful birds and quite friendly. The love affair took place many years ago when I was around eight years old. For Easter our parents brought home… Read more
Every year third graders at Harpswell Community School raise Atlantic Salmon from eggs to fry in a tank in their classroom. Harpswell Heritage Land Trust educator Julia McLeod presents a series of lessons about life cycles, biodiversity, adaptations, clean water and migration. The students release the salmon in the Little River in Lisbon in May…. Read more