New Preserve and Future Trail in Cundy's Harbor Engaging Youth
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ZACHARY HARDER PHOTO HARDER ZACHARY FALL 2017 New Preserve and Future Trail in Cundy’s Harbor By Ed Robinson or many years, the This beautiful property Harpswell Heritage Land includes a portion of the Trust (HHLT) has worked freshwater pond and to conserve special lands cattail marsh known Fin all corners of our town. Even as the Little Ponds, so, the map of conserved lands surrounding forest and shows gaps in the eastern part of meadow and shoreline town. While the Land Trust was at the head of Hen Cove. able to acquire the southern half The preserve will be of the offshore Little Yarmouth forever protected and open to the public for properties on Great Island has recreation. A trail will be Island, finding available built within the next year. generous donor and landowners The property was in whobeen care difficult. deeply Finally, about thanks their land, to a the Harold and Susan Pulsifer family for many The new 22-acre Little Ponds years. In the 1960s and PreserveHHLT has is its on first Bethel success. Point Road. The new Little Ponds Preserve on Bethel Point Road. (Ed Robinson photo) Continued on page 2 Engaging Youth with Nature and Science in Harpswell participate in weekly “Forest Friday” outdoor science lessons t Harpswell lessons. These programs are Community Foundation. in the fall and the third grade will Community School provided for free to Harpswell During the 2017-2018 school embark on a year-long learning (HCS), Harpswell Community School as part of year, even more programs are adventure structured around Heritage Land Trust’s HHLT’s educational mission the Junior Ranger Activity Book A(HHLT) Julia McLeod has become and are funded by the Holbrook and second grade students will (created by Harpswell native a recognized face. Kids wave as in the works. Kindergarten, first she walks the hallways, and they trips to HHLT and Town trails! ask when she will be visiting Emma“You Levy), have givenincluding a huge nine boost field their classroom. to our childrens’ knowledge Over the past four years about their environment!” McLeod has been helping wrote Kerry Bailey, Principal at students connect with nature HCS. “I can’t say enough good through hands-on exploration, things about your ability to strengthen their science tailor learning experiences to skills through gathering and the age group you teach and the analyzing data and build on variety of ways you are willing their knowledge of Harpswell’s to connect with our teachers and habitats, plants and animals students. We are such fans!! And through outdoor lessons and It is HHLT’s hope that in Harpswell. throughwe are such participating beneficiaries!” in these field trips to some amazing sites programs, Harpswell’s youth During the 2016-2017 school Last spring Harpswell Community School second graders learned about year, HHLT reached every class in phenology, or the study of seasonal changes, with HHLT educator Julia McLeod. will connect with their town the school and provided a total Over the course of six weeks, they watched spring unfold in the woods near the Continued on page 6 of 59 hours of engaging science school. They discovered striped maple flowers on the trees. (Curt Chipman photo) FALL 2017 / 1 boats in early summer, Cundy’s Harbor or to pull docks ahead Preserve of winter. Continued from page 1 In 1998, Snow Island was sold to 1970s, Susan Pulsifer donated Dodge Morgan. Pat 23 acres of her land in several recalls the sense of Our Mission: pieces to Bowdoin College for loss that he felt upon use as a nature preserve and To preserve and protect that sale. However, outdoor classroom. Bowdoin Harpswell’s natural after Mr. Morgan’s used the property mainly for resources, cultural death, Pat seized heritage, and access to the their sailing club, building a dock the opportunity to Little Ponds and clubhouse there. outdoors through targeted acquire Snow Preserve conservation, responsible ED ROBINSON PHOTO ROBINSON ED Island from the stewardship and education. Morgan family and bring it BOARD OF TRUSTEES back into his Wendy Batson John Boomer family. Since David Brown, President that time, the Keith Brown Scanlans have Ron Davis become very Becky Gallery, insects and all kinds of aquatic Secretary involved in protecting Alicia Pulsifer Heyburn life. A recent visit turned up a the quality of life in and Dan Huber great blue heron, snowy egrets, Charlie Johnson, Treasurer around Quahog Bay. When the sailing club was frogs, robins, sparrows and Lynn Knight, Vice President Thanks to the Scanlan’s relocated to the Coastal Studies plenty of deer tracks on the Mary Ann Nahf generosity and concern for Sharon Oehmig Center on Orr’s Island, the pond’s edge. The neighboring protecting the water quality Ed Robinson property reverted to Harold and forest is a mix of pines, oaks, of Quahog Bay, a grant from Priscilla Seimer Susan’s four grandsons. As a cedars, spruce and shrubs and Deirdre Strachan the Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan result of this change, a window offers important nesting, shelter Jeff Stann Family Foundation provided of opportunity opened when the and feeding areas for birds, small the resources to acquire the grandsons agreed to sell 22 acres mammals, deer and turkeys. It is STAFF new Little Ponds Preserve and Reed Coles, of the property to HHLT at a a truly special addition to HHLT’s provide for the preserve’s long- Executive Director bargain price in order to see their conserved lands. term stewardship. Julia McLeod, Outreach For more information about Coordinator Finances are always a the Quahog Bay Conservancy, at this time of year, and marsh challengegrandmother’s in such wishes acquisitions, fulfilled. visit: http://quahogbay.org/. HARPSWELL HERITAGE areThe important pond, filled habitat with for lily birds pads LAND TRUST since there are costs for surveys, PO Box 359 legal work and, of course, the 153 Harpswell Neck Rd purchase price for a property. and are flush with waterfowl, Harpswell, ME 04079 Harpswell Day: A Celebration 207-721-1121 capital campaign to acquire the 207-837-9613 newHaving Otter just Brook finished Preserve, a major HHLT of Traditional Handcrafts and [email protected] needed a source of funding that [email protected] did not require another long Subsistence Skills www.hhltmaine.org campaign. Fortunately, a family Saturday, Oct. 14, 12-4 p.m. (rain or shine) at the with solid roots in the area Like us on Facebook! Harpswell Historical Society, 929 Harpswell Neck Rd stepped in to fund the project. Join our Email List Pat and Mary Scanlan are well Join Harpswell Historical CURT CHIPMAN PHOTO CHIPMAN CURT known locally for their work with Society and Harpswell the Quahog Bay Conservancy Heritage Land Trust for a and other charitable efforts. celebration of traditional While Mary grew up far from handcrafts and subsistence the coast in Iowa, Pat spent skills. This event happens many memorable summers in rain or shine at the Harpswell as a child. Pat’s uncle Harpswell Historical Society owned Snow Island in Quahog Museum, Centennial Hall, Bay and Pat remembers many the Old Meeting House, the one room schoolhouse and outdoors. trips from his family’s home in For all ages, there will be much to see, do and learn about during upstate New York to help launch this free event celebrating Harpswell’s history. 2 / HARPSWELL HERITAGE LAND TRUST CURT CHIPMAN PHOTO CHIPMAN CURT NEWS AND UPDATES cove for clammers. Our Changing Ocean Sunset Cruise Land “This project really serves In an ocean-oriented town We had another successful Conservation the part of HHLT’s mission that like Harpswell, people and the Sunset Cruise this summer. The Lands Committee and calls for providing access to ocean are inextricably linked. staff continue to pursue new the outdoors for all Harpswell Our community’s past, present allowed us to cruise the Weather conditions finally land conservation opportunities. residents and visitors,” said and future relate intimately spectacular eastern bay this year. Read the front page story for HHLT’s Reed Coles. “We want to the sea, and these days big JULIA MCLEOD PHOTO MCLEOD JULIA everyone to be able to enjoy the changes are happening in the preserve in Cundy’s Harbor. beauty of our community.” ocean. Seawater is getting information about our first warmer and more acidic, sea Otter Brook update level is rising rapidly, lobster Stewardship Talented volunteers are in catches are booming but young The Stewardship Committee the process of laying out a trail lobsters have become scarce, and our stewards continue to system on the new Otter Brook clams are disappearing, invasive work hard to maintain and Preserve and identifying where species like green crabs are more New Trustees improve our preserves and trails This summer at our Annual to put a parking lot. We hope to for public use and habitat values, Meeting we said thank you to two open new trails there in 2018. stocks are moving north, to name as well as monitor and enforce retiring trustees: Robin Brooks justabundant a few ofand the southern changes. fish our conservation easements. and Don Newberg. We welcomed Community This fall HHLT is sponsoring a Wendy Batson and Ron Davis to New Accessible Picnic Area on series of public events exploring the board. Basin Cove Outreach and these changes. What changes Wendy currently serves Thanks to a $3,800 grant from have been observed already in on Harpswell’s Conservation LL Bean and the sweat equity Education Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine? Commission and on the Steering Short Courses of dedicated HHLT volunteers, What is causing these changes? Committee for the Harpswell This year we offered three visitors to the scenic Basin Cove What changes are expected in the Invasive Plant Partnership short courses with as in-depth area of Harpswell Neck have a near future? How do the changes (HIPP).