CURT CHIPMAN PHOTO CHIPMAN CURT SPRING 2019 Wellness and the Outdoors This is one in a series of articles happy, but it also helps keep about wellness this year. For you healthy,” said Reed Coles, more, sign up for our email newsletters or visit our website. are particularly blessed here in HHLT’s executive director. “We By Doug Warren bounty of natural beauty to Harpswell to have such a ocean vistas, rock- arpswell’s sweeping trustenjoy.” has shared information bound shores and PHOTO CHIPMAN CURT andAlready inspiration this year,about the the land Hare beautiful to behold and a fragrant forest trails health benefits of a walk in the What if they also help balm for the soul. woods and gardening, as well as how to protect ourselves from That’s the proposition behind a variety of events to help us promote good health? Browntail moth. HHLT is offering HHLT is not alone in its ticks, medicinal herbs, edible belief that time spent outdoors volume’s subtitle: “Why Nature Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s landscapesbe well, including and opportunities programs on Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and year-long campaign for Outdoor Williams travels from Japan is beneficial to human health. More Creative.” Wellness, with a series of events, “The Nature Fix,” a popular and talks and articles throughout to get out on the trails and out Williams, sets out to quantify, influential 2017 book by Florence and Korea to Utah and Finland to 2019 focusing on the healing on the water. And a new pop- witness the work that scientists qualities of nature. up outdoor play and learning impact that time spent in Nature through various scientific studies are doing to determine the “We really want to get the area will engage families. Check outdoors not only keeps you being conducted around the Continued on page 2 message out that enjoying the www.hhltmaine.org for activities throughout the year. globe, findings that support the Johnson Field Preserve: Finding safe harbor cod king of early fisheries, why This is one in a series of articles Cove have been accidental and wasn’t it “Cod Cove”? exploring the history of HHLT the name, but I did pick up I still don’t know why preserves. For a longer version of waterThat that dream smells doesn’t salty includeand fishy must have had friends visit this article and others, visit our and right. not. Will Black, the first settler, interesting tidbits. “Mackerel website. lot size of 40,000 square feet in three homes. With a minimum on what was known as Will’s Cove” shows up in deeds around By Nancy West Island in Harpswell’s 1758 Act Johnson Field in 1803. Other Harpswell’s Shoreland Zone, the of Incorporation. If you’d been early 1800 spellings were more hat makes Preserve’s 3.5 acres could have his friend, wouldn’t you have? phonetic: “Macril,” “Makrell,” Johnson Field allowed three houses to block He was displaced to Orr’s Island and “Mackrell Cove,” for instance. Preserve precious the view of any passersbys on on by Deacon Bailey and his wife, An 1809 deed records the sale Wis that it’s only a Harpswell Islands Road who seek Hanna, who surely had company, of land “…beginning at a head of a soul soothing Maine experience. too. A 1776 Royal Navy chart a cove called Mackerel Cove…” that makes the hearts of locals by Lazarus Bates to Capt. David field—a field preserving a view Between the Preserve and shows nine structures on “Bailes Perry. easements,the town’s adjacent all visitors, Mackerel local or Island,” implying that someone’s to Portland, a storm tossed Cove lot, both with conservation visitors stayed. While sailing from Rockland forand the visitors best placessing. It’s of youra view life, to dream about when you’re longing I learned this while trying Perry’s ship about. He bucked up from away, can see the essence of covesto learn are why named the covefor people, is called not his quaking crewContinued with, “We on pageshall 2 with a harbor for boats that coastal Maine forever. The view Mackerel Cove. Most Harpswell needn’t be only in their dreams. earn their living, a sandy beach SPRING 2019 / 1 for wading and swimming, and Past visitors to Mackerel fish. And if named for fish, with Johnson Field Stairs, and visits to the sculpture to Bailey Island to salvage cargo, Preserve sails, and rigging.** In 1869, a commemorating lobstermen at Continued from page 1 Category 3 hurricane wrought sculptureLands End. (created H. Elroy for Johnson, the 1939 the havoc in New England onshore lobsterman who posed for the Our Mission: and at sea. “[T]he schooner To preserve and protect find a safe shelter at Mackerel Potomac, of Boston has gone New York World’s Fair), lived Harpswell’s natural andCove, they on Bailey’shave the Island. true kind I of to pieces in Mackerel Cove. above Johnson Field Preserve. resources, cultural know lots of Harpswell people, The crews were saved.”*** In And dreams can bring people heritage and access to the the same storm, after hitting to the Preserve. Surely, during outdoors through targeted hospitality.”* While sheltering in mainsail,Halfway Rock, rudder, the lifeboats, schooner and Lydia his 1936 seminar on dreams, Carl conservation, responsible the cove, he met Jane Alexander, limped to Bailey Island without Jung stepped out on the porch of stewardship and education. whom he married in 1804. Their Library Hall to admire Mackerel daughter Margaret married anchors.**** Cove. Because of Johnson Field BOARD OF TRUSTEES Capt. Hugh Sinnett, acquiring the Most people visit References:Preserve, you can do that still. President homestead in 1844. Hugh was a Mackerel Cove under sunnier Dan Huber, Vice President farmer, fisherman, and California circumstances of weddings, Lynn Knight, Sinnett, donated Giant’s *Sinnett, Rev. Charles Nelson. 1911. Treasurer gold rusher. His cousin, William vacations, walks along the Giant’s Our Perry Family in Maine. Lewiston, Becky Gallery, Secretary The Journal Print Shop. P. Ed Robinson,Wendy Batson 11. John Boomer Stairs to the town in Journal of Literature and **4 Feb 1826. Portsmouth been1909. a safe harbor for Ron Davis Mackerel Cove has David Brown Politics. ***13 Sept 1869. Daily State Lew Hinman other accidental visitors. Gazette, Trenton. Tim McCreight In 1826, a schooner ****Rindlaub, Curtis. 2000. foundered off Cape The Maine Coast Guide for PriscillaMary Ann Seimer Nahf with tobacco and flour Small Boats. Peaks Island, DeirdreSharon StrachanOehmig Diamond Pass Publishing, Jeff Stann Elizabeth and was towed Inc. P. 111. STAFF Reed Coles, Wellness That is also the mantra of Continued from page 1 theBring Center friends for or Community not. Breathe.” exercising outside is that exercise Health and Wellness based on itselfThe feels Center less fordifficult Community outdoors Executive Director than it does indoors,” she added. Julia McLeod, Health and Wellness offers Outreach Coordinator has on humans. In Japan, for Andrea Stevens, example, she participates in barriersthe Parkview to physical campus activity of Mid is a increase their physical ability HARPSWELLStewardship Coordinator HERITAGE “forest bathing,” a wildly popular Coast Hospital, where reducing several programs to help people LAND TRUST form of communing with the partners, such as HHLT, to make therenatural found world. that During leisurely more forest than key part of its mission. Often this parksto exercise, and trails and worksmore accessible with a decade of testing, scientists means working with patients to PO Box 359 deliver a 12 percent decrease createincrease more ability accessible and confidence, outdoor 153 Harpswell Neck Rd walks, compared to urban walks, or working with partners to to all community members. Harpswell, ME 04079 Fochesato encourages people 207-721-1121 in cortisol, known as the “stress spaces. to visit the center’s website, 207-837-9613 hormone.” Their subjects also “There is growing evidence midcoasthealth.com/wellness [email protected] outside, has both mental and recorded a 1.4 percent decrease that green exercise, or exercising or call 373-6585 for more [email protected] [email protected] in blood pressure and a 6 percent information. decrease in heart rate, along Like us on Facebook! physical health benefits, and that effortsHHLT of Outreachthe land trust Coordinator to Join our Email List withWilliams reports alsoof better documents moods the and these benefits are “synergistic” Julia McLeod said the many lowered anxiety. – meaning exercising outside to its mission to serve the seems to have a greater health promote wellness are integral challenges faced by the Korean center’sbenefit than director the exercise of Community alone,” government in its efforts to get explained Melissa Fochesato, the abilities,Harpswell nature community. offers a place a generation of tech-addicted, “For people of all ages and stressed-outWe face many teens of to the detox same in so- Health Promotion. stimulates our creativity and called “healing forests.” According to Fochesato, of calm and beauty, which these benefits include stress challenges in this country, self-esteemmanagement, and restoring an improved mental boosts our mood. Seeing that we ultrasimpleat all age levels. coda: Her Go bottom outside, fatigue, improving mood and are one small part of something line: “I came up with a kind of the best-kept secrets about much bigger than ourselves helps perception of health. “One of our daily worries fade to the often, sometimes in wild places. background,” said McLeod. 2 / HARPSWELL HERITAGE LAND TRUST CURT CHIPMAN PHOTO CHIPMAN CURT NEWS AND UPDATES Conservation Nature Day Camp ofinvasive invasives plants. on native HIPP plantsalso raises forward to introducing you to our andawareness their habitats about the and impact removes first preserve in Cundy’s Harbor.