On April 18, 2026, volunteers from the Harpswell Invasive Plant Partnership (HIPP) and the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) joined forces to burn an accumulated wood and brush pile at the Curtis Farm Preserve. Thanks to the Harpswell Neck Fire Department (HNFD), which kept a truck on standby for the morning, the dense brush was safely turned to ash within a few hours.
We extend our sincere thanks to HHLT volunteers Craig Douglas (who also pulls double duty as an HNFD volunteer), Tom Carr, and Ron Davis, as well as HIPP volunteers Don Westfall, Linda and Dennis Wilkins, and Becky Gallery. Now that this debris has been cleared, HIPP will begin rebuilding the pile during upcoming volunteer workdays focused on invasive plant removal.
To manage the plant debris that volunteers cut or dig up across Harpswell’s preserves and town lands, HIPP utilizes a few different disposal methods:
- On-Site Composting: Some plant debris can safely remain on-site if there is no risk of the discarded stalks sprouting new roots, or leaving behind viable seeds or berries that could germinate.
- Controlled Burning: It is relatively rare for woody debris to accumulate to the volume seen at Curtis Farm Preserve, which required this more extensive, coordinated safety burn.
- Bagging and Disposal: More commonly, HIPP volunteers cut and bag the invasive material for transport to the Harpswell Recycling Center and Transfer Station.
For more details on how to handle these species yourself, look for the March 2026 article on HIPP’s website about safely bagging and disposing of invasive plant debris.
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Craig Douglas, Curtis Farm steward and HNFD volunteer, preps hoses for brush burning
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Don Westfall adds brush to burn
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Dennis Wilkins and Ron Davis guarding for flying embers
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Craig Douglas hoses down the remnants of the brush pile to extinguish any remaining embers