The Power of Plants: Designing with nature

This is the conclusion of a series about how landowners can harness “The Power of Plants” to maintain shorefront property while following the rules established to protect these environmentally sensitive areas. The Harpswell Conservation Commission is organizing the series, with articles by local experts.

The author of this article is Conservation Commission member Jamie Hark, a landscape architect with Acorn Engineering. The firm utilizes survey, landscape architecture and civil engineering teams to provide site assessment, planning, designs and permitting to implement nature-based strategies for coastal homeowners.

Throughout the summer, the Harpswell Conservation Commission has presented a series of articles for homeowners focused on preserving land within the 75-foot shoreline setback. Local arborists and stabilization contractors have provided advice on methods to improve the resiliency and overall aesthetics of coastal properties with nature-based design and installation strategies.

Nature-based strategies are a broad series of actions that seek to preserve and promote natural ecological systems to support healthier and more adaptive properties. On the coast, these strategies include the preservation and planting of native trees and plants, the introduction of bioswales and bioretention systems to promote natural stormwater flow, and the installation of living shorelines and planted buffers to shore up the coast.

While these strategies vary in type and complexity, we know that they provide numerous benefits to homeowners. They are cheaper to design and install; they require less intensive local, state and federal permitting; they improve the aesthetics and property value of the site; and, with proper maintenance, they make properties more resilient and adaptive to upland water flow and erosive wave action.

When I’m not in Conservation Commission meetings or exploring Harpswell’s coastline with my family, I’m a landscape architect with Acorn Engineering. Through this work, I’ve learned the value of developing a long-term plan for these dynamic properties. Before you sign a contract for expensive permitting and construction, it is important to understand the conditions of your property, the ecological forces that have helped to shape it, and the future you envision for your home. Is your property vulnerable to wave energy from a certain type of storm? Are there sensitive wetlands with valuable animal and plant habitat? Do other sites naturally drain above and below ground toward your home? Does the ledge and clay beneath your feet support certain plants and contribute to bluff instability?

Answering these types of questions can help homeowners better understand the specifics of their land and can support a more informed plan for site improvements. With this knowledge, we create designs that reduce costs and permitting, laying out management and maintenance strategies for more resilient properties that can be passed down to the next generation.

Homeowners in Harpswell have access to fantastic resources to support this work. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection recently released its OUR SHORE guide, a comprehensive handbook for nature-based shoreline stabilization techniques. Other agencies, including the Maine Geological Survey and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s Beginning with Habitat program, offer online maps with property information, including bluff and habitat mapping and a living shoreline decision tool. Our community is home to arborists, designers and contractors with local knowledge for any consultation, installation or maintenance needs. And, as always, your Conservation Commission and Code Enforcement Office are here to answer questions and provide guidance to support your homes and properties.

Thanks to all the contributors to this summer’s article series. Look out for additional workshops, studies and resources from the Harpswell Conservation Commission to support work you may undertake to improve or protect land in our wonderful town!