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In 1964, a 27-year-old woman bought her own island off Maine; 22 years later, she donated it, and today it is a public nature preserve
In 1964, Jane Sewall bought Witch Island off South Bristol, Maine, and donated it in 1986. Today it is a nature preserve visitors can reach by paddle or boat.
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Most of us have daydreamed about escaping the noise and owning a quiet little island. In 1964, Jane Sewall actually bought one, off the coast of South Bristol, Maine. According to the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, the land trust that now manages the place, Witch Island stayed in private hands until Sewall donated it to the Maine Audubon Society in 1986. Today, visitors can walk its trails and paddle out. Her story shows how one person’s decision can benefit an entire community.
An island with a broken past
Witch Island is about a half mile from the town landing in South Bristol. The trust says the island was once called Davis Island. It was named by its former owner, Grace Courtland Chittenden, who liked to call herself the "Witch of Wall Street." Sewall bought the island in 1964, when the old summer house and the boathouse had already been vandalized. She had both structures burned and built a small cottage that still stands today, the trust says. Her island started with a cleanup and a rebuild, not a move-in-ready home.
How a private island turned into a public preserve
Sewall gave the island away twenty-two years after buying it. The trust says she donated it to the Maine Audubon Society in 1986. In 2009, Maine Audubon transferred the island to the Damariscotta River Association, now Coastal Rivers. Today the island is a nature preserve with trails and is open to day visitors. That is a big shift for a place that began this story in private hands. As a result, the island remains open for public visits today.
What visitors can find there today
Witch Island is a day-use island that is accessible only by paddle craft, boat tender, or skiff, and it has a wooded path around it. The loop is approximately 0.6 miles long and includes easy climbs, rocks, and roots, the trust says. Some of the wildlife you might see include shorebirds, ospreys, or even a bald eagle. Eagle nests can be found near the north beach and on one of the trails. However, neither looks to have been used in recent years. There is a small cottage on the island that is occasionally used by the trust's Island School program, a small reminder that people have lived here before.
Why time in nature is worth it
Small green spaces like this may also be good for us. According to a 2019 study in Scientific Reports led by Mathew White of the University of Exeter, researchers surveyed 19,806 adults from England and asked them how much time they had spent in nature during the previous week. Participants also answered questions about their health and well-being. Those who spent at least two hours in nature were more likely to report good health or high well-being than those who spent none. It did not matter whether those two hours came in one trip or several shorter ones.
The study shows a link, not proof of cause, and people reported their own health. Still, it suggests that a trip to a place like Witch Island could be worth your time. Thanks to Sewall's 1986 donation, anyone with a kayak or small boat can walk the shore she once owned.
