Huber

This 96-acre preserve was donated to MCHT in 1997 by Sherry Huber, who, along with her late husband David, wished to maintain the natural character of Vinalhaven’s cherished Seal Bay. That desire is shared by other landowners along the bay, who, through generous gifts of land and easements, have protected all of the undeveloped islands and a substantial portion of its shoreline. The unspoiled vistas enjoyed here today are the product of that collective effort.

The preserve’s dense woods and wetlands include a mix of conifers and hardwoods, with spruce and fir predominating alongside white birch, red oak, and red maple. Much of the 65- to 200-year-old white spruce is succumbing to disease and blowdowns. A rare sedge also grows here, and in wet areas, mosses and skunk cabbage abound. Lady slippers and other spring wildflowers appear early, while amphibians breed in the small pond and wetlands. At least 25 species of migratory songbirds frequent the wetlands. Along the shoreline, eiders or common terns can be seen, with waterfowl often spotted during fall and winter.