There are too many things to do in Maine this summer. That’s the beauty of the warm, if brief, stretch of months we are in. While many people, tourists and locals alike, head to the beaches or maybe out on the water to visit the islands, there are also some unique opportunities along the coast where you can not only visit beautiful places but also learn about our valuable coastal resources.  

This particular opportunity is happening right on the edge of Brunswick — and one of the event’s hosts is right at a unique intersection of bodies of water. The Gurnet Village, a cluster of rental cottages and spaces, is just barely within Brunswick, just before the historic Gurnet Bridge. The current bridge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was originally built in 1792 out of wood. It was replaced by a more modern bridge in 1928 — the one you see today that links Brunswick to Harpswell. 

If you’ve driven across the Gurnet Bridge before, you have likely noticed an impressive flow of water underneath this tidal area. One of the reasons for the significant flow here is the input of the New Meadows River, which rushes right by the Gurnet Village property. For this reason, Gurnet Village is also home to an upweller designed to grow out hard-shell seed clams for replenishing the town’s flats, which is managed by the Town of Brunswick.

The New Meadows River is an often underappreciated part of the Brunswick coast, as it doesn’t afford deep water access or have sandy beaches. Instead, it is a 12-mile complex system of inlets and waterways, which starts at the southern end of Merrymeeting Bay and reaches through Brunswick, Bath, West Bath, Harpswell and Phippsburg, as well as marking the boundary between Cumberland and Sagadahoc counties before it empties out into Casco Bay. 

Because of its many nooks and crannies as well as its tidal flow and also its brackish water (a mixture of salt and fresh), the New Meadows River provides a productive habitat for growing many of our area’s oysters. You can see the floats as well as some of the boats tending these small farms as you’re driving north toward Bath on Route 1.  

There are many small-scale oyster farms scattered throughout the New Meadows River, and while they are all independently operated, many of them are part of a collective group that works together to market their product, including hosting events like the upcoming Oyster Farm Day. The New Meadows River Shellfish Co-op began to take shape back in 2017 in an effort to share resources, expertise and facilities, much like other co-ops among fishing and farming businesses. It was officially established in 2020 with the financial support from Harpswell’s Holbrook Community Foundation and now includes 10 different farms from Small Point Harbor in Phippsburg to Princes Point in Brunswick. 

Each of the 10 farms in the co-op will be open for visitors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20, (rain date July 21) with farmers on-site to answer questions. One caveat is that you need your own boat to get to the farms. The event website (oysterfarmday.com) includes suggested launch points such as Gurnet Village, from which you can start out on a 6.5-mile loop of several farms. If you don’t have your own boat, you can rent a kayak or power boat from local businesses like Seaspray Kayak, Casco Bay Kayak or New Meadows Marina. 

If you don’t want to rent your own boat, you can catch a shuttle from Holbrooks Wharf in Cundy’s Harbor to head to Dingley Farm or The Basin Oyster Project (shuttles at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon with limited seating available on a first-come, first-served basis). Whether you take the shuttle or not, you can also enjoy oysters on the half shell as well as other oyster dishes at the Holbrooks Wharf. Or if you’d like to buy your own oysters, Lincoln Smith of Long Reach Oysters will be selling oysters whole or on the half shell at Gurnet Village.  

Susan Olcott is director of strategic initiatives for Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.