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Every day, carrying the simplest of tools, diggers across coastal Maine set out at low tide to dig for clams on the wide mud flats that stretch far into the...

“Autumn’s Work” follows Bill Coperthwaite as he prepares for winter. Wrestling with a large felled tree amidst its vast tangle of branches, Bill slowly and methodically breaks it down into...

George Sprague lives and works in Buck’s Harbor, Maine. He is widely known for his “cellar” (affectionately called the whine cellar), where people gather to talk, make lobster traps, share...

A poem about a chair. In 1960, Bill Coperthwaite bought 300 acres of wilderness in Machiasport, Maine. Influenced by the poetry of Emily Dickinson and by the back to the...

The summer draws to a close, but the season is not yet over. Work continues — baiting and hauling traps, sorting and shipping lobsters. There are always tasks to be...

The peak of the lobster season has arrived. George works closely with his son and grandson to repair their float ravaged by high tides, strong winds and the constant erosion...

What do fishermen do in winter? George Sprague lives and works in Buck’s Harbor, Maine. He is widely known for his “cellar” (affectionately called the whine cellar), where people gather...

Spring in Buck’s Harbor is about preparing for the fishing season ahead. Work on lobster traps and on halibut hooks begins in earnest. But it is rarely a solitary activity....

During April, George and Mark, his son and sternman, begin setting traps for the season ahead. It’s cold and rough on the ocean, and lobsters are scarce. Halibut fishing, permitted...

“Spring in Dickinson’s Reach” provides an introduction to the unique environment that Bill Coperthwaite has crafted in the Maine forest. Beginning in early spring, the film follows Coperthwaite through his...

“A Summer Task” examines the rhythm and tempo of work in the forest. The film follows Bill Coperthwaite and his cousin, Steve, as they fell and haul trees to build...

“Winter Days” evokes the stillness and quietness of the forest in winter. Life is lived close to the stove. It’s a time for small tasks and chores – making a...

This is part 4 of a 7-part series. Lobsters slowly migrate north, moving into the Machias Bay from warmer, southern waters. George works quickly to finish setting his full quota...

George has been smoking fish for as long as he can remember. The smokehouse has a place of pride in his dooryard, and he lovingly tends the racks to ensure...