During my summer as an intern at Blue Hill Heritage Trust I have had the opportunity to learn from the dedicated BHHT staff and volunteers, explore the Blue Hill Peninsula, and experience first hand the work that goes into preserving this landscape and its ecosystems. My favorite part of this internship was the diversity of work I was able to participate in. By working alongside stewardship, outreach, and development staff I learned how integral all these components are to the overall mission of the Trust.
Through the stewardship work I did this summer I was able to become more confident with a multitude of tools and machinery, learn about sustainable trail construction, and trail maintenance. I spent a large portion of my summer helping with the Patten Stream bridge building project. This experience stands out to me particularly because I was able to begin the project with our stewardship staff, and see the completed bridge by the end of the summer. Through my time working on this project I learned numerous trail construction skills and how to operate power tools. As the bridge project progressed, I also saw my confidence and skill set grow alongside it. It has been so special to be a part of a project that will allow more people to better enjoy this beautiful property in the future.
As an intern I also worked with our outreach staff to develop and present my own outreach event. This was a type of work I had not done previously but found it very rewarding to learn about ways to engage the public with the environment around them. During the second week of my internship I had the opportunity to join our Stewardship and Outreach Associate, Emily, who was leading her final Forest Days program for the year. I still remember being so amazed by how impactful this programming was for the kids Emily was teaching. It made me realize how important this type of programming is as it gets people to engage with the environment and inspires them to want to protect it. The experience of developing my own event has been especially important to me as it taught me how to better communicate my own knowledge to a group in a way that is fun and sparks interest in people.
Finally, my work with the development team taught me just how much goes on behind the scenes to allow BHHT to do the work it does. It was extraordinarily eye opening to see just how much planning, both financially, and logistically goes on for each and every project. This work highlights that conservation work is community based and cannot occur without each individual that supports the Trust and the hard work of its development staff to strengthen these relationships. While assisting with development events I had the wonderful opportunity to meet some of the numerous community members whose generosity allows the Trust to continue its work.
Being welcomed by the community that surrounds and uplifts Blue Hill Heritage Trust has been by far the most special experience of this summer. I could not be more grateful for the friends I have made this summer and the opportunity to live in this beautiful landscape. Working with and learning from the other interns, Lydia and Casey, along with the BHHT staff and volunteers has truly been unforgettable. Through all the various facets of this internship I have gained knowledge about the Maine environment, confidence in new technical skills, and made lasting memories. It is my hope to find my way back to community based land conservation once I graduate college and be a part of this rewarding and important work again!