Before applying to Blue Hill Heritage Trust, I had never heard of Blue Hill, and now, after the best summer of my life, I foresee the Blue Hill Peninsula forever remaining in my life. I am eternally grateful for this community and the bonds I have made on and off the clock. Out of all these connections, I hold the one made with my fellow interns the closest. I couldn’t have asked for a better pair to spend my summer with. Emily and Mae made every day a better experience.
The staff at the Trust were an absolute delight to work with. I have never worked in a more positive environment where I could not only work efficiently but share a genuine laugh. Whether it was messing with Andrew or exchanging puns with JW every assignment was punctuated with laughter.
This job was everything I ever wanted and more! The internship maintained a healthy balance between hands-on work and office work. Additionally, I enjoyed every opportunity to use equipment like the tractor and sawmill. One of my favorite days was when Andrew, Emily, and I worked together at the barn to unclog the old wood-chipper. Taking various nuts and bolts off to dig out debris should not have been as enjoyable as I found it. It took an hour of digging, testing, removing things we weren’t sure should be taken off, and testing again before finally returning the wood-chipper to operational status. We celebrated by sending a small tree into the freshly freed wood-chipper. I adored these moments of using practical problem solving to address an issue.
One highlight of the internship program was the variety of work. When we weren’t spending the day doing trail maintenance or forestry plots, we were aiding with various outreach events. From accessible hikes to major donor events, we were ready to help coordinate and participate in whatever event outreach had planned. In addition to helping run events, we had the opportunity to create our own outreach events. My event, a tree identification and leaf stamping activity for kids, encouraged children to explore our properties and learn through creative outlets.
This summer has been an amazing experience, and now despite leaving the peninsula I will always have a connection to this beautiful community. I feel like I am leaving the summer a better person.