My summer with the Blue Hill Heritage Trust brought me closer to the peninsula’s communities, both human and natural, through meaningful work. The variety of tasks kept me engaged and granted me a wide view into how land trusts operate on a day-to-day basis. I could count on each day bringing a new experience.
Extended inventory work in Surry Forest gave me experience with forestry tools and procedures, while also showing me the nooks of a less-visible corner of the peninsula. Days amidst the forest’s scrappy maples and aspens stood in stark contrast to the diversity and complexity of older forests and emphasized the value of keen forest management. Preparing for the auction and the annual meeting showed me the developmental side of the trust and offered me the chance to learn from the organization’s membership and board of directors. It showed me the passionate volunteers and members under the trust’s hood. I also learned the ropes of easement monitoring, current conditions reports, and other essential land conservation protocols. Finally, I honed my GIS skills in both analytical and presentational capacities. I produced trail maps for Surry Forest and surveyed the hydrologic features protected by the trust. I was happy to play a meaningful role with the trust and learn a ton at the same time.
Additionally, working on the Blue Hill Peninsula offered me a chance to explore a beautiful corner of Maine both during and after work. Even on the most tiring days of trail work, I was still working on a rocky coast or a beautiful forest. Penny’s Preserve and Kingdom Woods quickly became old favorites. Additionally, I made sure to explore Baxter’s peaks and Blue Hill Bay’s islands on the weekends. Between the mountains and the ocean, I was living an outdoorsperson’s dream.
Working with a small, motivated team was a phenomenal experience, and it made me excited to come to work each morning. Their support and advice offered me new perspectives on conservation and the role of land trusts. More than anything, my summer in Blue Hill taught me that community and conservation are inexorably linked, and the success of each depends on the other. Every day with the Blue Hill Heritage Trust brought a new experience and a new lesson, for then and for now. Given the choice, I would do it over in a heartbeat.
Soren was one of two James W. Dow Interns, along with Morgan, during the summer of 2019. Originally from New Jersey, Soren has family ties to Blue Hill through his mother and is in his senior year at Colby College studying Environmental Computations and Geoscience. Soren was funded through BHHT operations thanks to the generosity of our donors.