Nicole Sanders, Marsh Restoration Steward

Nicole spent many years chasing birds around the globe from the tropics to the Great Plains. She attended Rutgers for a BS in Ecology, where she learned to love the natural world, especially the coast. Her love for feathered friends landed her in an MS program at the University of Maine studying grassland songbirds in Montana and North Dakota. Shortly after graduating, she was introduced to the salt marsh world by spending a summer with sparrows on Maine marshes. She has since spent her career working toward conserving declining tidal marsh sparrows and restoring salt marshes. Nicole grew up in NYC, where fringing the coast of the cement jungle exist salt marshes, so luckily for her the smell of the salt marsh is familiar and nostalgic.

Nicole can be found in the woods, near the ocean, or in her garden in her free time. She loves to do all things outside including hiking, xc skiing, paddleboarding, and of course watching birds. Inside things can be fun too, she loves to craft and cook. No time is spent without her sweet pup and adventure bud, Petey. Nicole lives in central Maine with her husband, dog, and chickens.

Nicole has been with MCHT since 2025.

On land conservation: “I realize that some of my favorite places along the coast may change a lot in my lifetime. Being a part of a movement that prioritizes the conservation of these special places, and all the people and animals that belong to them, makes working for MCHT a special opportunity.”

On the job: Nicole works with the stewardship team out of the MDI office and stewards salt marshes along the Maine coast. Her goal is to provide capacity for all aspects of salt marsh restoration projects across the state of Maine. She brings a background of skills in avian demographic monitoring, drone piloting, and implementing salt marsh restoration techniques.