Stories
My Richard G. Rockefeller Conservation Internship
While working with the Falmouth Land Trust, Vlad and I were able to help with some bridge-building projects. It was so fun to learn basic carpentry skills and put together small walking bridges along the trails. There’s a real sense of accomplishment that comes from completing each bridge and walking over it.
My Summer with the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust
Every time you walk on a preserve or a trail think about how many hands have touched the path that makes it possible for you to be there (it is probably more than you think).
A Summer of Stewardship
Tasks fluctuate and no day is the same as the last. I’ve had the opportunity to monitor properties and write up reports, clear out new trails, put up signs, work with volunteers, run a few errands here and there, and maintain trails.
Conserving Land in Soil and Film
I’ve been quick to find that there’s no singular reason that people enter the land trust world. Conservation means different things for everyone, whether that’s making hiking trails, preserving land that you have a connection with, or restoring the health of damaged environmental sites.
My Summer Internship in Norway, Maine
Now, having talked with so many people from different backgrounds, I am starting to appreciate and better understand factors like public access, healthy living, watershed conservation, historical preservation, carbon sequestration, and environmental education as they relate to lands and the way we conserve them.
5 Blissful Days & a Big “Take Back”!
If you read Kirk’s Nature Bummin’ column “Favorite Tree – The Trail, The Blood, and The Fisher” you know his favorite tree is a Big-tooth Aspen. Well… at least it was. Since then, Kirk has learned quite a lot and it’s changed things for him… as far as favorite trees go.
Why We Support Replacing the Machias Dike
We have the opportunity to enhance recreational and commercial opportunities in the Machias area and the ecological health of the Middle River by improving fish passage and restoring 300 acres of salt marsh.
Bring Your Binoculars to MCHT Preserves
The September 2019 issue of Down East magazine has a special feature about how land conservation keeps Maine a birding mecca.
I miss Dendroica…
After Nature Bum Kirk Gentalen’s favorite genus of warbler becomes absorbed by another genus, he begins to ponder the idea of change and how “we” (the royal “we”) adapt to it.
Favorite Tree – The Trail, The Blood, and The Fisher
A story about Kirk’s new favorite tree and the lessons it taught him.
A Calendar of My Own
If you live in Maine (or New England for that matter) you’ve probably experienced the turbulent transition from winter to spring. MCHT steward Kirk Gentalen has a solution and it involves using a calendar of his own creation.
Tips for Avoiding Ticks
The best way to avoid diseases like Lyme is to learn the risk of tick bites, and how to prevent and treat them.
What’s Your Favorite (Porcu)sign?
Tracking wildlife isn’t always about finding wildlife. More often than not, it’s about what you can learn from the clues that have been left behind. But sometimes, you might just be pleasantly surprised!
Pitching In to Save Little Whaleboat Island
A Brunswick business—Paul’s Marina—steps up to help save Little Whaleboat Island in Casco Bay.
Friendly Neighborhood Thissells
“Neighborhood.” When you think about your neighborhood, you might be thinking about the people that live down the street or across the road. For Nature Bum, Kirk Gentalen, the word “neighborhood” extends beyond people. But, every once in a while, Kirk finds himself enjoying time with his human-neighbors. And even considers them friends!
You Had Me at Snow Fleas…
A story about love… Kirk’s love for tracking and snow fleas specifically.