Learning Something New Every Day
August 10, 2017 | Caring for the Land | Land Stewardship, Programming
On my first day on the job at Coastal Mountains Land Trust in Camden, after shaking hands with everyone in the office, I hopped in the truck with another intern, Max, and we sped off to the hardware store appointed with the task of purchasing roofing shingles. That’s right, roofing shingles.
My mind wandered, curious about what we could possibly be doing with this strange purchase. We proceeded to drive around the Camden area, taking a tour of Coastal Mountains Lands Trust preserves, my mind abuzz with new information, trying to keep track of each turn we were making, knowing I would have to make it back to the sites again.
Our last stop on the tour was Fernald’s Neck Preserve, nestled at the end of a point on Megunticook Lake. At the Fernald’s Neck Preserve parking lot, we pulled out hammers, nails, and the sheets of shingles and trudged into the woods, fully equipped. Max explained how the shingles we had purchased were an inventive way to prevent slipping on bog bridging especially on trails like those at Fernald’s Neck Preserve, which are highly trafficked with trail runners.
It was an excellent first day on the job – I felt strong and motivated to aid Coastal Mountains Land Trust and encourage as many people as possible to get outside. Fernald’s Neck will be my responsibility for the summer. I look forward to making the drive out to the preserve and greeting the many people who flock there on hot days.
So far, my schedule has provided a healthy mix of office and fieldwork opportunities allowing me to incorporate technology and mapping to simplify ways that my land trust does easement monitoring and baseline assessments of properties out in the field. I continue to learn so much as I go along and am excited to see what the rest of summer will bring!
Signe is a sophomore at Bates College, majoring in environmental studies. One of five MCHT Conservation Interns, Signe has been paired up with Coastal Mountains Land Trust for the summer.
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