My Experience with MCHT
August 13, 2019 | Caring for the Land | Outdoor Recreation, Public Access, Internship Program
Working for Kennebec Estuary Land Trust as a Maine Coast Heritage Trust Conservation Intern, I have gotten the opportunity to do many cool and different things, and I’m so glad I applied.
This internship brought me to Maine for the first time. I am from Virginia and go to Virginia Tech. I decided that this summer I wanted to work in a new place, away from home, that would expose me to many aspects of the environmental conservation field—as well as being in a beautiful location.
Being an Environmental Resources Management major, I have an affinity for natural beauty. I searched on Google for conservation internships in five of what I think are the prettiest states in the country.
Ryan and a volunteer building more bog bridging.
Fast-forward a few months and I’m here in Bath, Maine, living in Phippsburg, three minutes away from one of the most beautiful beaches in the country, and in and around absolutely breathtaking landscapes and scenery every day.
I have been exposed to so many of the different kinds of work that go into land trusts and conservation. I’ve done water quality sampling, clamming, fee/easement property inspections, invasive species removal, methane testing, GPS/GIS work, mapping, and trail maintenance—just to name a few.
My personal favorite thing to do has been going out to properties, collecting data and going back to the office to create a map with the data I have collected on the GPS track. I’ve been able to learn new skills and expand my knowledge of land conservation this summer.
Ryan Mahoney was one of ten 2019 Maine Coast Heritage Trust Conservation Interns. He worked for Kennebec Estuary Land Trust.
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