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I鈥檇 like to give a profound thank you to Mr. Wasileski for offering me the opportunity to be an environmental intern at the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust in Maine this summer. As an intern at the land trust, I was able to immerse myself into a tight-knit community that takes a collective initiative to preserve itself sustainably. The organization strives to make these areas accessible and enjoyable to all, in both fiscal and physical terms. The BTLT staff does this by engaging volunteers and committed members of the community, effectively mobilizing them to contribute to their efforts such as land preservation, agricultural work, and education. My role allowed me to join these groups, learning about the town of Brunswick and its surrounding area鈥檚 rich environmental history, as well as how the community has maintained and expanded over time.

As a Political Science student minoring in International Development and Communications, I have always been interested in public policy and community building efforts, especially non-profit work. Being from California, I was intrigued by the geographical differences between my home and the state of Maine, moreover the way that the BTLT has operated with the steady support of its surrounding community for such a long time. As I knew that by being non-profit the land trust was heavily reliant on its relationships with community members and businesses, I was also curious to see how it had been so successful in creating and sustaining these relationships.

As an intern, I worked under the supervision and guidance of the Agricultural Programs manager, who manages BTLT鈥檚 Farmer鈥檚 Market, as well as the Tom Settlemire Community Garden. On a weekly basis, my work would include several days in the Common Good section of the garden, where I harvested, planted, and maintained crops of produce alongside volunteer groups. The harvests are all donated to Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program, which is another local nonprofit that works to prevent food insecurity throughout the state of Maine. Additionally, I would work with Cathance River Education Alliance, an education center in the area, and assist with field trips and summer camps for children that focus on environmental education to ensure that children have access to place-based learning and can process their curriculums through experience. I also worked with the Stewardship supervisor to learn about GIS programming, which we did by doing trail monitoring of land easements and various properties the land trust had acquired, as well as doing trail maintenance and building which provided me with a greater understanding of the beauty of Maine and how trails come together! On Saturdays, I would work at the farmers market, helping with BTLT鈥檚 annual plant sale fundraiser, as well as assisting in the tent that manages food accessibility programs, such as SNAP and EBT.

I also attended weekly staff meetings and committee meetings, which helped contextualize the collective decision-making process that is required for non-profit to function effectively, as well as to how funding is allocated and acquired. Spending time working with such a great group of volunteers and staff and having the opportunity to explore various areas of work done within BTLT helped me grasp a greater understanding of how much effort and organization is required to provide accessibility to the public, and how crucial local relationships are to sustaining these efforts. I was able to complete a personal project, in which I created a recipe book from vendors at the farmer鈥檚 market and other members of the community. My goal was to provide access to those who may not be able to afford prepared foods, as well as showing ways that produce could be preserved or experimented with in ways that may be unknown to shoppers. This also demonstrated the cultural diversity within the vendors and highlighted their culinary traditions.

Overall, my experience as an intern at the BTLT allowed me to experience community building through hands on work; whether that be manual labor, conversations with experienced volunteers while harvesting, conversations with local farmers and vendors about agricultural strategies and approaches to their respective land, observing committee discourse and plans for the future, and watching younger generations grow a love for the outdoors and learning about all it has to offer. This has led me to desire to pursue studies within agricultural economics and environment, as I have discovered that I am most interested in food policy and non-profit work within that realm.

Many thanks to Mr. Wasileski for funding the John Wasileski Arts Externship Award, which provided me with the opportunity to experience such beautiful work and the people who make it possible!

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