WLCT has continually improved its Summer Internship Program since its inception nearly a decade ago. Our Summer Stewardship Interns are generously funded by BayCoast Bank, who understands that a strong community is grown from experiences and interactions.
Why Provide Internships?
Internships are a critical step in many young conservationists journey to full time employment in the industry. At WLCT we craft internships to meet the needs of each intern and give them an opportunity to get exposed to the many facets of conservation, specifically stewardship practices.
Internships help the next generation get inspired to work in the field which, in turn, adds value to the community they are working in. When they take these skills to other organizations, it further strengthens the network of conservation throughout the region and country.
“Conservation Internships are the soil of the industry as a whole. It is through them that we continue to grow and adapt and build resiliency for the future”
Nate McCullin, Land Steward and Intern Manager
A wide Variety of Experiences…
WLCT Stewardship Interns learn a variety of tasks. This summer’s tasks ranged from planting and caring for our test meadow, to mowing on the zero-turn, to moving downed trees, and prepping and painting the gates at Westport Woods. In between, there is the regular cycle of removing invasives, clearing trails, taking care of the gardens at Westport Woods and the meadows at Herb Hadfield & Dunham’s Brook. And on Tuesdays, there is Trail Team!
…And habitats
Westport’s landscape is wildly diverse and our land stewardship program must care for all of them!
In addition to the warm season grasses and oak-holly trails of Westport Woods, this year’s interns spent time in ag fields, at Richmond Pond, in the pine woods at Headwaters, and even took a field trip to a bog!
WLCT’s Tuesday Trail Team is a vital component of our stewardship program. Interns work side-by-side with our volunteers throughout the summer.
Working with volunteers is crucial to connect the older generations with the new. This fosters information sharing and the development of social skills that will help build strong careers.
We’re Always Learning, Too
Interns bring their own experiences and knowledge to their work. One way we learn together is through the intern project. Alec Mauk, our lead intern, was tasked with creating a project that would highlight the intersection of his own interests with the work of the Land Trust.
Alec’s project is Edible Landscapes, a native plant-edible food forest, installed at Mill Pond, as an expansion of the orchard and raised bed garden already in place.
Both Alec and Benjamin Sisson, our BayCoast Stewardship Interns, are local Westporters. They have spent their summer immersed in our community’s natural heritage, learning what it takes to preserve and care for the land around us.