Environmental Studies
2007 Projects
Allegra Spalding - Maine Island Trail Association
Information
Working for the Maine Island Trail Association, Allegra Spalding ’08 (Environmental Studies-Spanish) traveled out to and camped on many of the islands along the coast of Maine that are a part of the Maine Island Trail. She participated in a wide range of activities including island clean-ups, leading youth groups in direct service projects and "leave no trace" education sessions. She conducted a survey to identify the types and sources of trash that end up on Maine islands. Allegra also provided invaluable assistance to the organization by creating a GIS (Geographic Information System) of MITA membership, researching government grant proposals, and other types of administrative support for the organization.
“Getting to know Maine’s coast through working and spending time on Maine islands while also contributing to the goals of the organization was a very fulfilling experience. Through island stewardship, you set examples of responsible island use while managing the environmental threats seen on these islands. Learning about what needs to be done and what can be done to maintain the beauty of Maine’s islands was the opportunity of a lifetime. As a result of this fellowship, I have learned that local communities in Maine have the ability to address imminent social and environmental threats and issues, but can only truly achieve success through partnerships with organizations, groups, and individuals.”
Van Du - Town of Topsham
As part of her internship with the Town of Topsham Planning and Development Department, Van Du ’08 (Environmental Studies - French) was immersed in various projects that allowed her to develop not only a better understanding of the technical aspects of land use planning but also an ability to synthesize and analyze the issues. Her three major accomplishments of the summer were a) to edit and delineate the historic district boundaries based on the town’s current ordinance, b) to design and develop a public trail system, using GIS in collaboration with the town's Conservation Commission, and c) to assist in the analysis of current residential density for a TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) program.
“The most important thing about this fellowship was the working experiences in the public service sector, something I’ve always known that I would like to pursue after Bowdoin. Throughout the summer, not only have I gained new skills (such as the ability to analyze and synthesize data using GPS and GIS programs), but also a chance to immerse myself into the real world of land use planning and management. Moreover, I was able to incorporate what I have learned in all my Environmental Studies classes into the experience. Before going into this summer fellowship, I had a very vague idea of what I would like to do in my field study. After this ten-week experience, I’ve found a new direction.”
Steven Kolberg - Natural Resources Council of Maine
While at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Steven Kolberg ’09 (Environmental Studies-Government and Legal Studies) worked on a wide variety of topics ranging from compiling data on energy efficiency for public presentations, to participating in an Energy Outreach trip to the Mars Hill Wind Farm, to calculating the NRCM’s carbon footprint for the Governors Carbon Challenge. As part of his fellowship, he attended the signing of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative bill by Governor Baldacci.
“Community organizations play such a large role in shaping policy by having the ability to tap into and help foster interconnected community grassroots initiatives that create progress. Working everyday with such an active and passionate environmental advocacy organization and being fully immersed in Maine's environmental non-profit advocacy world was an incredible educational experience.”
Jacqueline Li - The Nature Conservancy
Jacqueline Li ’09 (Environmental Studies-English) spent the summer working for the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where she split her time between Environmental Policy and Stewardship responsibilities. During her fellowship, Jacqueline gained significant exposure to non-profit governmental relations along with experience in scientific and community based fieldwork. While working within the policy division at The Conservancy, Jacqueline calculated the organization’s complete carbon footprint for 2006 and conducted research on viable ways for the organization to reduce its emissions to 1990 levels by 2010, and 10% below 1990 levels by 2020. After creating a cost/benefit analysis for several recommendations, Jacqueline wrote a Carbon Inventory Executive Summary which she presented to TNC staff. Jacqueline also worked with the Maine League of Conservation Voters/ 2007 Environmental Priorities Coalition to create the 2007 Environmental Scorecard, which records legislator’s votes on the most pressing environmental bills of the session. Within the Stewardship department, Jacqueline worked with the Land Steward at TNC's newly acquired 1,910-acre Basin Preserve in Phippsburg to create a land management plan. By working with both staff and local residents, including high school students, Jacqueline learned that one of the biggest challenges of stewardship work is finding a common ground for different perceptions of the environment while maintaining the mission of the Conservancy and the donor’s intent.
“By working in the non-profit sector, I have learned about and witnessed the phenomenal amount of hard work and commitment that goes into creating change from the ground up. During my fellowship, I experienced moments of frustration, excitement and confusion. However- most frequently this summer I was simply inspired.”
Jonna McKone - Town of Brunswick
Jonna McKone ’07 (Environmental Studies-Asian Studies) spent the summer at the Town of Brunswick Planning and Development department learning the intricacies of policy within a vibrant town with active citizenry and a broad depth of organizations working in conjunction with local governance. Jonna's two two major projects involved creating visuals and conducting research aimed at gaining the support of potential donors for a new local transit project. She also catalogued open space parcels in Brunswick, researching how and when the land was protected as well as identifying parcels to be considered for future protection by the Town.
“The fellowship has given me valuable experience in understanding how I work as well as the confidence to realize I can follow through on projects independently.”