Protecting Brunswick’s Community, Economic, and Natural and Historical Resources

The work of Brunswick Planning and Development aids in protecting Brunswick’s community, economic, natural, and historical research.​

Green Crab Monitoring: Throughout the summer, I assisted the Coastal Resources Office by regularly checking, maintaining, and baiting green grab traps set in five locations across Brunswick’s mudflats. Every week, I recorded the number and sex of crabs in each trap and measured their carapaces to document size. We then transcribed this information to a longstanding data base of sampling from the prior year. Through this hands-on learning experience, I explored the impact green crabs have on local shellfish populations while contributing data to inform future management decisions for invasive species behavior in Brunswick.​

Conservation Easement Monitoring: I helped complete three conservation easement inspections in Brunswick. I used Arc GIS Field Maps to document easement violations (such as tree stands), mark the location of easement medallions, and generate track lines for inspection maps. I then drafted a Monitoring Protocol to aid future inspections and a Public Guide designed to educate and promote the critical role conservation easements have in safeguarding valuable ecological resources.

Internship funded by the Peter Buck Internship Fund.​​