I first visited the Adirondacks in 2022 for the Can-Am Rugby Tournament in Saranac Lake. I had heard of the Adirondacks, but as a flatlander from Madison, Wisconsin, I had no sense of scale until I drove 16 hours, mostly through Midwest cornfields, to reach the mountains of northern New York. After that weekend I knew I needed to come back.
When I found the job posting for the Adirondack Land Trust’s Internship for the Future of the Adirondacks, it immediately moved to the top of my list of choices for this summer. I am very honored that I was offered the chance to join the land trust this summer and fall in love with a place I barely knew of two years ago.
Everyone made me feel like I was a member of the team and included me in every way they could. There is an incredible culture of support from top to bottom. For example, in my second week here I had zero doubts about texting Conservation Program Manager Chris Jage at 2 a.m. to ask for a ride to the emergency room when I got what we expected was Lyme disease. Chris drove me to the ER and waited for hours as they ran all the tests.
Thankfully, the summer was all uphill from there, and in true Adirondack fashion there was not a single switchback in sight. My internship this summer was focused on stewardship and many of my days in the field were spent at Adirondack Land Trust preserves. I put up new trail markers that make trails more navigable for hikers who are colorblind or have poor eyesight. I also cleared trails after numerous storms and marked boundaries to protect our properties from encroachment. I also contributed to conservation planning by designing land management maps and current condition report maps using ArcGIS Pro.
One highlight for me was posting the back boundary of High Meadow Preserve in Lake Placid, when I got to explore the most remote parts of that parcel. On top of that, I reported the first sighting of a black-backed woodpecker on the property, adding another species to the growing list of bird sightings there recorded by Stewardship Manager Derek Rogers.
Another highlight of the summer was getting to work as a “summit steward” on Cobble Hill in Lake Placid. There, I surveyed hikers about their thoughts on trail improvements including a boardwalk, trail reroutes, bridges, and a natural stone staircase. I got to hear firsthand how the improvements made the hike more accessible to people of all ages and hiking abilities. It was amazing to see community groups, including the Adirondack Land Trust, work together to improve one of the most popular hiking trails in the area.
Other highlights were seeing a moose my first week here, hiking Cascade with Philanthropy & Outreach Coordinator Kathy Woughter on my birthday to reach my first 46er, playing in the Can-Am rugby tournament without the 16-hour drive, and getting the opportunity to help Stewardship & GIS Manager Becca Halter with mapping projects. And then my favorite: Sitting on the front porch of intern housing at Asgaard Farm & Dairy in Au Sable Forks every evening and looking out at Haystack Mountain.
This has been by far my favorite internship of any I have ever had, and I could not be more grateful for the experiences I have had this summer. I will always consider the Adirondacks a second home and I am extremely excited to come back and see what the Adirondack Land Trust offers at High Meadow Preserve and Glenview Preserve as accessible wildland trails are added. I’m grateful to have been part of such a committed team working to conserve Adirondack forests, waters, farmlands, and wild places for future generations.
Photo by Nancie Battaglia. The Internship for the Future of the Adirondacks was established in 2020 by conservationists Barbara Glaser, Ed.D., and the late Clarence Petty (1905–2009) thanks to the generosity and assistance of Clarence’s son Ed. The Adirondack Land Trust is grateful to all the generous donors who support this fund and the opportunity it creates for young people interested in conservation careers to develop their skills and gain professional experience.