A Summer with the Land Trust: Internship Reflections from Anna Weber

This summer, Georges River Land Trust is fortunate to host an intern from Colby College through their Buck Lab program. Anna Weber, born and raised in the watershed, is a wonderful addition to the land trust team, spending most of her time at Langlais Art Preserve and using her creativity, talent, and passion for the environment to assist with broader community engagement projects. We are thrilled she will be continuing to work with the land trust part-time, remotely from Colby this fall.

Below is Anna's reflection on her summer so far with Georges River.

(Left to right) Art Adventures students, Anna Weber, and educator Alix Martin after a morning of creative nature youth activities!

Hi! My name is Anna Weber, I’m from Union, Maine, and I am a rising sophomore at Colby College. I’m double-majoring in Environmental Policy and Science & Technology Studies, and it is through the Environmental Studies department at Colby that I learned about this internship opportunity!

What interested me the most in working with the Georges River Land Trust and Langlais Art Preserve this summer was the fact that this internship seemed to incorporate just about everything I was looking for – the opportunity to work outside, with children, in an office, and with a group of people who are all mission-driven and enthusiastic about conservation and art. I have found all of these things within this internship, and I am incredibly thrilled to be gaining experience in environmental conservation through Georges River Land Trust.

In terms of what specifically I do at Georges River Land Trust and the Langlais Art Preserve, I am a bit all over the map! When I began working this summer, one of the first tasks I was assigned was helping install the Forest Geometries sculpture project along the Langlais Art Preserve’s new nature trails. Other trail and outside work that is asked of me includes monitoring the nature trails and nature camera once a week at Langlais, as well as gardening. In addition to this, I assist with Wonder Walks and Art Adventures, which are two children’s programs that have been running throughout the summer.

On the community engagement front, I have created resources, planned activities, and done advertising in the area to foster involvement. In the office, I have spent time researching the Indigenous history of the land that Georges River Land Trust maintains, editing the Langlais Art Preserve website, and collecting and organizing data from feedback surveys.

Working for the land trust this summer has helped shape my idea of what education and work I will pursue following undergrad, and given me beneficial experience in the world of a non-profit and conservation-focused organization. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here and am looking forward to potentially continuing with Georges River Land Trust and the Langlais Art Preserve part-time while I am in college in the fall!