We would like to cordially introduce you to the 2012 NFCT Stewardship Interns!

After casting a wide net into a very deep pool we have been very fortunate to pull together a great group of  Stewardship Interns, lead once again by Noah Pollock NFCT Field Coordinator.  This year our stewardship intern program will be supported through donations to the NFCT Trail Fund.  Please give to this fund if you are interested in supporting this program and the continued stewardship activities across the NFCT.  We will also see support from the Adirondack Watershed Alliance, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, NextEra Energy, and the CAP-21 grants associated with the 90-Miler Corridor in the Adirondacks.

We will have a continued focus on the personal and professional development of our field interns while performing stewardship projects across the Trail.  This year we have a new Waterway Work Trip interactive map that will allow you to veiw the locations of some of our bigger projects.  You can sign-up to participate in these projects by following the links on the interactive maps or going directly to the NFCT Store.

Here's a brief glimpse of the people who will give it their all from Old Forge to Fort Kent this season:

Noah Pollock: Field Coordinator

Noah hails from Delmar, NY, and graduated from Cornell University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources. In 2007, he earned a Master's degree from the Rubenstein School for Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, where he studied sustainable community development and ecological economics. His thesis examined the economic impact of paddler tourism and recreation along the waterways that make up the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.  Since earning his degree, Noah has continued his work with the NFCT, first as an intern, and then as the NFCT Field Coordinator, assisting with intern and waterway work trip programs, building on his experience leading trail crews with the Student Conservation Association. When not on the NFCT, Noah works on projects for the Vermont River Conservancy, the consulting firm Spring Hill Solutions, the Gund Institute of Ecological Economics, and the Wild Rockies Field Institute.

Roving Crew

Audrey Burns

Audrey Burns is a senior at the University of Vermont, from the seaside village of Mattapoisett, MA.  She is graduating in May 2012 with a degree in Natural Resources (Planning), and a minor in Green Building and Community Design.  She also spent an undergrad semester studying sustainability in an eco-village in northern Scotland.  Audrey has spent most of her summers working on farms in Massachusetts, Vermont, and France.  Recently, Audrey became certified as a canoe instructor through the American Canoe Association and has led trips through the Outing Club at her university. Audrey loves playing music, biking, reading, permaculture, climbing mountains, digging for quahogs, traveling, laughing, and all that good stuff. She is beyond ecstatic to be exploring the NFCT this summer! 

Danny Dresher

Danny Dresher is a sophomore at the University of Montana majoring in Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management within the College of Forestry. As a native southern Californian, Danny developed a love for the outdoors through backpacking, fishing, and camping in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and elsewhere. He is an avid mountain biker in both California and Montana. Last summer he solo bike toured through the Alaskan interior. His previous conservation work was for SCA (Student Conservation Association) on a remote island in Lake Michigan. He looks forward to improving his paddling skills, working as part of a team to help preserve the NFCT, and exploring the north woods of New England. 

Renzo Moyano

Renzo is Colombian-Ecuadorian born in Venezuela and raised in New York City. Growing up in a city and having the opportunity to visit South America strongly affected his value system. He gained a great appreciation for the natural environment . He was a member of the summer 2011 Baxter State Park trail crew and currently attends Colby College in Maine.  He is an Anthropology major with a minor in Environmental Studies and plans to study abroad for his entire junior year returning to Colby College for his senior year. If everything works out, he’ll be in Perú for the fall and Ecuador for the spring. He is very excited to start the Northern Forest Canoe Trail part of his journey.  

Katelyn Porter     

Katelyn Porter is currently a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire studying Environmental Conservation with a focus in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems.  At UNH, she is on the Women’s Crew Team which has been one of the most rewarding and demanding experiences in her life.  She enjoys swimming, hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, and lounging about in a hammock.  She was fortunate enough to have done two weeks paddling on the NFCT with her brothers in the summer of 2010 and cannot wait to get back out there on the beautiful trail!

Special Projects

Adam Craten

Adam is very excited to be an NFCT Special Project Intern this summer. He is from from Baltimore, Maryland and currently goes to school at West Virginia University. He will be a senior this fall, graduating with a B.S. in Recreation Parks and Tourism Resources with an emphasis in sustainable tourism, chosing this major because of his love for anything outdoor related. His immerssion in the outdoors has allowed him to see some very beautiful places all across the United States. He enjoys fishing, paddling sports, mountain biking, climbing, and trying new things! One of his favorite quotes that parrallels his outlook on life is, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do then by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.” – Mark Twain