By Tana McLean, Stewardship Intern
My summer with the NFCT was a life-changing one. I came to the experience nervous, excited and eager to make a difference and be a part of something bigger than myself. This internship surpassed every bit of my expectations, and I made deep friendships and connections that will last a lifetime.
I was lucky enough to be a part of the Allagash crew for the summer. After our training week in Waitsfield, Vermont, our crew made the trek up to Maine’s North Woods. Prior to this experience, I had never had the opportunity to explore the Northeast, and I was beyond excited to see what I was missing out on. The Allagash Wilderness Waterway is considered pretty remote, which was evident in our one-way, two-hour car ride to the closest town via logging roads. But this also meant that we had to source most of the material we used for our work from the surrounding area. I never knew pulling hundreds of pounds of rock from a lake could be so fun!
So much of this work was pushing myself mentally and physically, but I hardly noticed the effort it required because of how incredible the people I was doing it with were. My crewmates — Bryn, Brett and our leader Nick — made the entire summer feel less like a job and more like finding joy in every waking moment. I have never laughed so much and so often and felt so connected to the people and places I was surrounded by. In addition to the NFCT crew, we also worked alongside a Maine Conservation Corps (MCC) crew made up of three individuals: Savannah, Bobby and Cole. They also added so immensely to this experience and the summer wouldn’t have been the same without them.
The crews weren’t the only things that made this experience so incredible, it was also all the volunteers we had the privilege to work alongside. Each volunteer group brought so much enthusiasm and knowledge, and were such hard workers. All of the work we did was only made possible because of their support and the time they freely gave.
This internship taught me so many aspects about myself, about conservation, and what connection truly means. Being in the Allagash doing such meaningful work with such incredible people showed me how to appreciate the natural world in a deeper way. I learned how much I love moving heavy rocks and how I love pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I thought I would be tired of camping after doing it for two months straight, but I found myself eager to return to the woods as soon as I left. This experience showed me how easy it is to make connections with people and the community when you slow down, be curious and listen. I left this experience with deep connections to all my crewmates as well as the volunteers. The conservation work we completed was invaluable to this community and the Allagash rangers were continuously impressed and so thankful for the work we did.
I truly don’t think there are words that can convey what this summer meant to me. I left the woods with a new sense of living and I can’t wait to be back. This summer was hard in so many ways, we were constantly being swarmed by black flies and mosquitos, there was no access to a shower, we worked rain or shine, dealt with deflating sleeping pads and endless flat tires. But I would do it all over again a million times. It was beyond fulfilling to work alongside such incredible crews and volunteers in one of the most beautiful places. I am forever changed because of my experience as an NCFT intern.
