The Trustees is thrilled to welcome seven TerraCorps service members to the organization this year. Three service members are joining The Trustees for the first time, while four are returning to the organization for a second term.

TerraCorps, an AmeriCorps program, places service members across a network of community non-profits for eleven-month terms. Since starting their positions in September, Trustees TerraCorps serivce members have already made an impact, joining teams across the state to serve in various stewardship and programming roles. We sat down with each of them to learn more about their passions, service, and what serving at The Trustees means to them.

Meet Lena

My name is Lena, and I am the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Boston and Urban Outdoors team. I am focusing on programming and stewardship in Boston’s Urban Wilds, natural spaces within the city that are permanently protected. The goal is to instill in people a connection with the Urban Wilds and a sense of belonging in the spaces.

I am looking forward to my waste stream programming project. It is not set in stone, but it involves programing around the proper disposal of trash in the Urban Wilds, including litter tracking and trail cleaning initiatives.

Meet Emma

My name is Emma, and I am the Trustees North Shore Community Engagement Coordinator, serving at the Crane Estate and Appleton Farms. Throughout my term, I will be serving with both the North Shore ecology team and education team to bridge their efforts. I am looking forward to finding ways to share the ecology teams’ efforts and engage communities with the properties!

I started my journey with the Trustees as the Assistant Camp Director for SummerQuest at the Crane Estate. I had just moved to the North Shore from Virginia and had no ties to the area, but I immediately fell in love with the coast. I grew up in Appalachia and developed a beautiful relationship with nature as I spent most of my time in the mountains, so I feel that getting people outside and interacting with their environment is very important. I am excited to contribute to the protection of special places and engaging people with the unique properties of the North Shore.

Meet Jackie

My name is Jackie, and I am serving as a Community Engagement Coordinator with the Volunteer Services department.

I’m really looking forward to serving directly with volunteers! Their passion and commitment are essential to caring for our special places. As part of my project related to volunteer appreciation, I’ll be planning a statewide volunteer appreciation event this spring, which will be a wonderful opportunity to give a little something back to people who do so much for us.

Meet Yona

My name is Yona, and I am doing a second term of TerraCorps with the Inland Trails Team – Central and Valley regions. I am out in the field most days with the trails team as we ensure trails are maintained and ready to be used.

I knew I wanted to serve with The Trustees because of how the organization prioritizes multiple pillars of focus to best prioritize both protecting special space and ensuring these spaces can be accessed by the public.

My biggest highlight during my last service term was hearing positive feedback from community members when I was leading my walk and talk events at Beaver Brook Conservation Park. Creating events that open doors for people to explore the outdoors in a comfortable setting is a priority for me, and I feel thankful that I was able to do that.

Meet Saskia

My name is Saskia, and I am the sustainable agriculture coordinator at Appleton Farms. I collaborate with the agroecology department on invasives species monitoring, plant identification and pressing, and community engagement with agroecological work at Appleton.

I love the idea that Appleton can serve as a sustainable agriculture model for smaller farmers with less resources. Last service term and this service term, I have collected nearly 100 different species in flower across Appleton Farms. After identifying them, I press and mount the plants. The idea is to create a resource for both staff and interested members of the community to aid in plant identification and to serve as a visual tool for understanding biodiversity.

I have found the willingness of other departments at Appleton and statewide to collaborate and share information so valuable. It has allowed me to widen my horizons, learn more, and make more connections.

Meet Calla

My name is Calla, and I am the TerraCorps Land Stewardship Coordinator for Hilltown Land Trust (HLT). HLT is a local land trust affiliated with The Trustees. As Land Stewardship Coordinator for HLT, I serve directly with the community out on the land.

My role with Hilltown Land Trust allows me to serve at the local level and have direct relationships with the Hilltown community while also being connected to the larger landscape of conservation across Massachusetts. I appreciate The Trustees’ bold and creative climate adaptation solutions and commitment to conserving large swaths of connected land across the state.

Meet Dan

My name is Dan, and I am a TerraCorps member with The Trustees Inland Ecology team. My focus is on monitoring our ecological restoration projects.

When deciding where to apply to become a TerraCorps service member, The Trustees caught my eye because I have been visiting properties that The Trustees own since I was a little kid. Choosing to serve with TerraCorps at The Trustees has been great for furthering my career through experience and making connections within the environmental field.

A highlight of my first term was discovering a family of Short-tailed Weasels living in a stone wall at Hop Brook Forest. They were very curious about me and kept coming out of the stone wall to get better looks at me.

*TerraCorps, an AmeriCorps program, is supported in part by the Massachusetts Service Alliance.