Dear Svitek Family,

I wish to express my gratitude for your generous contribution and support towards my summer internship. Thanks to your support I was able to intern with Vermont’s own Green Mountain Club this summer. As you may know, the Green Mountain Club plays a strong part in impacting the landscape and community of Vermont. The Green Mountain Club (GMC) is a great club with longstanding environmental values. It is part of their mission to make the Long Trail play a role in the lives of Vermonters, and the GMC is a conservation organization that works to protect and maintain over 500 miles of the Long Trail and other trails in Vermont. As a field intern I trained in both their historical Caretaker program and their Long Trail Patrol program and spent three months in the woods and mountains of Vermont.

While at the GMC I worked 40 hours a week from pre-season all the way through to the end of the summer field season (June-August). For the Caretaker Program, I learned about the process of backcountry composting and how to properly care for Long Trail shelters. After a hands-on week of training, I learned and employed leave no trace ethics and backcountry stewardship to maintain fragile alpine zones while on the slopes of Mount Mansfield. As part of our training we received a guided Alpine Plant walk from state Botanist Bob Hop. I learned about many alpine plants like Mountain Sandwort, Burberry, and the rare and endangered Dyapensia and the special ecology that they are part of. Also as part of the program I was able to learn and train in SOLO Wilderness first aid and CPR to be able to better assist hikers. Every day was a new and exciting experience, and every day I was able to experience a special place out on the Long Trail in diverse environments, from lowland forests to alpine zones. 

While at the GMC as part of the Long Trail Patrol (LTP) program, I learned valuable hard skills in trail building and maintenance repair. I was able to leave my mark on Vermont’s Long Trail as I helped put in work with the goal that it will last for 20, 40, even 100 years to come. I was a part of work that has the ultimate goal of reducing ecological impact (especially with regards to erosion) for years to come while also maintaining Vermont’s connection with the trail. As part of the LTP, like being a Caretaker, you are there whether it’s rain or shine because you have the important duty of completing your project by the end of your work week. There were many rain soaked days, but it was all worth it when those rays of sunshine finally came out and you set your last rock perfectly.

Thanks to your contribution, during my time at GMC, I was also able to learn some other valuable skills, like how to conduct visitor-use surveys to gather research for state grants, or site-specific management when it comes to development. I even learned how to portage a canoe for a whole mile! I learned how to work with a team; with the staff being as large as 30, I was able to work with a diverse group of people from different backgrounds and experience levels. Some days, I had to work with a crew of only 3 or 4 to complete a large project in sometimes harsh and demanding environments. But most importantly, through my experience at the GMC, I learned how to communicate effectively and positively with the public in a variety of situations. This was also a time for me to not only learn valuable outdoor leadership and education skills, but to network with the GMC and some other significant organizations like the Park Service and the Forest Service. No matter what I plan to do, these are skills that I believe will be very useful for my career. Every day was an adventure, and I cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to have this experience.  All these experiences would not have been possible without your help!

I just want to thank you again from the bottom of my heart; receiving this award made it possible for me to pursue such an immersive internship this summer without also having to take on a part time job, allowing me to focus on my work at the club. Because of your help I was able to pay rent and utilities on my first apartment this summer, pay for travel costs, and pay for what food the small stipend could not cover.

Thank you again and best wishes,
Sarah Drew