After speaking with volunteer coordinator Jeanine Bischoff in March about what my position as intern at Sierra Club Maine would entail, I was both excited and nervous. The word “intern” conjured images of inconvenient hours and onerous grunt-work. However, within my first week of work, these fears were totally alleviated. Right away we came up with a work plan for me that included independent research, design work, responsibility of social media outlets, and more. So while many of my peers fetched coffee for their summer internships, here at Sierra Club Maine I participated in meaningful projects and learned more each day about how an environmental non-profit like the Sierra Club functions.
A substantial portion of my work this summer has been dedicated to Sierra Club Maine’s Political Team. For this job I worked closely with Team Leader Claudia King in tracking the stances of Maine’s political candidates on environmental issues. With Claudia, I troubleshot the most efficient and effective ways to reach out to candidates and to organize and record their responses.
This summer I was also given the opportunity to sit in on meetings with the forerunners of Maine’s environment. It was very exciting for me just to sit and listen to the different positions each organization had on important environmental issues. I also attended meetings where we interacted with politicians such as Senator Angus King and engaged them in conversations regarding the environment. I also attended two meetings at city hall, one of which I was able to give my opinion on solar in Portland in front of the city’s Energy and Sustainability Committee.
Some of the research I conducted was centered around different organizations’ weatherization programs for low-income Mainers. In looking deeply into this area, I learned a lot about the great organizations with programs in place for low income Mainers that both support people and the environment. The information I gathered was then distributed to the Climate Action Teams for their reference.
I also put my limited graphic design experience to use producing a PowerPoint and informational packet on how to create a Climate Action Team (CAT), create online notices announcing Sierra Club’s endorsement of candidates running for office, and design stickers for the Portland CAT promoting solar power. I was also given access to the organization’s social media outlets where I worked with Meet Up, Facebook, and Instagram to advertise events and outings.
One of the major current projects of the organization has been work on the Maine Woods National Monument. To contribute to this cause I wrote letters to the editor as a template for those interested in promoting the designation of this land in northern Maine to be preserved.
The above paints a partial picture of what I was involved with this summer, but it is hard to explain just how much I have gained in the past nine weeks of work. What was so great about this summer is that all along I was simultaneously aiding the Sierra Club in their current projects and learning a great deal about the way this and other environmental organizations work. I witnessed their challenges and successes. I’ve seen how hard it can be to make a serious difference, but also how hard Sierra Club Maine works to protect Maine’s environment.