BTLT In the News: “Summer jobs show us a piece of the good life in Maine”
“Summer jobs show us a piece of the good life in Maine”
From camp counselors to museum curators to farm hands, we take a look some of the best summer jobs Maine has to offer.
Portland Press Herald | by Sara Coughlin, Lily Echeverria, Nikki Harris, Dana Richie and Ella Spitz
“A summer job in Maine is a pretty sweet gig.
While hordes of tourists flock to the landmarks and attractions that make up “Vacationland” – rugged coastlines, peaceful forests, renowned restaurants and quaint shops – there’s a lot of work happening behind the scenes to make the Pine Tree State a home, not just for summertime guests.
Amélie Pasco and Wren West get their hands dirty maintaining the community garden with the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust.
Livie Richards milks and feeds the cows at Smiling Hill Farm. James Crowley spends his time on the water, harvesting and sorting the oysters that end up on restaurant plates.
And Tad Kane rents kayaks to those looking to cool off in the waters of Casco Bay.
Here’s a taste of some of the coolest summer jobs in southern Maine…
Amélie Pasco and Wren West, summer interns at Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust
Wren West and Amélie Pasco begin their days twice a week by getting their hands dirty, planting, weeding and working irrigation systems in the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust’s community garden.
The two 21-year-olds also staff the organization’s farmers market and help with trail maintenance.
“A lot of the work that we do is outdoors and Maine is so beautiful,” Pasco said. “I feel like it really impacts your mental health.”
When they are inside the office, West said that the interns have personal projects they are working on throughout the duration of the summer. West is compiling a history of the community garden, and Pasco is aiming to create a zine that features the stories of vendors at the market.
West is a rising senior at Bowdoin College and got matched to work at the trust this summer through a fellowship offered by Bowdoin’s environmental studies department.
“I wanted to do something that was local and community-based, and also do work that tangibly makes a difference,” West said.
Pasco is originally from California and will be a senior at McGill University in Montreal. Pasco also got placed at the trust through her college, and, before this internship, had never set foot in Maine. But Pasco said that was a part of the draw.
West and Pasco both said their favorite part of the job has been connecting with local community members and volunteers.
“Maine as a state is just like a small town. Everyone knows everyone,” West said. “It’s really cool to see how everyone’s connected.””
Photo credit: Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
