Meet our 2022 intern: Molly Hoffman
My summer internship with the Land Conservancy of Adams County was an amazing experience! I learned about all facets of land preservation while working on multiple projects both in the field and in the office.
Most days Sarah and I visited properties to conduct annual inspections. I had never ventured too far outside the Gettysburg Borough, so traveling to different parts of the county felt like a new adventure every day. I loved meeting with property owners to learn about the hard work they’ve put into land stewardship over the years. Taking pictures and notes for the inspection reports was easy while surrounded by beautiful pastures, mountains, forests, orchards, and creeks.
When we weren’t doing inspections, I worked on other projects in the office. I researched information about grassland birds in the county to make maps and apply for grants through the Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative. The small grant would be used to host a workshop for farmers about agricultural practices that benefit grassland birds. The larger grant would be used to conserve important grassland bird habitat on Hanover Shoe Farms.
For another project, I made maps of 26 conserved properties that need riparian buffers along their streams. I used an analysis from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation that identified high-priority areas where trees can prevent excess nutrients from reaching the waterway. I then drafted a letter to inform these property owners of the Adams County Planting Partnership’s fall tree drive that gives out 12,000 free trees. Lastly, I worked on a forest brochure with recent Gettysburg graduate Bailey Ytterdahl. We made a brochure that includes information on federal, state, and nonprofit programs for managing and protecting private forests.
As someone who was only familiar with public land preservation through government agencies, this internship taught me the power and importance of private land preservation through the flexibility of nonprofits. I was surprised by the strong partnerships between the LCAC and all levels of government as they each help and seek help from each other. I now know how important participation in local politics is after learning about the role of zoning and planning commissions. My biggest takeaway from this summer is that preservation does not have one solution. Rather, it benefits from the land trusts like LCAC and the people like Sarah that understand local needs and tailor their work accordingly.
