COA Alumni

15

Bar Harbor, Maine

Estate Gardener’s Assistant, private MDI Estate

I work with a team of stewards collaborating to establish and maintain the gardens and grounds of a relatively new estate on MDI. We strive towards sustainability and the use of organic and eco-friendly products and gardening methods, and are currently working to develop a compost tea program.

My hobbies outside of work include practicing yoga and acoustic guitar, educating myself about gardening and holistic health, reading, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. Outside of the gardening season, I usually do some travelling with my partner. This winter I’m taking an online gardening course through the Wild Rose College of Natural Healing. I have volunteered on the trail crew at Downeast Coastal Conservancy on a few occasions and would like to set aside more time for volunteer work in the future.

I worked at Downeast Coastal Conservancy as their first intern, participating in office work, the monitoring of conserved lands, public events such as hiking trips, and helping with other miscellaneous tasks.

Whether in the garden, playing music, meeting a new person, or communicating with my
coworkers, friends or family, human ecology is always in the back of my mind, shaping the way I
address new challenges, knowledge and experiences. Sometimes human ecology is looking at a
plant under a microscope at work to accurately identify a pest or pathogen. Sometimes human
ecology is having a respectful and productive conversation with someone who has an opposite
perspective. And sometimes human ecology is just drinking lots of water and practicing yoga
after a long, hot day at work to keep my body and mind aligned.

My time in the Yucatan Program was one of the most influential experiences I had at COA. It
challenged my comfort zone and broadened my perspective exponentially.

None of the traditional career paths appealed to me upon graduation, so for the first few years
post-COA, I traveled and sought out a variety of work experiences before committing more
seriously to gardening. I worked as a farmhand on an apple orchard and garlic farm, third mate
on a lobster boat, operated a periwinkle boat with my partner, worked in a health food store,
raked blueberries, worked as an editor, ran my own gardening/landscaping business and more.
The diversity of learning experiences I had at COA taught me how to be a lifelong learner and
gave me the courage to step outside of my comfort zone to explore the world and gain perspective.