My first day on the job as an intern at the Wells Reserve included a field trip tour of my new home with fellow new interns, Veronica Spolarich and Kathryn Rosengren. Coastal Training mentors Annie Cox and Chris Feurt drove us all across York county to talk about the history of the watersheds in the area.

We first went to the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, where we received a behind-the-scenes tour of the Little River watershed. I was even able to see a recovering endangered species, the Piping Plover, which is nesting upon the beaches of the reserve. A tour of the beaches in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Cape Porpoise were to follow, along with a great lunch by the Saco River.

After lunch we had the opportunity to meet up with Jim Gulnac in Sanford on the upper reaches of the Mousam River where we discussed brownfields. A brownfield is a deserted or rundown industrial or commercial building no longer in use. It often has concentrations of hazardous waste that must be cleaned up. Jim Gulnac shared with us his vision of the future for brownfields. What was once an old industrial mill could now be a new outdoor shopping mall, bringing more people to the area, restoring a historic building, and bringing in more economic revenue to Sanford. He explained how after these buildings are cleaned up, they can make for great?apartments,?new commercial uses, and new?restaurants?and stores for the town. He had great ideas and insights that I'm grateful for learning about.

My first day on the job was?incredibly?unique and rewarding. Being from the Chesapeake area in Maryland, it was amazing to be able to compare my watershed to those in my new home in Wells, Maine. I look forward to working in this beautiful landscape.