My Experience Interning for Maine’s Environment

This summer, I've been interning with the Natural Resources Council of Maine's (NRCM) advocacy department. I've been working mostly with the climate and clean energy team, my work has consisted of building statewide support for offshore wind development, learning about the expansion of electric vehicle chargers throughout the state, and town opinions on community solar projects. I've also been working to organize visits to schools across the state that have been awarded electric school buses through Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

As a central Mainer, I was excited to learn more about NRCM's campaigns to restore the Kennebec River and to pass the Maine Trails Bond. I also had the chance to table at Farmington Summerfest in late July, bringing NRCM's work with these campaigns to the community I grew up in. I loved talking with members and new faces alike and learning about their perspectives on these issues.

I also tagged along for some field trips throughout the year. In June, I was fortunate to be able to attend a Maine Climate Council meeting, where the different working groups presented their progress toward their goals. Recently, we toured an electric school bus granted to Valley High School in Bingham, which was part of the EPA's Clean School Bus rebate program.

This was my first time working for an organization the size of NRCM, and I loved learning more about the coordinated effort that makes it run smoothly. I've had a front row seat this summer to experience the integral role that NRCM plays in environmental coalition building across the state, whether for offshore wind development or campaigns like the trails bond. Every staff member here brings an interesting and unique perspective to their work, whether community organizing, digital storytelling, or scientific expertise. I've been pushed to be a stronger communicator through my writing, and I've gained more tools for effective activism.

I've spent the last 10 weeks absorbing everything I could about environmental advocacy in Maine, asking a million questions, and beginning to apply policy and skills I learned in school to real, impactful work. As I head back to school for the fall, I'm excited to see where these experiences will take me, whether through environmental groups on campus, through research, or through my job someday.

-Brynne Robbins, NRCM Advocacy Intern, Summer 2024