Ryan Aubertine
Being a Summer Land Steward for the third summer in a row has been an opportunity I am very grateful for. Working for TILT this year like any year was full of hard but rewarding work. Besides the routine maintenance, this year was different because of the addition of two of my projects: painting the foundations at Zenda Farms and rebuilding a bridge at Macsherry trail on Crooked Creek Preserve. Taking the old bridge out, carrying the lumber in, and then constructing the new bridge with the other interns and TILT staff was tough, but I am proud I was a part of.
Being the only intern with past Summer Land Steward experience this year meant that I could show the new interns the ropes. This allowed me to develop leadership skills and show my integrity, in ways that I wouldn’t be able to do at other jobs. And it made battling bugs and the heat worth it this summer. I will never forget working on the Preserves I love and meeting people who have the same passion as I do, witnessing them take care of and conserve the Thousand Islands. I was very lucky to spend my past three summers with TILT and I would like to thank Brandon, Jake, and the rest of the staff for giving me the opportunity to come back.
Hayes Danforth
The TILT Summer Land Steward Internship was a tremendous experience. My family has been on the River for five generations, and my grandmother, Sissy Danforth, was the executive director at TILT in the 1990s. She would always talk about the importance of preserving our lands to keep a healthy ecological balance and provide a place where future generations can enjoy the outdoors.
My favorite memories from the summer were working with the TILT team. Meeting at Zenda Farms each morning, planning our workday, and traveling to different preserves gave the job a real sense of purpose and perspective. With over 11,000 acres of preserved land, we had exciting and meaningful places to work every day. All the preserves are beautiful, unique, and important. Zenda Farms Preserve and the Rivergate Trail are my favorite multi-use recreation areas. I’m excited to see the restoration of the historic railroad trestle. I also loved working at Crooked Creek Preserve because it has the extensive wetlands and is full of incredible wildlife. The Summer Land Steward job really gave me a new appreciation of the importance of preserving our natural surroundings. Conservation protects not only the beauty of the land but also the natural ecosystem necessary to make sure everything works in balance.
Nathan Teig
As someone who has now spent over three-quarters of my life living in California, returning to the St. Lawrence each year to experience its beauty is still the highlight of my year. Wanting to make the most out of my time on the River, this summer, I was lucky enough to connect with the staff at TILT and make sure my summer had purpose. Being a Summer Land Steward gave me a first hand opportunity to experience and aid the TILT staff in the conservation of land. I got to explore and learn about many of the trails and land that I had not seen before. The Macsherry and Chippewa trails stand out to me as they both have fun and scenic routes.
Of all the projects, my favorite was the footbridge installation at the Macsherry Trail. It was an amazing experience to see how the entire team was able to move fluidly to keep the construction moving. I also enjoyed helping with all of the events, especially the TILTKids events as I believe raising an eco-conscious generation is critical to keeping our land as beautiful as it is. I am grateful to the TILT team for giving me the opportunity to intern as a Summer Land Steward and experience the beauty of the St Lawrence from an angle I had never seen before.
