…it’s “See you in September!” for our TerraCorps Land Stewardship Coordinator Mariel Hohmann, who has served as an Americorps member with Hilltown Land Trust for the past two years. Although we usually bid farewell to our service members this time of year, there’s no goodbye party this summer – because Mariel will be joining Hilltown Land Trust and The Trustees on our land stewardship teams!
Mariel has coordinated our conservation restriction monitoring and stewardship volunteer programs over the past two years, in addition to her work expanding our trail camera and biodiversity monitoring programs. In her new role, she will spend approximately 75% of her time monitoring our affiliate The Trustees’ conservation restrictions across the state, and 25% on Hilltown Land Trust’s land stewardship work.
“I’m so grateful for my experience as a Terracorps member with HLT,” said Mariel. “I can’t express how much every walk in the woods, trail workday, and close encounter with the porcupines and bears of the Hilltowns meant to me.”
During her time as HLT’s TerraCorps member, Mariel collected wildlife camera footage from across our 13-town service area that netted an Ashfield FilmFest award for Best Natural World Entry in 2024. Her trail camera work, which features scampering weasels and lumbering bears on our YouTube channel, is just one way she used her work to connect people with the ecological richness of our region.
“During my time, I’ve seen so much passion in the people of our community to care for our environment and each other,” added Mariel. “I feel lucky that I’ll be able to continue to be a part of it, as I stay on with HLT.”
Mariel’s transition to a permanent role comes at an exciting time for HLT and TerraCorps. Federal cuts to the Americorps agency earlier this year threatened to shutter the service program, but legal action has restored funding to the program in Massachusetts and over twenty other states. In other words – TerraCorps is back on! HLT is searching for our next TerraCorps Land Stewardship Coordinator to start at the end of September.
We’re so grateful for all Mariel has given to the Hilltowns during her two years of TerraCorps service with Hilltown Land Trust. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome back when she starts her new role with us in September!
