Friends From The Field Webinar

Citizen Science: A Means to Promote Equity and Inclusion in Environmental STEM

Thursday, January 7th, 4:00 – 5:00 pm (est)

Amara Ifeji will speak to her lived experiences as a BIPOC individual, the marginalization she faced, and how her self-sought passion for water justice led her to foster a connection to serving as a conduit for other BIPOC and female-identifying students like herself.  Amara is a 19-year-old freshman at Northeastern University and the Grassroots Development Coordinator with the Maine Environmental Education Association.
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Friends From The Field Webinar

ALL ABOUT BROWN TRAIL MOTHS!
Thursday, December 17th, @ 4:00 – 5:00 pm (est)

Browntail moth is a nonnative moth that is currently expanding its range in Maine. Come learn about the biology, history, and current situation of browntail moth in Maine. Tom Schmeelk is a forest entomologist with the Maine Forest Service and the program lead on BTM.

This is the 25th in our webinar series co-hosted by BHHT and Island Heritage Trust, featuring local naturalists, professionals from environmentally focused organizations, and outdoor learning experts to share their knowledge, virtually, during a time when we can’t all be out in the field together.

The webinars take place LIVE on Thursdays from 4-5 pm! We will record the webinar so that if you wish to view but can’t participate at that time, the presentation will be available to you on our websites and social media.

REGISTER

We are hiring! – Development Associate

 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This year-round position will be 3/4 or full time, depending on the chosen candidate’s qualifications and experience. Benefits include paid holidays, vacation time, and personal days; as well as a health stipend. Salary commensurate with experience.

Location: The position is based in Deer Isle, Maine. This is a small, rural, island community (winter pop. 3,000) with a traditional natural resource-based economy focused on recreational tourism and the fishing industry.

SUMMARY

The Island Heritage Trust (IHT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust dedicated to conservation that protects significant open space, scenic areas, wildlife habitats, natural resources, and historic and cultural features that offer public and economic benefit and are essential to the character of the Deer Isle area. IHT is a membership-based organization, with an engaged donor base of more than 700 supporters and strong relationships with numerous grantmaking organizations. We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about land conservation and who is experienced with cultivating donor relations. Working with and under the supervision of the Executive Director (ED), and collaborating closely with IHT’s committees, staff, trustees and volunteers the Development Associate (DA) helps develop and manage IHT’s fundraising activities, cultivates donors, and co-manages IHT’s outreach communications. This position which will require some work on weekends, holidays, and during non-traditional hours. The DA is expected to reside within commuting distance of Deer Isle, Maine.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree or higher and substantial fundraising experience, preferably for a land trust or conservation organization, including grants, general fund appeals, and high-capacity donor cultivation.  The candidate will have outstanding interpersonal skills, excellent written and verbal communication and the ability to both collaborate with others and work independently. Familiarity with Microsoft Office & Little Green Light or similar CRM as well as

proficiency with Adobe products such as Acrobat, Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, and other specialized land trust software is also desired. The candidate should also have access to reliable internet speed for remote work as needed.

DUTIES – Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Fundraising:

  • Develops and implements multi-year fundraising strategies, budgets, and reporting mechanisms for general fund appeals, capital campaigns, corporate sponsorships, monthly giving, and planned giving.
  • Works with the ED and Development Committee to implement capital campaigns.
  • Researches donors, foundations, and grant programs, and develops donor relations in support of overall fundraising objectives and to encourage increased giving.
  • Develops, strengthens, and maintains relationships with donors and grant makers.
  • Identifies, applies for, and secures grant funding from foundations and other entities as agreed upon with ED. Follow through with grant reports and communication with grantors.

Database Management:

  • Manages gift entry, acknowledgement correspondence, donor record updates in Little Green Light (CRM).
  • Ensures all donor acknowledgments are prompt, thoughtful, and meet all IRS and Accreditation requirements.
  • Maintains database to ensure integrity and accuracy of constituent records, and manages and generates reports and analysis.

Outreach and Public Relations:

  • Writes and develops print, online, and social media outreach materials, donor communications, and media relations in collaboration with fellow staff.
  • Prepares material in a timely fashion allowing for considered review and timely publishing.
  • Plans and coordinates outreach and special events, and provides information on and promotes IHT programs, plans, and policies to the IHT community, other organizations, and the media in collaboration with fellow staff.

Board & Committee Support:

  • Coordinates Staff and Board relationships with donors to ensure communications and interactions move forward with a singular, coordinated purpose.
  • Prepares documents and reports for the committees and board as requested.
  • Participates in Development Committee meetings, and others as needed.
  • Ensures development and implementation of fundraising policies and procedures to qualify IHT for LTA accreditation.

Submit a cover letter (including salary requirement), resume, and three references with contact information in one document (PDF) for immediate consideration.

Applications can be submitted by email, or by mail to contact information below. The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. For questions, or more information contact:

Julia Zell, Executive Director

Island Heritage Trust
PO Box 42, Deer Isle, ME 04627
jzell@islandheritagetrust.org       207.348.2455

The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

Learning With Nature Webinar

ZOOM SESSION FOR FAMILIES REMOTE LEARNING
FRIDAY AT 10:00 – 11:00 AM EST
Need ideas for learning at home this year? Want to know more about what you can do on our local trails? Do you need downloadable activities for your kids to do in your backyard?
BHHT and IHT are offering a webinar on the first Friday of every month this school year to share outdoor learning ideas and resources for parents and families schooling at home. Martha Bell and Landere Naisbitt will co-host the sessions and invite other knowledgeable community members to share learning opportunities as well. This month, environmental educator, Julianne Taylor will be joining us! We will share activities, games, stories, answer questions about trails, hiking, weather, and any outdoor learning / nature-related learning inquiry that you have to the best of our ability. We hope to connect families with fun and meaningful resources during COVID 19.
For more information email mbell@islandheritagetrust.org. We welcome your questions ahead of time so that we can prepare well-thought-out answers so send them into the emails above! If you have resources that you think others would benefit from, please bring them along to the sessions. There will be a chance for sharing among participants as well.
Register for these zoom calls below:
REGISTER

Friends From The Field Webinar

EMPOWERING AVIAN AMBASSADORS THROUGH BEHAVIOR
THURSDAY AT 4:00 – 5:00 PM EST
Behavior Matters: How we can empower non-releasable raptors in avian education and deepen our appreciation, sensitivity, and experience with nature. Learn to see what a bird may be trying to communicate, and how
Caretaker of Birdsacre, Grayson Richmond, spends his days (and some nights) working with educational vultures, hawks, and owls at the Stanwood Wildlife Sanctuary in Ellsworth.This is the 22nd in our webinar Series co-hosted by BHHT and Island Heritage Trust, featuring local naturalists, professionals from environmentally focused organizations, and outdoor learning experts to share their knowledge, virtually, during a time when we can’t all be out in the field together.The webinars take place LIVE on Thursdays from 4-5 pm! We will record the webinar so that if you wish to view it but can’t participate at that time, the presentation will be available to you on our websites and social media.
Click the link below to REGISTER for this webinar:
REGISTER

Friends From the Field

A Lifelong Relationship with Sweetgrass

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 AT 4 PM EDT – 5 PM EDT

Join us to listen to, Carol Dana, from the Penobscot Nation, tell stories about her lifelong relationship with sweetgrass. She works at the Cultural and Historic Preservation Department for the Penobscot Nation on Indian Island and is their Penobscot Language Master.
This is the 22nd in our webinar Series co-hosted by BHHT and Island Heritage Trust, featuring local naturalists, professionals from environmentally focused organizations, and outdoor learning experts to share their knowledge, virtually, during a time when we can’t all be out in the field together.
The webinars take place LIVE every Thursday from 4-5 pm! We will record the webinar so that if you wish to view it but can’t participate at that time, the presentation will be available to you on our websites and social media.
Click the link below to REGISTER for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/reg…/WN_mjVAgn39TDScyNeGU53xPQ

Autumn Road Side Clean Up 2020

Friday, October 23rd – Sunday, October 25th

Trashbags available at Deer Isle Town Hall, The Galley, and Burnt Cove Market

For more information email: jmccarty@islandheritagetrust.org

Or to sign up for a section of road email: deerislemanager@gmail.com

IHT announces new Executive Director

We are excited to announce that IHT’s Board of Trustees has appointed Julia Zell as its new Executive Director.  Julia was appointed IHT’s Development Director in April 2019 and has also been serving as Interim Executive Director since the departure of Paul Miller in July 2020.  Julia is a 2014 graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and has been an Island resident since 2017.

We conducted a nationwide search for a new Executive Director and received applications from many impressive candidates.  In the end, however, we recognized that we already knew the right person for the position.  Julia has brought enormous passion and energy to her work at IHT.  She has quickly built strong relationships with donors, volunteers, staff, Board, and our Island neighbors.  We are very excited to have her to help guide the organization through the many challenges ahead.

Julia stated: “I am honored to have the opportunity to help lead IHT through these unprecedented times. We have been reminded of how connected we are, how challenges affect us all. Being able to take a walk outside and find some quiet comfort in this rugged and beautiful landscape, having the opportunity to learn and grow in this place, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this privilege. Thank you to IHT’s staff and Board for all their support and hard work!”

Please join me in extending her our congratulations.
Sincerely,

Bill Wiegmann
Board Chair

Friends From the Field

Mushrooms in Maine: Good, Bad, and Beautiful

Co-Hosted by Blue Hill Heritage Trust and Island Heritage Trust

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 AT 4 PM – 5 PM

David Porter, retired from the Univ of Georgia, moved to Brooklin 14 years ago. He enjoys sharing his fascination with the natural history of mushroom fungi, and before the pandemic has led forays and offered classes with BHHT, IHT, CoA, and Eagle Hill.
In recent years mushroom fungi have garnered increased recognition of their beneficial role in forest ecology. Mushrooms may be decomposers while others cooperate with trees for mutual benefit and communication. Interest in gathering wild foods has popularized foraging for edible mushrooms as well as the importance of recognizing those that may be poisonous. Natural history and edibility aside, mushrooms are organisms of remarkable beauty that are often underappreciated. We will share personal observations and scientific information in this illustrated talk to stimulate your curiosity and lower your gaze during your walk in the woods.
This is the 19th in our webinar series co-hosted by BHHT and Island Heritage Trust, featuring local naturalists, professionals from environmentally focused organizations, and outdoor learning experts to share their knowledge, virtually, during a time when we can’t all be out in the field together.
The webinars take place LIVE every Thursday from 4-5 pm! We will record the webinar so that if you wish to view it but can’t participate at that time, the presentation will be available to you on our websites and social media.
Click the link below to REGISTER for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MsCdt_zdTMipDrkzwS1ZXg

Friends From The Field Webinars

Art and Environmentalism from an Indigenous Perspective

Co-hosted Webinar Series with Blue Hill Heritage Trust

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 AT 4 PM – 5 PM

 

Ranco’s talk will focus on how her ancestral connectivity to the Penobscot Bay region has influenced her artwork and passion for environmentalism. She will discuss the collective responsibility of Land Trusts to not only ensure this homeland will be protected but to give voice and access to the Indigenous people who still cherish this land.
Ann Pollard Ranco has been a professional artist since the age of 13. She began her career as a jeweler, collecting discarded pieces of pottery and glass from the banks of the Penobscot River and watershed, and turning them into wearable pieces of jewelry. Last year, she began painting and has found that through a mixed media approach, art offers a vehicle to discuss broader topics that are not often bridged. Her work is represented in the Abbe Museum, and at various art shows throughout the state.
This is the 18th in the webinar Series co-hosted by BHHT and Island Heritage Trust, featuring local naturalists, professionals from environmentally focused organizations, and outdoor learning experts to share their knowledge, virtually, during a time when we can’t all be out in the field together.
The webinars take place LIVE every Thursday from 4-5pm! We will record the webinar so that if you wish to view it but can’t participate at that time, the presentation will be available to you on our websites and social media.
Click the link below to REGISTER for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xAnF3ypITz60V2Ja2vDLPA