Early Career Opportunities Branch out at Maine TREE

For years, the Maine TREE Foundation has offered early career opportunities to students and recent graduates, primarily through its summer research technician program at the Holt Research Forest in Arrowsic, Maine. These hands-on positions enable participants to gain valuable field experience in collecting data on forest ecosystems and practicing forest stewardship. Many form research technicians have pursued careers in forestry and related fields after completing this program.

In an effort to expand our early career offerings, Maine TREE has provided students from local and regional universities, including the University of Southern Maine, the University of New England, Northeastern University, and Bowdoin College, with internship and co-op experiences. These new opportunities are designed to support a broader range of academic and professional interests, extending beyond traditional field research. This approach enables Maine TREE not only to continue training future forest stewards and scientists but also to cultivate talent in the diverse fields that support today's technologically advanced forest industry. So far, four students have completed internships with us this year, focusing on areas such as data management, data analysis, geospatial analysis, and marketing. Two students have joined our team for the fall 2025 semester: Sarah Bedore and Sandy Randin. 

Sara Bedore, Comms & Dev Intern

Sarah is a senior at the University of New England, majoring in Communications with minors in Sociology and Writing, and is joining us as a Communications and Development intern. Sarah will be collaborating across various programs to develop strategic outreach collateral and educational resources. Sarah grew up in Upstate New York, where her passion for the outdoors began. She hopes to learn more about environmental communication, its most effective strategies, and make connections with people who share the same passion.

Sandy

Sandy joins us as a Data Science Intern at Holt Research Forest through the Career Exploration Internship Program (CEIP)  at the University of Southern Maine. Her goal is to manage, analyze, visualize, and communicate the data collected over the summer, focusing on how variable retention harvest impacts canopy composition and regeneration while exploring the practical applications of adaptive management in forestry. Sandy is a graduate student pursuing her Master’s degree in Statistics with a concentration in Biostatistics. Originally from New York City, Sandy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, before making her way to Maine.

We are excited to see what Sarah and Sandy accomplish this semester and to continue fostering relationships with universities, offering additional early career opportunities in the future.

Current students and recent graduates are encouraged to explore upcoming opportunities at www.MaineTREE.org/careers or reach out directly to info@mainetree.org.