TNC Changemakers Residency Program
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In collaboration with the Nature Conservancy in Maine, the maine environmental education association works to address career gaps in organizations like the Nature Conservancy. Careers in conservation with organizations like The Nature Conservancy often require at least two or three years of experience, yet few opportunities exist to provide that experience.
The TNC Changemakers Residency seeks to address this gap by providing two-year residency positions who self-identify as coming from a background underrepresented in conservation and/or the environmental and climate movements. We are wrapping up the first round of residencies and applications for round two will open in Spring 2024. The position will go from June 2024 through June 2026. Learn more about them below!
2024 - 2026 Residency Cycle
Applications for the 2024-2026 TNC Changemakers Residency are now closed!
We will be in touch with applicants by April 16th regarding next steps.
Climate Resident
The Climate Resident will work closely with TNC Maine’s Climate Adaptation Team to support the chapter’s climate adaptation initiatives, including Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) policy and finance, project implementation, community resilience, and equitable adaptation.
Both residents will work closely with MEEA’s Maine Environmental Changemakers team to support the growth of our network. This work includes but is not limited to network building, event planning, communications support, storytelling initiatives, outreach, fundraising, research and evaluation.
TNC in Maine
Residency Openings
TNC in Maine’s Equity Approaches
You can learn more about MEEA’s work and our approaches here
Community Initiatives Resident
The Community Initiatives Resident will work with the Community Program Director to build connections with communities with the goal of building relationships, rapport, and reducing barriers to access to outdoor spaces.
About the Hosting Organizations
The Nature Conservancy was founded in 1951 to conserve lands that were considered “special places” and then biodiversity. More recently, we have become a global organization working in more than 75 countries focusing on conserving the lands and waters that all life depends and acting to reduce carbon emissions. s. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive.
The Nature Conservancy in Maine is the fourth oldest chapter, founded in 1956 by Rachel Carson and other leading Maine citizens concerned about the loss of wildlife habitat. More than 8,000 families, foundations and corporations have helped the Maine Chapter play a role in protecting over 2,400,000 acres of Maine’s most important lands. The Conservancy owns and manages almost 300,000 acres in Maine, including the largest system of nature preserves in the state.
These lands are the homeland of the Wabanaki People. We respectfully acknowledge these People of the Dawn–past, present and future–and their sacred connection to these lands and waters.
Over time, the scope of our work has expanded to include river and stream restoration, work with fishing communities to sustain fisheries in the Gulf of Maine, and act on climate change mitigation and adaptation. To learn more, visit www.nature.org/maine or follow @tncmaine on social media.
The Nature Conservancy in Maine works with people to ensure healthy forests, clean free-flowing rivers, abundant oceans, and action on climate change. Our work in Maine and around the world historically focused on protecting nature for nature’s sake. More recently, we have recognized that the well-being of nature and people cannot be separated, and that conservation is inextricably connected to social and environmental justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
We began our equity learning journey in earnest in 2017 with the initiation of voluntary monthly lunch and learn sessions, incorporating “equity moments” as part of monthly staff meetings, participating in a New England division hiring study, and establishing a staff led DEIJ committee. Next, we began incorporating environmental justice and bystander questions as part of all hiring processes, engaged in a statewide (and ongoing) learning journey with Maine’s Indigenous Peoples, and instituted mandatory trainings focused on difference, power, and allyship for all staff.
In 2020, we partnered with an external equity consultant to design and pursue an approach to increase our shared commitment to equity, understand how race is operating in our chapter and our work, and explore how to transform our culture. As part of this effort, we are building a container of intentional norms and skills; learning to apply a racial equity lens; learning about race as a power system, and about the history of race in conservation and here in Maine. From this we have established work teams to carry out a racial equity analysis and carry it on as we carry out our mission.
This journey has led us to clarify some faulty assumptions and problematic truths that we continue to explore as a chapter, and also to see cross-cutting opportunities to move our chapter forward. Every step of this journey has deepened our commitment, our learning, and our understanding. And we acknowledge that we are only just getting started.
2022 - 2024 Residents
Deb’s Work
Through their position at the Nature Conservancy in Maine, Deb has been working closely with underrepresented communities on how these communities can access federal funding through GOPIF’s Community Resilience Partnership. The goal of the program is to improve local climate resilience and adaptation, with TNC’s focus being on marginalized and rural communities. They, along with Sinet the other half of the residency team, have written grant proposals for 3 communities over two grant cycles. Deb has also been engaging with local Maine communities focusing on youth BIPOC land and skill access, primarily as a liaison between the Nature Conservancy, Tree Street Youth, and the Nature Based Education Consortium. They are also involved in legislative work, from bill research and tracking to providing testimony and advocacy at the statehouse in Augusta for various climate and outdoor learning initiatives.
Deborah Paredes
Deb is a first generation Latinx American from Tyler, Texas. Deb recently completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Maine, majoring in Biology with a minor in Ecology and Environmental Science. During their time at UMaine Deb participated in various service-based organizations, developing a passion for community engagement while fostering a love for Maine's outdoors throughout her studies and work. Deb believes that environmental education is a key resource towards climate action and is passionate about reaching underserved communities in Maine. Deb is also a two time AmeriCorps alum serving with Maine Campus Compact working closely on Energy Efficiency and Weatherization in their community. As an activist Deb strongly advocates for social and environmental justice for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, anti-colonialism, indigenous rights, sustainability, environmental preservation, and intersectionality and equity within each of these causes and beyond. Deb is excited to bring her perspectives and experiences to the Maine Environmental Education Association and The Nature Conservancy in Maine and to continue learning from others!'
Sinet Kroch
Sinet Kroch is a recent graduate from Bucknell University, double majoring in Environmental Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. Inspired by her farming background and experience working with organizations that promote environmentally friendly practices, while addressing the exclusivity of marginalized communities in important decision-making processes, Sinet aspires to become an environmental activist, specifically in tackling the global issue of climate crisis and helping at-risk communities adapt to life in a changing climate. It has been too long and too frequent that hazardous waste sites, polluting industrial facilities, and other locally unwanted land uses are disproportionately located in nonwhite and low-income neighborhoods and communities. Thus, Sinet’s commitment and passion is to address these kinds of narratives and design programs that center on the voices of marginalized groups and collaborate with them to meet their needs. While at Bucknell, Sinet designed a zero waste manual for her university when she was their Sustainability Community Intern. She also spent a summer doing research with the Pesticide Action North America on the impact of pesticides on the health of people and the environment to show how major pesticide corporations harm us. Sinet is thrilled to share her perspectives and experiences at her workplace and looks forward to learning from her peers.
Sinet’s Work
“My journey working as a Climate Adaptation Resident with MEEA and the TNC is both compelling and inspiring. As a graduate from Bucknell University, armed with a double major in Environmental Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, my academic foundation reflects the conscious choice to merge ecological consciousness with social justice perspectives. This intersectional approach speaks volumes about my recognition of the multifaceted nature of global challenges and my intention to address them holistically.
My approach in doing this job is shaped by my formative experiences, particularly my farmingbackground and my involvement with organizations advocating for environmentally sustainable practices while concurrently addressing the lack of inclusivity within vital decision-making processes. With a specific focus on combatting the monumental issue of the climate crisis and empowering at-risk communities to adapt to the evolving climate, this Residency allows me to address both issues.
As the Climate Adaptation Resident, I have collaborated closely with local communities to integrate natural climate solutions into climate adaptation and resilience projects. Through my involvement, I have helped advance state climate strategies and actions by assisting the most vulnerable and underinvested communities in project development and management, workshop facilitation, budgeting, and grant writing. Notably, I have assisted in diverse projects such as salt marsh restoration, urban heat mitigation, solar array implementation, and riverwalk shoreline restoration that demonstrates my commitment to practical, tangible change. These experiences have honed my skills in community engagement, environmental equity work, and grant writing.
For instance, during my time as a service provider to the City of Lewiston, I assisted the City on its urban heat island project, specifically on protecting and expanding the tree canopy in a historically underserved community. Through my work with the City, I have learned that in addition to committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change, Maine makes funding available to support its communities to be proactive about understanding, planning, and acting to reduce their risk from climate change. From this involvement, I learned that everybody has a role to play when it comes to combatting climate change, so why not make it accessible and welcoming to everybody to participate in this journey. If Lewiston, a home to one of the most diverse populations in the state of Maine, cares about bringing trees back to their neighborhood for the purpose of beautification of the area, as a source of heat relief in addition to overall air quality improvement year round, those who hold more power and privilege have no excuses to not do anything to help a community like this have equitable access to the benefits that trees and green spaces provide regardless of their ZIP code.
Besides opportunities to work on various climate related projects, I feel very grateful to have supervisors and colleagues who care about me. In addition to a dedicated weekly/biweekly check-in to discuss my work, receive feedback, and engage in career development conversations, these individuals create an environment that fosters collaboration and allows for co-creation of ideas, strategies, and joint execution, which in turn allows me to shine brightly without reservations. Thank you for seeing me, not just an employee.”