This month, we interviewed Alyssa Hemler, our Land Stewardship Specialist. Alyssa has been at NVCT for 7 years, starting as an administrative coordinator. Before coming to NVCT, Alyssa obtained her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Oberlin College.
Can you recall what first sparked your interest in environmental studies?
“My Mom worked for more than 30 years in the National Park Service. All our family trips were to national parks; I grew up hiking, biking, and camping. I have benefitted from conserved lands and public parks. I still go camping and enjoy conserved lands regularly!”
How did your journey to NVCT begin?
When Alyssa graduated, she was interested in staying in the DMV area. Having grown up in Columbia, Maryland, she wanted a job that would give her the opportunity to be involved in conservation and public lands near her home. She began working for the Adventure and Outdoors division of Howard County Recreation and Parks in Maryland. With HCRP, Alyssa planned and led camps and programs in rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, archery, camping, and biking. Alyssa then came to NVCT to work in 2018! “As an administrative coordinator, I learned really fast how a land trust operates, as an administrative coordinator. You’re the center of the organization and quickly pick up on everything that goes on by answering phones, taking notes at all the meetings, and preparing documents,” said Alyssa.
How did you become a land steward at NVCT?
“A couple years after that, we had a stewardship role open up and Alan {Executive Director} knew my background and interest and it was a natural fit to move into that role. My background in outdoor exploration made me want a career that was outside.”
How was your first year as a land steward?
“It was unexpected, the first year is always the hardest; everything is new, and you aren’t familiar with the specific easements you are supposed to be enforcing. It can be extra challenging not having a prior relationship with the landowners you work with. It was a lot of building relationships, reviewing old reports and learning”
Now, Alyssa works with about 150 landowners and has her own process for handling her workload. Land Stewards don’t just go out on site visits to ensure there aren’t violations on the property. Part of Alyssa’s job is also record-keeping, working with landowners when they want to make a change to their property within easement boundaries, acquiring new easements, mapping properties and even guiding volunteers at invasive pull events! “Land Stewards are on the frontline of our work, they are on conserved properties on a daily basis, talking to landowners and documenting changes.”Part of Alyssa’s work as an administrative coordinator was the organization of documents, which is key for her work today. A conservation easement lasts forever regardless of ownership of the property, so ensuring that the records for a property tell the correct narrative and are accurate is extremely important. “These easements will be in place well beyond my career at NVCT”
Do some of the skills you gained as an administrative coordinator come in handy as a land steward?
“Communication was key and is still the main skill needed. The relationship between landowners and NVCT is a major component of my job. I want landowners to feel comfortable reaching out when a change happens on the property or if they need help with something related. I want to ensure they are a part of the preservation of their land. My goal is for them to feel that we are partnering together to do what’s best for the land.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“Getting be outside on a regular basis, beautiful days, 60 degrees sunny days you go for a drive, you get out and wander around the woods all day and you’re just with yourself and nature, on properties that you know are always going to be conserved.”
What is one of your favorite memories from stewardship site visits?
“I was out doing a site visit with an intern, and we saw a prothonotary warbler hanging out in the creek. They’re a small songbird that is highlighter yellow. It was a cool moment to be able to point out wildlife utilizing preserved land, especially to an intern, someone early into their career!”
What is your favorite season to steward in?
“Spring and fall! The leaves on the trees fall off in fall, making it easier to survey land because you can see more easily and get around quickly. The spring just has the best weather for surveys!”
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
“Much of my work involves our fee properties. That’s where I really get to have that hands-on land management experience; we own the land, and I go out to see the changes and take immediate action to shape the land. If I see invasive species, then I can craft a plan to remove them and get right to work. I get to have a direct impact on the land as the manager of the property.”
“Fee properties” are parcels of land that NVCT protects and owns! We manage everything that happens on these properties, and they operate as nature preserves. Having grown up enjoying public preserves, the fee properties and work to make them accessible to the public as parks is close to Alyssa’s heart!
What is something that is part of your job that you never expected it to be?
“I didn’t realize how much I would learn about plants! Doing so many land surveys, you notice patterns and become way more attentive to the flora and fauna of the properties.”
A hobby Alyssa has picked up from her work is birding! “You get curious about the things you hear around you while out on a site visit.” Alyssa now has a “bird life list,” which is a list of all the bird species she has seen outdoors! Lucky for Alyssa, her work at NVCT often intersects with her hobby. NVCT often participates in bird counts around NoVA like the Christmas bird count, breeding bird count, and our annual heron nest count! In Virginia she has seen and identified 175 birds off her "life list"
What makes NoVa a special place to you?
“The proximity to urban life and nature and the environment, you can get into DC and Arlington easily with the benefits of city life but they also have parks, conserved land. Travel out further and you can get into very rural spaces and even bigger parks”
What advice do you have for anyone interested in pursuing an environmental field job?
“Think about the kind of organization you want to work for that will dictate the type job you want. Look at an organization's mission and you will attract a job that fulfills your passions and surrounds you with like-minded individuals.”
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