Kate Walton
IDSC/M.A. ’01

1. Please describe your present professional position (ie: your responsibilities, the mission of the organization, how it relates to your field of study). Please include the URL of your organization.

I work for Essex County Greenbelt Association in Essex, MA as the Assistant Director of Land Stewardship & GIS Manager. Greenbelt is a member supported nonprofit land trust that has conserved over 12,000 acres of land in Essex County. Greenbelt works with local communities and landowners to acquire and protect ecological areas, farmland and scenic vistas. One of our major goals is the creation of "greenbelts" consisting of river, trail, and other natural corridors, coastal systems and visually intact landscapes. My job consists of managing the GIS program, monitoring conservation easements, coordinating volunteers, writing and implementing management plans for our reservations and any other activity related to the stewardship of our 12,000 + acres of land that Greenbelt protects.

2. What do you find satisfying about your position?
It is very satisfying to completely believe in the work of protecting land. I love that my job connects me to the outdoors and the landscapes where I live and work. Having that connection to and knowledge of the area has really been a great experience, and has made me very dedicated to what I do for Greenbelt.

3. How did the IDSC program at Clark University help to prepare you?
The professors are excellent and the classes are small and dynamic. The program provides a wide variety of skills that are applicable in many different sectors.

4. Why should prospective students enroll in the IDSC program at Clark University?
I think that it prepares students for a variety of different work opportunities, locally and abroad.

5. Did you have an internship as part of your Clark education? If so, how did it help to connect you to your current career? In what ways was the experience valuable?
Yes. The internship with Coastal Zone Management at Executive Office of Environmental Affairs helped mostly with networking, and helped introduce me to the land trust community.

6. What was the topic of your research while at Clark University?
The Management of the Forest Industry in Maine's North Woods.