{"id":17294,"date":"2022-11-10T14:07:02","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T19:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=17294"},"modified":"2022-11-10T14:07:07","modified_gmt":"2022-11-10T19:07:07","slug":"the-value-of-mentorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-value-of-mentorship\/","title":{"rendered":"The Value of Mentorship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On a chilly day in late October, the Environmental Fellows<\/a> and their Mass Audubon staff mentors gathered at Blue Hills Trailside Museum<\/a> in Milton. As the fellows and their mentors often meet virtually, the chance to convene outside and learn more about the wildlife at the museum was a welcome change of scenery.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relationship- and network-building is a priority of the Environmental Fellowship Program (EFP). Through networking events, educational excursions, and cohort check-ins, the fellows are encouraged to connect with each other, professionals in the environmental and conservation fields, and Mass Audubon staff, including mentors who are matched with each fellow.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than just an experienced colleague, the mentors are there to support fellows as they navigate their positions at Mass Audubon and plan for what is next in their career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing to have someone who is there to help lift you up so you can do your best professionally and is also checking in with you as a friend at the organization,\u201d said Amara Chittenden, the conservation science fellow. \u201cMy mentor has helped me develop confidence and made me feel valued as a coworker.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Amara looks on as Wildlife Care Supervisor Emily Hastings presents a Red-tailed Hawk and explains how wildlife care staff will take walks with a bird on their arm so that the animals can experience a variety of sights and sensations throughout the day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mentors volunteer their time to support the EFP, excited by the opportunity to work with the fellows. \u201cI’ve always enjoyed acting as a mentor, even in less formal arrangements. I find it rewarding,\u201d said Jeff Ritterson, mentor and field ornithologist for Mass Audubon.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jovan Bryan, land conservation fellow and Jeff\u2019s mentee, reflected on the value of having a mentor:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJeff has been a huge help in making me feel comfortable as I move through the workspace. I quickly learned that your mentor is there to help, so ask for help even if you don\u2019t think you ‘need’ any. A second perspective is a great thing to have, and they\u2019re willing to give it to you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jovan
Jovan and Jeff posed for a quick photo together before finishing the uphill climb to the observation tower at Blue Hills.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the goal of these relationships is to support the fellows, mentors are enjoying the benefits of this connection as well. \u201cAnna [Cass] brings a lot to this relationship including her valuable background, keen observations, great questions, and an eagerness to understand different perspectives on what she’s curious about,\u201d said Lucy Gertz, Anna\u2019s mentor and director of adult education and accessibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Isa
Policy and Advocacy Fellow Isabela Chachapoyas-Ortiz and her mentor, Development Manager Zaskya Perez, were excited to enjoy the view at the top of Blue Hills.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As the fellows envision their future careers, mentorship is something they\u2019re thinking about both for themselves and for the next generation of environmental leaders that follows them. Amara is hoping to continue a legacy of mentorship.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of my favorite experiences was getting ice cream after a hard day in the salt marsh,\u201d Amara said. \u201cMy mentor, [Coastal Resilience Program Director<\/a>] Dr. Danielle Perry, talked about how her own mentor brought her for ice cream after a long day in the field, and it really felt like that circle of support fulfilling itself. I hope one day I can give this experience to someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On a chilly day in late October, the Environmental Fellows and their Mass Audubon staff mentors gathered at Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton. As the fellows and their mentors often meet virtually, the chance to convene outside and learn more about the wildlife at the museum was a welcome change of scenery.   Relationship- […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":17301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[469],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environmental-fellows-program"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/11\/Jovan-Blue-Hills-2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-4uW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17248,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/meet-the-environmental-fellows\/","url_meta":{"origin":17294,"position":0},"title":"Meet the Environmental Fellows","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"October 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Mass Audubon\u2019s Environmental Fellowship Program offers a 14-month position to recent graduates launching their careers. 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You can learn more about why we band falcons here. 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My journey with Mass Audubon has traveled a spiral path. My life and career have taken me to lots of new and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A portrait photo of Nia Keith leaning on a fence in front of a green field with bird boxes in the background. 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