Portraits of Acadia: Claire Burnet

Claire Burnet, Community Volunteer Ambassador, leading a Save Our Summits hike up Sargent Mountain on July 14, 2024.

NPS photo by Brady Richards

I am a Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) at Acadia National Park. The CVA program is a year-long Americorps position through Conservation Legacy and the National Park Service. I’m a member of the first-ever Climate Cohort, a subset of CVAs focused on advancing resiliency in sites particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

I remember reading the job listing for this position and immediately knowing it was a dream role for me. I’ve been able to bring together my interests in outdoor and environmental education, climate change resilience, and community engagement while living and working in a place I love!

I work with the park and partners to advance community participation in climate-smart restoration projects. Sometimes that means leading volunteers up Sargent Mountain with soil in our backpacks, and other times it means developing plans for new outreach and communications efforts behind the scenes. I work closely with Resource Management and the Volunteer Program, as well as folks at Friends of Acadia and Schoodic Institute. I love how varied and interdisciplinary my job is. No two days are the same!

Claire filling bags of soil for volunteers to carry.

NPS photo by Brady Richards

One of my favorite parts of my job has been leading Save Our Summits hikes. We had one hike where several young girls joined. Sometimes the climb up Hadlock Brook Trail feels like a slog, but they brought so much joyful energy to the group. On our water break they serenaded us with songs from Frozen. When we reached the Sargent Mountain South Ridge Trail and looked out at the view, one of them shouted “This is better than Six Flags and Disney!”

This year Acadia has been my home. I haven’t been here long, but the plants and landscape are familiar to me now. I still experience awe when I’m out in the park, but I also feel grounded. It’s inspiring to be around people who have lived here for decades and know the park like the back of their hand. I aspire to have that kind of relationship with a place one day.

– Claire Burnet, Community Volunteer Ambassador

Claire placing bags of soil with a volunteer onto the restoration area of Sargent Mountain.

NPS photo by Brady Richards

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