Author: Lilly Drazek-Loosier

Tecumseh Land Trust (TLT) is an organization focused on the preservation of land through the purchase of properties from private landowners and the administration of processes to get land legally protected. TLT has protected 36,000 acres and 225 properties in Ohio. They focus on protecting land near water sources or near roads to keep them clear for safety purposes. I wanted to apply for a co-op with TLT because I am interested in going into environmental law and I wanted to learn about the on-the-ground process for preserving land. I believe this experience will be very useful in the future. When I was interviewed for the position, the program directors asked further about my interests. I told them I wanted to learn more about the legal side of environmental preservation because I wanted to help them achieve their mission. I also mentioned that I am a bit awkward with people so I wanted to work on my interpersonal skills whil not having too much communication. I ended up working as a paid intern for TLT, doing research, scanning files, helping to organize paperwork, etc. I believe that TLT has had co-op students monitor their properties in the past, but because I didn’t have a car I needed to focus on work at their office. I learned a lot about the process of preserving land through easements as well as the process of getting several federal grants. My schedule was quite flexible and my supervisor was very understanding. I highly recommend working with TLT if you are interested in environmental science or land preservation.