Our interns are awesome! This summer, photo intern, Tobin Yates '26, interviewed and photographed a handful of our students who make our sustainability community so vibrant. (All photos by Tobin Yates)
Tyler Long '27: Full-Time Dartmouth Organic Farm Intern
Why did you choose to become a farm intern? What farm projects are you most excited to work on/be working on?
I became a farm intern because I was interested in both agricultural practice and theory. As Dartmouth doesn't have an agricultural program, the best way to sate this interest was to involve myself in the farm. There is of course the ongoing project of building soil health, often intrinsic to organic farms, which is exciting enough but I'm also hoping we can create a dedicated composter system.
What have you learned from your experience so far working at the Organic farm?
Jack has greatly encouraged Lucy and I to read 'organic literature'. We have both read through a collection of organic practices in the Northeast from the 90s called 'The Real Dirt' and currently I am working through Eliot Coleman's famed 'The New Organic Grower'. These books readily address why we farm organically, the benefits of nutrition, produce quality, local economic growth, environmental health and biodiversity, and how we farm organically, including how to time crops, develop rotations, weed, and (most importantly) how to take pride in that work. I've yet to find a point in either book I disagree with.
The Sustainability Office, and the other employees beyond Jack, has been one of the friendliest and hardworking groups of people I've met since coming to Dartmouth. While I am almost entirely at the farm, talking to the Susty workers has given me a new appreciation for sustainability and a greater appreciation for the value that enthusiasm can bring to a group of workers.
One last word, it is wonderful — as in full of wonder — that the farm mostly packages and donates food. A farm stand would be fine and selling produce would be rewarding but how much greater is charity and how much more incredible it is to give.
Levi Konrad-Shankland '26: Thrift Store Intern
Why did you choose to become a sustainability intern?
I got involved with Dartmouth's Sustainability Office as a first-year in SAP (the Office's program for first-years to try sustainability projects in small groups), and my project, to reduce the waste associated with move-out, worked really well alongside the Free Market thrift store as a way of redistributing what would've been thrown away to other students and community members. For my sophomore year, I really hoped to be a sustainability intern to continue trying to reduce some of the entirely needless waste on campus, and here I am now!
What sustainable projects are you most excited to work on/be working on?
It's always exciting working on making the Free Market the best it can be, especially trying to reach new people and make the space itself functional and fun to be in. Something else interesting happening under the hood is processing the big pulse of donations of just about everything under the sun after 24S move-out, which is a lot of effort but also a lot of coordination between different parts of the College, outside organizations, and parts of the Upper Valley community. I'm working on looking at different places in New Hampshire and Vermont like mutual aid organizations, thrift stores, and animal shelters that might want to take some of the clothing and bedding that the Free Market just doesn't have the capacity for right now (it's great we got so much; it's just a lot to handle!), and I'm hoping that this small project can be part of Dartmouth's efforts to contribute more positively to the Upper Valley.
What role do you think students play in driving sustainable change?
From my experience, students are great at pushing for change, keeping bigger institutions accountable, and starting small or medium-sized projects. But without as much power in large institutions and ability to stick with projects long-term (an especially big problem at Dartmouth due to the D-plan meaning people are gone every few terms), seeing through the largest projects is tough for us.
What advice would you give to students looking to get involved?
Go for it! Try different things out and see what's exciting to you. Also, at least in the Dartmouth context, the best projects are often ones that make people better off, protect the environment, and help the College to do its job; if you find something like this you can often get significant support and do a lot of good. Don't be too afraid of ruffling feathers, either, though; sustainability and justice entail a lot of hard work and a lot of big changes to how things run.
Also if there's anything else about your job that you would like to share with the Dartmouth community, feel free to mention it!
Come to the thrift store! Bring friends! Take anything you need! :)
Lucy Coleman '26: Full-Time Dartmouth Organic Farm Intern
Why did you choose to become a farm intern?
I decided to become a farm intern for a few reasons. As an ENVS major I learned a lot about sustainable farming as well as organic farming practices in the classroom and was excited to gain practical knowledge. Spending hours hand pulling weeds from the field makes Roundup Ready crops seem a lot more appealing! I also love working outside and specifically spending time on the o-farm. My first introduction to the O-Farm was last year when I participated in the Sugar Crew. My positive Sugar Crew experience highly informed my decision to apply to be a sustainability intern this summer. Everyone who works in the sustainability office is so kind and supportive. The amazing culture of the Dartmouth Susty Office has been one of the highlights of my summer.
What role do you think students play in driving sustainable change?
Students play a large role in driving sustainable change. A culture shift on campus must take place to create long lasting change. While there are a lot of resources and opportunities available, they are useless unless they are actively being engaged with by the student body. Changing our attitude towards sustainability and adapting our actions to create positive change are the first steps in inspiring change in others and creating the culture shift required.
What advice would you give to students looking to get involved?
I would definitely say to anyone who wishes to be involved in sustainability on campus to start small. Being involved with sustainability on campus can seem very daunting when the larger opportunities are the most visible. Getting involved in sustainability on campus doesn’t necessarily mean going on an energy immersion trip or doing Sugar Crew. Signing up for the Ruckus newsletter, visiting the bike shop or free market, or attending the sustainability office hours are all great ways to start being involved.
Bond Almand '26: Dartmouth Bikes Mechanic
Why did you choose to become a sustainability bikes intern?
I love bikes, I love working on things with my hands, and I love sustainability! As soon as I heard about the bike shop freshman fall I wanted to work there. I didn’t originally realize that the bike shop is part of the sustainability office, but I am very grateful that it is because it allows me to buy into an aspect of sustainability at Dartmouth that I wouldn’t otherwise have. I like to think that by working for the sustainability office I am helping make Dartmouth a greener space. Dartmouth is the Big Green, after all, we should be a green college! I also love being a part of something larger than myself. I am inspired by the work of other sustainability interns both on the bike team and in other roles within the sustainability office. The sustainability office and the hard impassioned work of my fellow interns inspire me with climate hope and help to dispel anxieties of climate doomism.
What projects are you most excited to work on/be working on with the bikes team?
I really love collections. I love being able to take a broken bike that is cluttering campus and turning it into a functioning vehicle for students once again. I like giving the bike a second chance and I know that students will derive joy and convenience from our work at the shop.
What role do you think students play in driving sustainable change (through your bike shop perspective, like reselling and fixing bikes)?
I think the most important part of our work is establishing sustainable commuting habits. If we can get bikes into the hands of students who would otherwise be driving or taking the bus around, then we can establish sustainable habits with those students. Then perhaps when they leave Dartmouth and venture out into the world at hand they will maintain some of the sustainable habits they gained here. In this respect we can have a much longer and larger impact on sustainability than our seemingly small acts of just fixing bikes.
What advice would you give to students looking to get involved?
The sustainability office and its staff are awesome, so I would definitely recommend applying for an intern role. The bikes team offers a mechanics class every winter which is a great way to get your foot in the door even if you’ve never worked on bikes before. There are also a lot of awesome ways to get involved with sustainability and climate activism even outside of the Sustainability Office. Change starts on a micro level. Every day actions are important even if they don’t necessarily feel like it.
Tell me about your plans for this upcoming fall, and if there's a blog/website we can follow you through?
This fall I am attempting to bicycle the Pan-American from the north coast of Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. As part of this attempt I will be raising money for the Honnold Foundation, which is working with community partners to install solar panels in off-grid indigenous communities in the Amazon! People can donate to my fundraiser and follow my progress through daily blog posts and live tracking on my website, bondalmand.com.
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