Internship Experiences

Nate Robinson came to work for us as a Community Planning/Grassroots Advocacy Intern and quickly showed a keen interest in all of our projects. He helped start a coalition that successfully advocated for the $30 million Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project, which will restore thousands of acres of shellfish habitat, migratory fish run habitat, and salt marshes across the Cape.

“The professional resources and learning opportunities available to me at APCC vastly outweighed anything I could learn in the classroom. My first day in the office, I attended a meeting where the planning theory I had studied in the classroom was being implemented in practice. A week removed from classes, and I was sharing a table with professional planners, consultants and engaged citizen groups.

There were no kid gloves at APCC, expectations were high and I was treated as a young professional. Work that I contributed to led to the passage of bylaws in Wellfleet and Brewster that will provide greater protection of Cape Cod’s unique natural resources for generations to come.

As I prepare to continue my graduate work, there is no question that my year at APCC was the singular, defining moment of my professional life. By working on a variety of complex issues, I have gained a better understanding of my own strengths, weaknesses and interests. As I move forward in my academic and professional life, the knowledge that I gained while working
at APCC will continue to serve as an invaluable resource.” – Nate Robinson 2009 Community Planning/Grassroots Advocacy Intern

Tabitha Harkin is both a painter and landscape architect. At APCC, her stunning visualizations contributed greatly to the development of a “smart growth” vision for East Harwich, which could transform a modern strip development into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use town center. She has been featured in the book “Becoming a Landscape Architect” by Kelleann Foster and specializes in sustainable landscape planning and community development, presentation graphics, and native plant design.

“Prior to coming to APCC as an intern, I was interested in the principles of smart growth, but my graduate program glossed over this type of planning. Working with APCC helped me to explore the landscape architect’s role in smart growth planning.

It helped me to fully understand that compact town center development coupled with the protection of critical natural resource areas are the keys to creating healthy communities.

This knowledge and understanding led me to solidify my career plans. I am now committed to a career of implementing smart growth principles.” – Tabitha Harkin 2007 Whitlock Intern

Carl DePuy, our 2011 Whitlock Intern, is a familiar face to APCC, returning for a fourth season to assist with monitoring marsh restoration sites across the Cape. Now a Dennis-Yarmouth high school teacher, Carl began his first APCC internship while studying for his Masters in environmental science at Green Mountain College. The experience intensified his love of the Cape and the environment.

"My summer internships with APCC shaped my teaching practices and helped guide my career goals. I often use the skills and knowledge from my APCC internship in teaching the ecology of Cape Cod to high school students. The internship experience has rippled its way from the salt marshes and the APCC office into my learning objectives and curriculum for my ecology class. This learning is then passed on to other students and parents.” – Carl DePuy 2008 Salt Marsh Intern

Kate Kennen helped Dennisport pass a zoning bylaw to create an economically attractive alternative to a failing urbanized downtown, an alternative that maintains the character and quality of village life on Cape Cod.

While at APCC, Kate taught herself GIS (geographical information system) and quickly completed a map highlighting critical parcels of land in need of preservation. These maps have been used by open space committees and land trusts across Cape Cod.

“Because my APCC internship gave me the chance to work with other organizations as well as municipalities, I was able to broaden my professional network, which helped me when it was time to start my own business.”  – Kate Kennen 2004 Whitlock Intern