Will Poirier Appointed Stewardship Director

This fall, The 300 Committee (T3C) appointed Will Poirier, 35, as our new Director of Stewardship. An accomplished naturalist, Will has a master’s degree in sustainable development and climate change from Antioch University and previously served as an AmeriCorps member with T3C from 2022 to 2023.

“We’re delighted to have Will back and taking the lead on the thoughtful management of our conservation lands,” said Jessica Whritenour, T3C’s Executive Director. “Will approaches his work with a calm demeanor, solid stewardship knowledge base and a deep concern for the health of the environment. He is great at connecting with people and is a terrific resource for The 300 Committee’s stewardship team and partners.”

Will's Role At T3C

As Stewardship Director, Will is responsible for managing the over 2,000 acres of conservation land under T3C’s purview; this includes trail maintenance, invasive species removal and patrolling property boundaries to ensure neighbors are not encroaching on protected lands. Thankfully, T3C's bevy of stewardship volunteers, as well as our two AmeriCorps service members, are on-hand to help Will with this tall task.

One of Will’s goals for his first year is to improve trail signage. “A lot of our signage in Falmouth could use improvement,” Will said. “Poorly marked trails are a barrier to getting people out and enjoying these lands.”

Early Career In Education

Will began his career in outdoor education working for Nature’s Classroom. He then taught for six years at a Montessori school in Littleton, MA. “Those were six really formative years for me,” Will said. “My teaching mentor was a very accomplished wild edible naturalist and he and I designed and taught the school’s outdoor education program.”

Teaching children how to connect with the natural world and identify its plants and animals gave Will an appreciation of how important education is to the conservation movement.

“If you want people to understand the importance of these natural spaces that we protect, we have to help them get out there and spend time on these lands to really appreciate their beauty in their value,” Will said.

Moving On To Conservation Work

In 2020, Will went back to school to get his master’s in sustainable development and climate change.

“I think the biggest challenge we as humans face going forward is the question of land use: how do we intelligently plan for our growth,” he said. “And to do it in a way that’s very conscious of the climate crisis.”

Working with T3C as an AmeriCorps service member cemented Will’s desire to work in the land conservation community.

“What I love about land trusts is the diversity of what they can do,” Will said. “There’s land acquisition and land management and there’s education. And those are distinct functions, but all part of the whole process of being good stewards of the land.”

Will currently lives in Harwich, with plans to eventually relocate to Falmouth. He is an avid mushroom enthusiast and wild foods forager. This fall he ground his own acorn flour.