People Behind the Scenes: Marcie Foster

“Check out that stone pile!”

“What a beautiful moss.”

“Isn’t this flower a…"

The enthusiastic commentary continues as we wind our way along an old trail in the woods in the town of Middlefield. Marcie Foster, our third Earle Peterson Conservation Fellow, enjoys this work, especially the outdoors part.

A 2008 graduate of State University of New York—New Paltz with a bachelor’s degree in geography, Marcie has naturally migrated to jobs that include outside activities—archeology, mapping, and conservation. She has just completed a course in botany at State University of New York—Cobleskill and hopes to pursue a masters degree in a conservation-related field. She also works part-time at the Clark Sports Center as an outdoor educator and rock climbing instructor. At Otsego Land Trust, Marcie is responsible for organizing stewardship records, scheduling monitoring visits, and creating a management plan template for land trust properties, such as the Compton Bridge parcel on the Susquehanna River. Her passion for the land is reflected in the care and dedication apparent in her work and in her passion to be outdoors. “Isn’t that a liverwort?” she asks, while stopping to admire yet another treasure along the trail.