Where Are They Now? Catching up with former HCT intern Kaileigh Mallin

A wonderful parade of talented and dedicated people have spent part of their careers on the Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) team. Their efforts have helped HCT become a leader in creating public-private land conservation partnerships that help sustain Harwich as a livable, vibrant community for current and future generations.

We thought it would be fun to catch up with some of these HCT alums, reminisce about their experiences in Harwich and find out what they’re up to now.

Kaileigh Mallin served as HCT’s Events and Outreach Intern in 2013.  She helped coordinate fundraising events, tamed invasive plants during trail maintenance projects and perhaps most importantly, refined HCT’s social media outreach strategy as the organization was accelerating efforts in the realm of Facebook, Constant Contact and Instagram.

She is currently a commercial litigation attorney with Norton Rose Fulbright in Houston, Texas.

We reached out to Kaileigh by email and she was kind enough to thoughtfully respond to questions about her time with HCT:

When were you at HCT and what did you do?

I was the Events and Outreach Intern at HCT from May to August in 2013. My primary responsibilities were to support our community outreach efforts and to help coordinate and execute any community or fundraising events. That included coordinating and marketing weekly guided walks, running and monitoring social media accounts, and supporting the execution of the annual Birds of Prey show and the Wildlands Music and Arts Stroll.

I had the opportunity to work directly with local businesses and organizations to secure monetary and in-kind donations, as well as directly communicate with local artists and musicians who performed and painted live at the Wildlands Music and ArtsStroll. I also occasionally had the opportunity to support our stewardship team and their work maintaining HCT properties by clearing invasive species with volunteers.

You were instrumental in helping HCT expand its community outreach through Instagram, Constant Contact and Facebook. What were the challenges and how did you shape your approach?

I think the biggest challenges that we faced with online outreach was reaching out and being able to appeal to the right audience.

A large portion of HCT’s patronage didn’t seem to be particularly active on social media and it was an uphill battle to stay consistent enough to drive engagement, although we did see increased engagement throughout that summer. I actually started HCT’s first ever Instagram account, so we also faced challenges gaining followers and marketing the fact that we were on Instagram at all!

So, we looked for ways to market our social media through different mediums, for example, we linked our Instagram and Facebook accounts for better visibility, began to include our Instagram handle in email communications and press releases and even marketed it on our road sign outside the office for a couple of weeks. It meant a great deal to me to be able to help spread the message of an organization doing such meaningful work.

What do you do now?

I have since switched gears a bit, and I am currently practicing as a commercial litigation attorney in Houston, TX.

What did you learn from your HCT experience?

I gained a lot of valuable insight during my time with HCT. First and foremost, as I was a college student at the time, it was my very first “office” job, which was a great first one to have!

I learned how to effectively communicate as part of a professional team, how to anticipate coworkers’ needs and solve them proactively, and how to make a mission or message compelling to any audience. I also had a lot of opportunities to hone my writing skills by drafting newsletters and press releases. And I learned A TON about the natural environment of Cape Cod and invasive species control!

How did your HCT experience help as you moved on with your career?

The skills that I learned at HCT ended up being really beneficial early on in my career. Before pivoting to law school, I spent about four years working in non-profit development at two different organizations in the Merrimack Valley.

Because of my time at HCT, I went into those positions confident in my ability to coordinate community support and to communicate with potential donors about each organization’s mission and needs. And, while I no longer work in the same capacity, my experiences at HCT still shapes the way I communicate with my coworkers and clients in professional settings.

Why is preserving nature important to you?

Preserving nature is profoundly important in enhancing the human experience. In an increasingly hectic and fast-paced world, being reminded of the natural beauty and calmness of natural spaces is incredibly grounding and can remind us that we are an interconnected part of the earth around us. Ensuring that natural spaces are protected and thriving gives us the opportunity to take a moment and a breath sometimes and, as the kids say, “touch grass.”

Additionally, participating in preserving and investing in the natural space around us, inherently connects us to that space forever. Because of my time with HCT spent helping to preserve Cape Cod’s natural beauty, I will always have a special place in my heart for Harwich and the Cape. I was even able to bring my kids to the Cape for the first time in 2024, and I hope to be able to share that experience with them again many times in the future.

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—Your tax-deductible contributions help fulfill the mission of the Harwich Conservation Trust to preserve land that protects woods, water, wildlife and our shared quality of life. And your land-saving financial support helps us preserve beautiful properties that can become stellar trail destinations. Find out how to donate by clicking here.