Hi! Our names are Rose and Cass and we are the new AmeriCorps members for the 2026 season at Green Mountain Conservation Group in Effingham. We are from New York and Virginia, and are very excited to explore New Hampshire and serve the Ossipee Watershed alongside GMCG and volunteers across the community!
GMCG is proud to be partnering with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps as an AmeriCorps host site, currently hosting two full term members.
AmeriCorps is a voluntary civil society program supported by the U.S. federal government, foundations, corporations, and other donors engaging adults in public service work with a goal of “helping others and meeting critical needs in the community.” Members commit to full-time or part-time positions offered by a network of nonprofit community organizations and public agencies, to fulfill assignments in the fields of education, public safety, health care, and environmental protection. The program is often seen as a domestic Peace Corps. It employs more than 75,000 Americans in intensive service each year. AmeriCorps is an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). It was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993.
Rose Harnet – AmeriCorps Member Education and Outreach Assistant (pictured above right)
Rose grew up on Long Island, where she explored local beaches and upstate New York, beginning her love of nature. She then attended the University of Connecticut and graduated with a B.S. in Agriculture and Natural Resources with a minor in Wildlife Conservation. Since graduating in 2024, she has worked as an environmental educator for New York State Parks and for the Queens County Farm. She taught lessons about marine biology, forestry, and farm animals. Rose loves discussing environmental topics and is excited to be teaching with the AmeriCorps.
Cassidy Gersten – AmeriCorps Member Water Quality Resources Assistant (pictured above left)
Hi! My name is Cassidy Gersten and I am (most recently) from Virginia, although I have lived in several other states due to being a military kid. I graduated from William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in 2024 with a degree in biology, where I spent most of my time working in an estuarine and marine ecology lab. This introduced me to conservation and ecology fieldwork, which I immediately fell in love with; and I am excited to explore aquatic ecology and freshwater science as the Water Quality Research Assistant with Green Mountain Conservation Group! I spent my first year after graduating living and teaching in Madrid, Spain, improving my Spanish and gaining skills in education. Traveling and exploring new places are some of my favorite activities, and I’m very excited to explore the northeast and take on a New England winter! In my free time I enjoy rock climbing, hiking, telling my friends bird facts, baking, reading, and cooking.
