Is your cubicle at work starting to feel a little small? Inching closer in on you, causing a twinge of claustrophobia maybe?

We all go through it. Sometimes you look around at the same four walls, the same pile of papers on the desk, the same annoying person in the cubie next to you... and you think, what the heck am I doing?

You love the outdoors. Spend gobs of time out there.

What if you could work in the outdoors, with the outdoors, for the outdoors?

You know, like for money and all.

Want to get away (thanks Southwest Airlines)? Well, maybe you can.

What if you could work in the great outdoors? Could you? Would you?
Carey Kish photo

I was surfing around the other day and happened upon a host of cool jobs in the outdoors, three right here in Maine, another next door in NH, and one based in Boston. Very good jobs, doing some very good things. Right there on the Maine Land Trust Network website.

Now mind you, I love my day job, and I've got no plans for moving on, but even I had to stand up and take notice. And I hope you will, too. Because if you've got the resume to match up for one of these, you are in some kind of luck.

We're talking dream jobs here. Not riches, but serious fulfillment. And fun. In the outdoors, need I remind you.

Want to be the director of the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area in Phippsburg? Working cooperatively to support research, teaching and experiential education opportunities at and related to these sites? In charge of the 600-acre conservation area and the Coastal Center, a Bates College-owned instructional and retreat facility?

Could happen if you have the right program and/or facilities management, relationship-building, educational partnership, and environmental engagement background.

Heard of the Maine Huts and Trails project? Sure you have. A big dream--and now a reality in process--of building a series of backcountry huts along a trail system from Moosehead Lake to the Mahoosucs. How cool is that?

Very.

Want to be the Maine Huts and Trails Operations Manager, "responsible for day-to-day management and oversight of the hut and trail operations"?

You can be if you've got the communication, problem-solving and strong leadership skills they're looking for.

Perhaps you're heavy into maps and technically savvy with GIS, or geographic information systems technology. Then you'd probably be interested in the New Hampshire Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and the GIS & Conservation Information Manager position.

There you'd manage "the compilation, assembly, storage, maintenance, retrieval, and use of digital data, reports, maps, and other conservation information," or in laymen's terms, you'd get to play with cool maps all day, and probably have to spend a good deal of time out in the field, too. Tough duty, eh?

You might want to look into becoming the Conservation Resources Advisor for the Maine Association of Conservation Commissions. There you will work on the municipal level, performing research and educating the public on local land conservation in southern Maine.

Then there's the Executive Director for the Northeast Wilderness Trust, a "regional land trust working to preserve and restore forever-wild landscapes for wildlife and people." Good organizational leadership, fundraising experience, and financial management skills may just land you an interview and more.

Finally, there's the Georges River Land Trust and a job as Executive Director of that fine organization up the coast in Rockland. I just love these folks and what they've done, where "over 1500 acres of lands are now under conservation and the developing Georges Highland Path system provides over 37 miles of hiking trails connecting people with the land." If you've been on their trails you know the story.

The GRLT seeks an "experienced and seasoned leader with vision, passion and a background of accomplishment in land conservation."

Are they describing you?

So now, how's that resume update coming? Good, good, I see. That's right, send it along now. You never know until you try. What price your dreams???

Think of that slogan of the Maine State Lottery... "you can't win if you don't entah!"

Life is short. Do it.