Lauren Pickford recently joined Trout Unlimited as Maine project manager.
With extensive experience and a deep commitment to conservation in Maine, Lauren has worked to preserve the state’s natural resources for both recreation and wildlife throughout her career.
Lauren earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine and a master’s degree in Wildlife Conservation and Management from Unity College. She has focused professionally on watershed protection in central and western Maine, most recently in trout and landlocked salmon conservation in the Greater Sebago Lakes Watershed. Her collaborative work with Sebago Clean Waters and Lakes Environmental Association has reconnected miles of streams and rivers.
Previously, Lauren served as planning and use manager at the Lakes Environmental Association in Bridgton, Maine, overseeing projects to protect water quality, aquatic habitats, and stream connectivity.
She led a watershed-wide Aquatic Organism Passage initiative and advocated for environmental protections in legislation and local policies. At the 7 Lakes Alliance in Belgrade, Maine, Lauren managed volunteer and staff programs, including Maine’s largest Youth Conservation Corps, and assisted in fundraising, outreach, and educational events throughout the watershed.
Lauren’s dedication to protecting Maine’s natural landscapes is also reflected in her personal life. She is an avid angler, enjoying various types of fishing including fly, spinning reel, ice, saltwater, and freshwater. She also plays ice hockey and engages in many outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, and skiing.
Lauren grew up in southern Maine on the tidal Piscataqua River, and now lives in the western foothills of Maine in Sumner, with a small brook trout stream in her backyard.
In her role in Maine as a project manager, Lauren is working on-the-ground restoration projects such as improving habitat through strategic wood addition and small dam removals.