Searching for skipperlings
Poweshiek skipperling in Petri dish. (Photo by Monica Reed)
It started with a lesson on the swoop and the drop net – methods that I would soon use while searching for the elusive Poweshiek skipperling butterfly. If captured, a careful transfer from net to a Petri dish allows for the butterfly to be...
A summer of unforgettable experiences...And a great time!
Maggie Cascadden (Photo by NCC)
Last May, I moved across the country to start an internship with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). In April, I had graduated with a bachelor of arts and sciences in sustainability, science and society from McGill University. Since I was...
Three important environmental skills you can only gain through hands-on work
Danielle Horne (NCC), Jamie Fraser (NCC) and John Caraberis on the brick beach, NS (Photo by NCC)
I have always wanted a job that allows me to work outside. Last summer, I was one of the lucky few students to have an internship with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). In an average work week, I spent two to three days working in the...
How a summer working with a conservation organization helped me as a future journalist
Carys Richards at Waterton Lakes National Park, AB (Photo by NCC)
My experience at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) last summer differed from most of our interns because I was rarely in the field. While most of NCC’s staff members are directly involved with NCC's on-the-ground conservation efforts,...
Transferable confidence
Thomas Unrau at work (Photo by NCC)
In ecology we talk about how ecosystems with high biodiversity have a greater resilience compared to those that are more homogenous. I think that the same goes for a young professional starting his or her new career in conservation or the...
Exploring the Maritimes with NCC
Siobhan Darlington at New Horton, NB (Photo by NCC)
As a Haligonian (a person from Halifax, Nova Scotia), I’ve had little experience with the province of New Brunswick. I’ve driven through with my family, and I’ve camped at Kouchibouguac National Park with friends, but...
How to be Batman, or the Flash, or even Aquaman if you want
Female superhero (Image by Vegas Bleeds Neon, Wikimedia Commons)
This past Saturday, the Alberta Conservation Volunteers team hosted our last event of the year: a winter willow harvest in the Red Deer River area. While I was there, working alongside volunteers, it struck me how lucky I am to be part of this...
Be the light you want to see in others: My internship with NCC
Michelle Dano (courtesy Michelle Dano)
Volunteering is a unique, rewarding experience. Managing volunteers is perhaps even more rewarding. I started in my internship position as a Conservation Volunteers (CV) event leader without much knowledge of what goes into running a volunteer...
NCC staff's fall fashion lineup
Our lovely CV staff model their fall fashion essentials (by NCC)
Although the summer months are over, our staff members are still hard at work. Conservation Volunteers events continue into the fall; in some provinces they go as late as November. And even though they’re out in the field, our Nature...
I bought a pulaski
Pulaski (Photo by C0ntributor, Wikimedia Commons)
From the Latin names of plants to field equipment, the lingo in the conservation world can be complex. But the pulaski isn’t an endangered species or a scientific instrument. It’s not a normal part of the Nature Conservancy of...
