Postcards from the Field: Sarah Gardner

Shell Conservation Intern Sarah Gardner

“Adventure after adventure!” describes my summer as a Shell Conservation Intern. From the badlands of southern Alberta to the boreal forest, I’ve seen parts of the province that are new to me and expanded my skills in the process. I am part of NCC’s Edmonton team that is responsible for monitoring sites from Didsbury in the south to the Grande Prairie region of Alberta in the north. This means working in a multitude of landscapes, learning about diverse plant communities – and taking lots of road trips! My team members and I are developing inventories of plant communities at NCC-secured properties, reporting rare plants to ANHIC (Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre), noting any fauna that we see and documenting photo reference points.

Aside from the actual work that we are accomplishing, there are great stories unfolding as the summer progresses: I witnessed the big flood in Drumheller; I’ve seen fauna that I never even knew existed; and I’ve met so many interesting people connected with the properties we monitor.

Horseshoe Canyon, Alberta Badlands near Drumheller

This job has given me the opportunity to work with great people and build skills that I know will help me throughout my career. The plant identification skills that I learned in university are being put to good use and I’ve added so much to my knowledge base. In particular, I’ve been able to work on my skills in grass identification, a pursuit that fascinates me more all the time!

I just completed my BSc. in Agricultural Business Management at the University of Alberta. I hope to take the knowledge I’ve gained through my studies and this internship back to the ranching life I’ve grown up with and help maintain the natural working landscapes that are left in Alberta. In the near future, I plan to travel to Nepal and Mongolia before returning to southern Alberta to find my place in land conservation along the Eastern Slopes.

Sarah Gardner

More Alberta postcards>>