Postcards from the Field: Nicole Wills

Shell Conservation Intern Nicole Wills

Hello!

My name is Nicole Wills and I’m having a great summer! In the past two months, I’ve travelled to many places, including Horseshoe Canyon, Milk River Ridge and the Crowsnest Pass, where I’ve learned several new vegetation species and enjoyed southern Alberta’s amazing scenery.

As a Shell Conservation Intern based in Calgary, I am responsible for monitoring NCC projects throughout southern Alberta. Along with the other interns, I visit properties that NCC has protected through both conservation easements and direct ownership. We monitor for compliance with the terms of the conservation easements, identify management concerns, such as the presence of invasive species, and inventory the vegetation and wildlife on these private conservation lands.

Crowsnest Pass

I’ve had the opportunity to work with landowners who do an incredible job of stewarding their extraordinary properties, and learned about improving and conserving habitat for rare species and also how to control the spread of non-native plants such as hound’s-tongue. We’ve identified rare species, including stiff yellow paintbrush, and watched animals in their native habitats. At Milk River Ridge we spied a pronghorn with her fawn and discovered horned lark nests in the grass!

I’m so pleased to be able to use the vegetation identification skills I’ve learned at university, and my personal goal this summer is to learn to identify birds and their calls. I haven’t learned them all yet, but I still have time

It’s been an amazing experience to see and hike through these landscapes while learning about the native vegetation and wildlife. When I return to the University of Lethbridge this fall to complete my degree in Environmental Science, I will have gained lots of experience to apply to my studies.

Here’s looking forward to the rest of the summer!

- Nicole Wills

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