Postcards from the Field: Christine McDonald

Shell Conservation Intern Christine McDonald

Hi,

My name is Christine McDonald. I’m from Calgary, Alberta, and am working as a Shell Conservation Intern in Calgary. I attended Mount Royal College (also in Calgary!), where I earned a Bachelor of Applied Industrial Ecology degree.

This summer, along with my co-workers and fellow Shell Interns, I’ve been monitoring properties secured by NCC across southern Alberta. Monitoring includes identifying flora and fauna, taking photos at permanent GPS locations, and writing up reports to include all of the data collected in the field.

Elkhorn Ranch in southwestern Alberta’s Livingstone Range

I’ve encountered many interesting things in my journeys this summer. While in Cypress Hills (in the southeast corner of Alberta) we stumbled upon a great variety of rare species. Some of the birds that we saw included ferruginous hawks, long-billed curlews, loggerhead shrikes, prairie falcons, Sprague’s pipits, and turkey vultures. As well, we’ve seen northern leopard frogs, black widow spiders and a rare shrub, big sagebrush,.

Even though Cypress Hills has a very diverse ecosystem and is an interesting place to visit, my favorite place in Alberta is the Crowsnest Pass, which is on the Rocky Mountain Front in southwest Alberta. I love the Rocky Mountains! The air is crisp and clean, and the flora and fauna are abundant. The mountain views are so picturesque that when the time comes to go home, I don’t want to leave!

My favourite property to monitor because of the awesome views and the wildlife to be seen is the Elkhorn Ranch in the Livingstone Range in southwestern Alberta. Its total size is 12 quarters (1,920 acres) and most of the property is mountainous. Needless to say we get our exercise!

- Christine McDonald

More 2006 Alberta postcards>>