Postcards from the Field: Molly Simon

Shell Conservation Intern Molly Simon

Hello from Canada's Ocean Playground!

I grew up just outside of Halifax Nova Scotia and feel a strong connection to my home province. My love for the wilderness of Nova Scotia led me to a BSc in Environmental Studies and Geography at Saint Mary's University. As a co-op student I was able to live and work in many different communities and landscapes of this province. This fall I am heading to Sir Sanford Fleming College in Lindsay, Ontario to hone my field skills. I hope to return in the spring to work in the conservation field and continue exploring what this province had to offer.

This summer as a Shell Conservation Intern with the Nature Conservancy of Canada has been a dream job for me. As a stewardship intern, my job is to visit NCC properties and document species that I find there. Essentially, I must explore some of the most beautiful and untouched wilderness in Nova Scotia and documentplants and habitats, birdwatch, hike and canoe. The properties we visit range from remote beaches and coastal islands to mature forests in the highlands of Cape Breton. All are protected for their pristine quality, and many are home to rare or endangered species.

Mountain Sandwort, Deep Cove, Nova Scotia

So far this summer my field partner, Carrie Drake, and I have searched granite outcrops for small provincially rare wildflowers (Mountain Sandwort) in Deep Cove and canoed to the offshore bird colonies of Cormorants, Great Blue Herons and Bald Eagles at Pomquet Island. We have seen a plant, Eastern Mountain Avens, that occurs only in wetlands on Brier Island, Nova Scotia and on the slopes of mountains in New Hampshire. We worked to establish a trail system that would restore damaged beach dunes and nesting habitat for a diversity of bird species. This week we are heading to Johnston's Pond, where we will check up on some endangered Piping Plover fledglings about to make their first fall migration.

This job has far surpassed any expectations I had before I started in May. The challenges and opportunities to learn about and protect important ecosystems and species have provided the experience of a lifetime. I feel that the work that I am doing in helping NCC accomplish its goals is not only enjoyable, but tremendously important. Thanks to Shell Canada Limited and NCC for a wonderful summer!

Have a great summer and get out and explore!

Molly Simon