Postcards from the Field: Elizabeth Walsh

Shell Conservation Intern Elizabeth Walsh

Hello from New Brunswick,

Every day I consider myself lucky to be working as the Shell Conservation Intern for NCC at the Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Interpretive Centre. For years I have been coming to this area on my own to view this most amazing natural phenomenon: the migration of the Semipalmated Sandpiper! Luckily my interests have helped me with employment opportunities and I am pleased to be back for my second year as the on-site manager of NCC’s only interpretive centre nationwide. Working here is so rewarding; I am able to help protect these little “peeps” that are so precious to my heart and meet people from all over the world who stop by to see them.

As the head shorebird interpreter, I am responsible for supervising and training all staff, collecting flora specimens, writing daily reports and exchanging valuable information with organizations dedicated to shorebird protection, such as Mary’s Point Shorebird Research Centre. My main role is to ensure that visitors are well educated about not disturbing the sandpipers, allowing them to rest undisturbed and feed so that they gain the required energy for their non-stop transatlantic migration to South America.

Semipalmated Sandpipers at Johnson's Mills

Each year, the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy hosts approximately 2.5 million Semipalmated Sandpipers during their southward migration. Up to 95% of the world’s population depends on the rich resources of Corophium (tiny mudshrimp) found only in mudflats of the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine . At Johnson’s Mills, we can see flocks of 200 000 during the first weeks of August and boy, what a sight!!

I am a recent graduate of Niagara College ’s Ecosystem Restoration Graduate Program and I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology (minor: Chemistry) from Mount Allison University in 2001. My future plans are to find further work in conservation.

Hope to see you soon!,

Elizabeth Walsh

More Atlantic postcards>>

Final report from Elizabeth Walsh (1.9Mb, pdf)>>