Postcards from the Field: Allison Archibald

Shell Conservation Intern Allison Archibald

Greetings from beautiful British Columbia!

This is my second summer working as a Shell Conservation Intern for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), and I still love it. I am a fourth-year student at the University of Victoria, and will be graduating in April 2010 with a BSc in geography. Working as a Shell Conservation Intern has given me the opportunity to visit new and exciting places, as well as advance my knowledge of the flora and fauna of British Columbia. It has also given me the chance to use the knowledge I have gained through my classes and apply it to the real world.

Pebble Beach Nature Reserve, Galiano Island, B.C.

I began my summer adventures with a week-long training session in Victoria. I monitored a local property known as the Matson Lands, and explored two properties in the Cowichan Valley. Since then I have travelled to numerous Gulf Islands, including Galiano Island, Pender Island, Saltspring Island and Denman Island, to conduct compliance monitoring assessments. Throughout the summer I have worked with landowners and stakeholders to ensure that we are doing the best we can to protect British Columbia’s diversity on ecologically significant lands.

I will be returning to the University of Victoria in September to complete my final year, and I cannot wait to learn more about the beautiful and diverse province I live in. My experience with NCC has taught me countless new skills, and I cannot wait to learn more. NCC, in partnership with Shell Canada Limited, has been a wonderful asset to me and my studies and I hope to continue working in the field for many summers to come.

Cheers,

Allison Archibald