Postcards from the Field: Jane Yunjie Gao

Shell Conservation Intern Jane Yunjie Gao

Greetings from the rugged but beautiful west coast!

Nowhere else on earth has the meeting of land and sea created the magnificent beauty of Canada’s west coast – old-growth coastal temperate rainforests, significant First Nation archaeological sites, and great biodiversity.  British Columbia has captivated me for the five years since I left my hometown, a small fishing village in China. I have studied at University of British Columbia for the past four years, and have recently graduated with an Ecology degree.

Working as a Shell Conservation Intern based on southern Vancouver Island/Gulf Islands region enables me to further explore some of the unique ecosystems here, and more importantly to be involved with local conservation parties – not as a student, but as a professional.

Garry Oak Preserve, BC

So far, I have traveled throughout southern Vancouver Island, and have been conducting baseline monitoring on the ecological integrity of native plant and wildlife communities. My first amazing experience was the first week of training in the beautiful, highly diverse, but endangered Garry Oak ecosystem, at a preserve near Cowichan Bay. There I  learned about important and rare species in this ecosystem (such as Common Camas and the Deltoid Balsamroot), practiced photo monitoring techniques, and also experienced the truly spiritual connection between First Nation communities and the Garry Oak ecosystem. Every training day was ended with the traditional “protection song” sung by a tribe leader.

This internship has also taken me to visit some previously logged old growth Coastal Douglas-fir forests, where sightings of the blue listed Red-legged Frogs and a foraging Barred Owl were made.  This job has further convinced me that my heart is in conservation. I am hoping to pursue an M.Sc. in Environment and Management at Royal Roads University for the next two years.  If that doesn’t work out, I will probably spend a year volunteering for conservation organizations all around the world.  

All the best,
Jane Gao