Postcards from the Field: Annie Ferland

Shell Conservation Intern Annie Ferland

Hello!

My Shell Conservation Internship for Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC) is perfect for me! I’m extremely concerned about the protection of our planet, so it’s rewarding for me to be able to work for NCC and its mission. My journey here has taken different paths. I have a diploma in biological research and inventory techniques from the Cégep de Sainte-Foy, and I’m currently studying agronomy at Université Laval. This internship is helping me build important connections with NCC’s many conservation partners. I’m also gaining priceless field experience that will undoubtedly help me with my future job search.

Pointe aux Pins, Île aux Grues, Quebec

My work this summer has consisted of different tasks, ranging from interpretation, to biological inventory, to report writing and site enhancement. I’ll be visiting many natural inland environments and the shorelines of the freshwater estuary along the St. Lawrence River; places like Île-aux-Coudres, Cap Tourmente and many other small islands in the neighbouring estuary of Île d’Orléans, where I grew up.

Without hesitation, my favourite site is the western point of Île-aux-Grues, called Pointe-aux-Pins. This is an exceptional forest ecosystem refuge. The site has 300-year-old maples, which is rare in the St. Lawrence freshwater estuary. The shores and littoral zone here have a global importance for birds, as many migratory species stage here, among them the magnificent Greater Snow Goose. Île-aux-Grues was also home to world renowned artist Jean-Paul Riopelle. I visited the site this summer and participated in setting up an interpretive trail so the public can fully enjoy this wonderful place!

Annie Ferland