From the Field

This section features Postcards from the Field written by this summer's Shell Conservation Interns, and messages from conservation leaders reflecting on what motivated them to get involved in their chosen field.

This summer, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has an enthusiastic team of 31 interns from all over Canada engaged at NCC sites doing such activities as conducting flora and fauna surveys in Nova Scotia, taking photo reference points in Alberta and mapping threatened species in Ontario. The Shell Conservation Interns make a huge contribution to NCC's essential stewardship work and help to monitor and maintain NCC sites. Simply click on the map to the right to meet the 2009 interns.

Getting Started in the Field

Kathryn Folkl

Kathryn Folkl,
Nature Conservancy of Canada

I was not a nature-lover from birth. Growing up in Essex County, where only 7% of land remains under natural cover, green space to me meant a golf course. In fact, my first camping experience didn’t take place until well into university! When I first immersed myself in nature, though, I was hooked.

I have always been fascinated with science – and biology in particular. Science fairs in elementary school were looked forward to every year, and I was always busy at home setting up experiments to grow crystals or figure out the best plant food. By high school I was looking into population ecology, palaeontology, archaeology and genetics as topics for further study. But it took that first camping trip in university before I decided that conservation biology, in particular, should be my career path.

After many subsequent adventures out in nature (camping, hiking, climbing, canoeing) and completing a couple of field courses, I decided on a topic for my undergraduate thesis at the University of Windsor. I wanted to test Harding’s “Tragedy of the Commons” hypothesis – that natural areas shared by many (i.e. public parks and conservation areas) are often depleted of their biodiversity due to the fact that they are owned by all and are subsequently loved to death. Fortunately my results indicated the publicly-owned properties, at least along Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment, continued to support high levels of biodiversity. Yet, more interesting to me, results showed that larger and more forested sites were usually under mixed (private + public) ownership, and confirmed the relation between size of a natural area and increases in both total and rare species diversity. Where privately-owned conservation lands were adjacent to public parks, they added to the contiguous conservation network and supported the highest levels of biodiversity.

The cedar in the foreground is 500 years old. Photo by Peter E. Kelly; from page 94 of his book "The Last Stand" (Natural Heritage/Dundurn, Toronto).

During my graduate studies at the University of Guelph, I found myself out in the field daily, sampling the cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment, and discussing results with conservation practitioners at conferences. I first met a speaker from the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) at one of these conferences, and quickly realized that this was the organization I wanted to work for. Rather than discussing the need for further study to discover how best to manage the limited area that was conserved throughout southern Ontario, NCC sought to add to the conservation network by buying land outright for conservation. Such a simple idea, yet no-one else had presented it!

My time with NCC has been incredibly rewarding. Working for the national office in Toronto doesn’t result in many opportunities to get out in the field, however, the work I do each day is critical to supporting the many government programs and partnerships NCC relies upon to fund the securement, restoration and management of properties across the country. When I interact with colleagues in our regional offices and hear about the latest acquisition or restoration project, I know I’m contributing to the conservation of Canada’s biodiversity. I’m also fortunate to be able to manage the Shell Conservation Internship Program at NCC. It is always such a pleasure to meet the up-and-coming conservation leaders and relive my first field experiences through their eyes.

My advice to students who are getting started in the field of conservation is to get outside and explore the natural world, and to find mentors in university or through naturalist clubs to foster your appreciation of biodiversity. You’ll be surprised how often friendly hikes with fellow nature-lovers result in finding graduate supervisors or future employers! I wish you all success as you join me in the challenge to conserve the wonders of nature, and hope to see you on a cliff-top sometime soon.