What's New

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2004

Shell Conservation Interns

Calgary, Alberta - The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and Shell Canada have concluded this year's Shell Conservation Internship program by bringing the 16 students to Calgary for a workshop and field trip, and by launching a website for the program. The program is a unique partnership between Shell and NCC that, each year, provides university and college students with practical conservation work on NCC properties, including some of Canada's most endangered landscapes. The 16 interns have come from across Canada to Shell Canada's Calgary office to relate their experiences and share their views on the environment and sustainable development with Shell Canada management and staff.

Describing his field experience as “a rare adventure,” Shell Conservation Intern Mark Alexander MacDonald spent his summer surveying flora and birdlife, and documenting rare species on NCC sites in the Atlantic provinces. Morgan Hill, one of the Alberta-based interns, made observations and collected project data at Horseshoe Canyon. The information will be used in a monitoring report that tracks changes in the ecology of the site over time.

The two-day event provides an opportunity for the interns to meet one another and to learn from one another's experiences. The interns will present the results of their summer's work and talk with Shell staff about current environmental issues including climate change, water management, land use issues and sustainable development. On Saturday, they will join Shell and NCC staff in a one-day field trip to visit the site of one of Shell's reclamation areas and to look at an important NCC property.

This year's interns will also get a first look at the new Shell Conservation Interns website which will link them with previous Shell Interns and provide “mentor moments” for experienced conservation professionals to communicate with the interns. The website will also be used to recruit interns for next year's program.

Shell Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada have been “natural partners” in land conservation projects for almost 25 years. Over this time, Shell has donated nearly $4 million in financial resources, volunteer support and land and mineral rights, resulting in major achievements for conservation in Canada. Earlier this year, the Company renewed its support of the Shell Conservation Internship program with a $500,000 donation to support the program through 2005.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is a non-profit, non-advocacy organization that takes a business-like approach to land conservation and the preservation of biological diversity. Its plan of action involves partnership-building and entering into creative conservation solutions with any individual, corporation, community group, conservation organization or government body that shares its passion.

Since 1962, NCC and its supporters have protected more than 7,300 square kilometers (1.8 million acres) of ecologically significant land nationwide. In the past fiscal year, NCC has raised more than $50.8 million to support this critical work, and has completed over 142 projects.

Shell Canada is one of the largest integrated petroleum companies in Canada. Its corporate goals are leadership in profitability and profitable growth, with an overarching commitment to sustainable development.