BSFS – Greenways Land Trust
For my first co-op work term, I joined Greenways Land Trust in Campbell River, BC as a Conservation Projects Assistant. Greenways is a non-profit organization that seeks to enhance natural areas for the benefit of wildlife and local communities. A considerable part of my work involved mapping Scotch Broom on city property, surveying Canada Geese populations in the Campbell River estuary and, maintenance work such as watering planted trees at Baikie island Nature Reserve. Occasionally, I got the opportunity to work with Department of Fisheries and Oceans staff and assist in activities such as marking salmon smolts at the Quinsam fish hatchery and beach seining to sample fish for measuring the spatial and temporal distribution of juvenile salmonoids. I also got the opportunity to represent Greenways at the Pier Street Farmer’s market where I gave demonstrations on the working of a watershed model and spoke to visitors on local invasive plant species. My work term with Greenways has been a memorable one and what I loved most about my job was the versatility and flexibility it offered me. I think Co-op has helped me develop skills that will prepare me to start off my career after I graduate and make it a less daunting experience in my life.
