Going into my internship, I had been recently introduced to a whole universe of possibilities within my chosen field of geography through recent academic research, personal experiences, and international field studies. I was in the process of defining my professional and academic interests and I desperately needed a chance to experiment with and clarify my strengths and passions, something that can be hard to come by as a young person with financial constraints. The internship with CREA was the perfect opportunity, offering me the structure and mentorship I needed for this experimentation, but I could have never made the logistics of it work without your financial support.
My internship with CREA was not just a summer job, but also an open-ended learning experience that encouraged me to pursue my own interests. I am a geography and sustainability student with a background in mixed-methods research and a passion for place-based education, so I spent my internship searching for meaningful ways to combine these pursuits. In the process, I tested new GIS programs, research methods, data management tools, and ways to present information to various audiences. I used these experiments to create multimedia web pages and interactive maps, which nurtured my underdeveloped love for writing and storytelling. Some projects were assignments from my supervisors, while others were self-led discretionary projects like blog posts and StoryMaps. I benefitted from the expertise of the BTLT and CREA staff, getting constant feedback on the quality and effectiveness of my projects. Through these projects, I also explored new research methods like interview-based and archival research, building skills that will undoubtedly be valuable in my future academic and professional career. My activities were not limited to content generation, though - I took on several roles in the office and the field, learning about stewardship, outdoor education, and community organization. I have a strong interest in food accessibility, so I was delighted to also work with BTLT’s agricultural programs. I gained experience and know-how in sustainable small-scale agriculture by working at their farmers’ market and community garden and participating in their organic and native garden-focused programs.
More than anything, my internship was a practical introduction to the professional world and the nonprofit sector. Community-based conservation is a sector crucial to preserving and restoring key ecosystems and is on my shortlist of career fields. It requires a robust skillset and excellent fine feeling for people and politics that are difficult to learn in the classroom. I have learned much about Earth sciences, data management, cartography, and other academic disciplines at McGill, but not much of the practical know-how and political sense necessary to apply this knowledge. My internship addressed this missing piece in my education, exposing me to the operational realities of CREA and similar organizations to help me develop the necessary soft skills. I experienced first-hand the human side of the nonprofit conservation sector by participating in staff and board meetings, learning about grant research and writing, and attending various organizational events. I witnessed the relationships and tensions between the community, board, and staff members and learned from both experience and my mentor how these competing interests are considered and managed. Balancing them is a fundamental challenge of nonprofit conservation, so developing an awareness of them early on is a professional and practical advantage.
In wrapping up, I want to re-emphasize how grateful I am for your support which made all this possible. My time at CREA was a chance to explore possibilities for my future and the future of conservation (not to mention a beautiful new part of the world!) Gaining exposure to the conservation sector and being granted the freedom to grow as an academic and professional at CREA has given me priceless insight to guide me in the many upcoming crossroads in my life. Regardless of what shape my future takes, I am now better equipped to navigate the "real" world, and will no doubt leverage the skills I developed this summer to pursue environmental sustainability and conservation. Thank you to the McGill International Experience Awards founders, and Mr. Wasileski for making this experience possible.
