Join us in welcoming our three summer staff!
Toby Rowland (pictured on the right) began work today as our new Citizen Science Field Technician. This is a summer contract through Canada Summer Jobs.
Toby has a B.Sc. from Trent University in Ecological Restoration. He has tracked Blanding’s Turtles using radio telemetry through the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, installed and maintained MOTUS towers for Bird Studies Canada, done Bicknell’s Thrush surveys for BSC in New Brunswick, and bat monitoring in the Guyanan rainforest.
Alycia White (pictured in the middle) completed two years at Fleming College as Fish and Wildlife Technician; returning for 3rd year Technologist diploma. She has worked for Kawartha Conservation (2018) designing and leading education and outreach programs for children. Has also worked at a Garden Centre.
Adrienne Huston (pictured on the left in the blue jacket) has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies at Waterloo; returning in fall for a part-time field course. She has worked as a lab technician studying ladybird beetles and worked for Ministry of Natural Resources conducting water sampling. She was also with Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council in B.C. and involved with piping plover data analyst.
Adrienne and Alycia have joined our team at Couchiching Conservancy for the summer to focus on the threat of invasive species to our properties.
They will be visiting every property and conducting a monitoring and mapping exercise to determine the presence and density of any invasive plants.
In between feeding the blackflies and mosquitoes of the region they will also be pulling garlic mustard and assisting with the dog-strangling vine control program.
Please extend a hearty welcome to these very enthusiastic Field Technicians. You’ll be reading many updates from these staff over the summer. Stay tuned!