Growing up in the Cowichan Valley, I have always had a strong interest in exploring and learning from the local area. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia in 2021 and returning back home to Vancouver Island, I was looking for a research position where I could work with other like-minded individuals, and MABRRI was the perfect fit. I have a passion for braiding Indigenous and Western knowledges in culturally respectful ways, which is why I reached out to MABRRI in fall 2021 to volunteer for the Braiding United Nations Global Agendas project. This project has given me the amazing opportunity to learn about Indigenous-led and co-led projects across Canada. It also highlighted the importance of Indigenous Knowledge in contributing to sustainable futures, health, and wellbeing. Working with this team introduced me to MABRRI, which sparked an interest in many of the other projects.
I started as Junior Research Assistant this past May, and could not have imagined the diversity of projects I have been able to be part of. Since my past research assistant positions have been during COVID-19, this was my first opportunity to work in person as well as have hands-on field work experience. This has allowed me to contribute to many of MABRRI’s field-based projects including the Forage Fish, Wetland Monitoring, RDN Watershed Monitoring, and Clam Abundance Survey projects. My most memorable experience so far has been the Clam Abundance Survey, in which we went out to the Nanoose Bay Recreational Shellfish Reserve with a group of volunteers to count, measure, and identify clam species. The goal of this survey was to compare the findings with data collected in May to see how summer clam harvesting is affecting the population. I enjoyed working for the first time with citizen scientists and learning about their commitment to the MABR.
The MABRRI office environment has been a welcoming place, with co-workers who are always open to discussions on any of the project’s others are working on. This has not only allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of MABRRI’s various projects, but also provided opportunity to be part of projects that fit my interests and work with different team members. For example, I have spent some time contributing to MABRRI’s social media, where I have been able to creating engaging content. I have also had opportunities to connect with other organizations, which has allowed me to learn more about the other Biosphere Reserves in Canada! I look forward to being part of future field work and all the other projects that I can be involved with MABRRI!!