by Samantha Cunningham
This summer I had the pleasure of working as an Ecological Technician with Watersheds Canada while I finished off my Master of Water Security from the University of Saskatchewan. I grew up infatuated with the natural world and wanting to give back to my communities. This led me down the path of Environmental Science and into the world of water.
My role with Watersheds Canada this summer allowed me to enhance my skills in science communication and outreach. While I’ve always had a passion for exploring and explaining the world around me, my previous work has focused more on the technical aspects of water. This role allowed me to expand on translating this technical knowledge and experience into information for members of the public!
This sharing of information included creating handouts and worksheets for some of our fish habitat projects, and creating visual educational tools to highlight individual actions property owners and individuals can take to help their shoreline. Topics included recommendations on landscaping techniques, runoff management, and the inclusion of native plants. It was through native plantings inspired by the Natural Edge Program that I wrote a variety of blog posts. Highlighting pollinator species, their favourite plants, and your next favourite species for your properties needs! I also got to write a variety of other blogs, conduct research into landowner questions, and compile an internal document for a literature review summary. While these are all the larger, tangible items I completed there’s so much more to be said for the intangible.
Working with such a dedicated and welcoming staff created an ideal scenario to learn and grow my work throughout the summer. I was encouraged to explore my creativity within the given tasks and given gentle constructive feedback on each draft. This was invaluable in helping me better shape my work to hit the target as well as helping broaden my experience with various methods of communication.
It brings me great joy to be able to continue to learn about the natural world, and satisfaction to share this information and passion with other people. This position was a great step on the path to translating research into tangible actions individuals can take to improve their watersheds health. I want to continue the work of environmental education and science communication through both my professional and personal life.
What this experience really solidified for me was that there is significant importance in the actions of the individual. However, what is equally — if not more important — than the individual is the group. Community has always been at the foundation of human society and today more than ever, it is critical for us to continue to seek out, build, and support our communities for the betterment of tomorrow. It was a pleasure to contribute to the Watersheds Canada community and our communal commitment to preserving Canada’s freshwater resources.