GREEN JOB YOUTH SPOTLIGHTS
Reeling in work experience through his Green JobJanuary 23, 2020 André Killeen holding a smallmouth bass, caught on Big Rideau Lake this past summer. Photo: André Killeen As an avid outdoor enthusiast, André Killeen was thrilled to spend his summer on Big Rideau Lake near Ottawa as a Research Assistant for Carleton University, where he is completing an Environmental Science degree. André has always loved being in nature, having spent his childhood camping and fishing with his friends and family. It is his love for being outside that inspired him to get a green job. “I wanted a meaningful job that reflected my own values and allowed me to contribute to the change I want to see,” André shared. Catching, tagging, data gathering His days began at sunrise and consisted of catching and tagging fish for 8-10 hours, rain or shine, along with his team. André’s work contributed to a three-year study led by PhD student Jordanna Bergman and Professor Steven Cooke about how invasive species travel in the Rideau Lake system. The team gathered data on northern pike and largemouth bass to create a baseline of how native species behave. They also collected data for round goby, an invasive species, and common carp as a proxy for another invasive species, the Asian carp. André helped with electrofishing, a technique for catching fish using high-voltage currents. He also assisted in inserting small emitting tags in the fish’s stomach that communicated with receivers and helped track fish movements in the canal. New skills and impactful research lead to job satisfaction André is passionate about the importance of his green job. “I was doing work that will have a direct impact on how we manage native and invasive species in the Rideau system,” he emphasized. André also gained a deeper appreciation for ecosystems as he learned more about the waterway. Thanks to his PLT Canada-funded Green Job, he developed important new technical skills, such as electrofishing and fish tagging. These skills were not only essential to the project with Jordanna Bergman but will also likely be useful later in his career. Although his tasks proved to be tougher than he anticipated, he says that “working with scientists doing real, impactful research was the most enriching aspect” of his job. Despite difficult tasks and long workdays, André admits the experience further improved his work ethic and gave him a glimpse of what employers expect in the real world. Real-world experience critical to career path He also believes his green job puts him in a more competitive position for the kinds of opportunities he wants, especially as a soon-to-be graduate. He explained that many of the jobs he is interested in require hands-on experience. That kind of experience is difficult to obtain in a classroom setting. André is inspired to keep pursuing a green career and is currently looking into positions for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He is even thinking of eventually doing a master’s degree! | MORE SPOTLIGHTS
A NEED FOR SPEED AND BEING OUTDOORSBy Emily Prouse Designing and building mountain bike trails as part of my Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada) Green Job brought together my passion for the outdoors and my love of biking down mountains. The fact that I got paid to build trails in the beautiful forests outside my hometown of Quesnel, BC, felt like a green “dream” job. It’s the kind of dream scenario that I hope will help motivate my future students when I finish my Bachelor…
Working to Make Ottawa a Greener CityBy Emilie Grenier I’m passionate about everything relating to the outdoors and sustainability. Since my early childhood, growing up outside Montreal, I have spent most of my free time climbing, running, skiing, paddling, and camping. My travels and volunteer work have taken me to the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Asia. Spending time in different natural environments and in the communities that depend on them got me thinking about how I could have a positive impact. Today, I’m mitigating the…
Growing Trees and Helping Ontario Fight Invasive SpeciesBaker Forestry Services is growing a few hundred different species of trees and shrubs, but they all have one important thing in common—they are all native species in Ontario. According to the Government of Ontario, there are about 1,200 alien plant species in the province. These plants were introduced by people into areas beyond their natural range. I was part of a team at Baker Forestry Services that helped grow native trees and shrubs so landowners can support healthy, diverse…
Combining Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western Science to Teach YouthBy Nicole Boyde I was in high school the first time I had the privilege of learning about the environment from Indigenous Elders. Today, my Green Job gives me the opportunity to continue learning from Elders and to use the insights I’ve gained to expand understanding of the natural world among K-12 students. We work with schools in and around Fort St. John in northeastern British Columbia. My role as an Education Assistant with the Chuntoh Education Society takes me… |
