Hello everyone!
I was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon. From high school I have a lot of great memories from Outdoor Ed. classes, from turning a canvas tent into a sauna to tipping my first canoe and going for a chilly swim. My amazing teachers fostered a passion for science, so when I headed off to Acadia University in Nova Scotia I decided to study Biology with a minor in Classics. An apparently rare pairing at Acadia.
While attending Acadia University I enrolled in their Honours program, where I wrote a thesis studying the effects of Spruce Beetle infestation levels on grizzly bear forage in Haines Junction, YT. My field work was conducted the summer of 2008 under the supervision of the Department of Environment in the Yukon, and from that summer I was able to make connections with biologists and technicians that lead to my contract work this past summer. This past June and July I was able to participate in a new program up and running in Haines Junction that is working on reducing bear-human conflict in the area. This experience was incredible because I was able to learn from the opinions and attitudes of both government researchers and members of the community and local councils when discussing grizzly bears in the area.
Soon I will be starting my training with the Circumpolar Young Leaders Program and beginning my internship in Tromso, Norway, with Norwegian Polar Institute in the CliC project office. For me, this will be the learning experience of a lifetime!