“The first time we participated in the CSI Program was summer, 2011. The Program allowed us to access top-notch student expertise from the University of Waterloo, and enabled us to complete a comprehensive assessment of the Detroit River shoreline including an evaluation of fish species at risk enhancement opportunities. I highly recommend the program to any conservation organization because it facilitates access to one of the best University Coop programs in the Country, and is a straightforward administrative process.”
- Matthew Child, Director of Watershed Restoration, Essex Region Conservation Authority
“Returning to the ABCA has been a rewarding experience with a host of new challenges and opportunities. I’m enjoying the diversity of aquatic and terrestrial conservation work and I’m really gratified to be able to expand on some of the work I started last year.”
- Mark Funk, past CSI intern
The University of Waterloo Carolinian Student Interns have worked with a number of organizations over the years. This year CCC was fortunate to have 2 of these students as Coastal Zone Program Researchers. Samantha and Jennifer have asked you for your stories about the Lake Erie coast, but what have they learned while working on this project? Read all about their experiences below.
Samantha Dupre
Small towns have the reputation of being boring. Since the North Shore of Lake Erie is mostly made up of small towns, at the start of this project I wondered how much of a challenge it was going to be to excite interest in a coastal trail. As we started background research though, I was amazed at the end of each day to look back on how many interesting discoveries I had made.
The variety of topics could range from the site of an ancient mastodon skeleton one day, to a fishery restoration project the next. It has been really inspiring to see that there are all kinds of organizations such as: local land trusts, community museums, private land stewardship groups and publicly managed Conservation Areas and Parks, who are all working towards the preservation of natural and historic heritage sites. People of all ages and backgrounds are coming together, and I find the potential for this trail to link these initiatives really exciting!
There is a rich cultural history stretching from First Nation villages to present day cottagers and I find it fascinating to learn how humans over time have influenced and been influenced by the beautiful coastal environment.
Jennifer van Overbeeke
As a student in the field of Environment, it is very easy to get discouraged by the doom and gloom of the messages so often touted about the state of the environment. Yet, the research I have been doing for this Coastal Zone Project has been providing quite the opposite experience. I has been very encouraging to hear about (well, read about) the private landowner initiatives occurring across the Erie coast. From movements towards no-till agriculture practices, to sustainable woodland management, to full-out habitat restoration; there are a lot of cool activities going on!
It seems to me that the people of southern Ontario are stepping up to the challenges of conservation and stewardship. I hope that with this trail we can share these success stories with those who may not know about them... in our own neighbourhoods, and from around the world.
Pictures of the Carolinian Canada CSIs
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| Left to right: Michelle Kanter (CCC Executive Director), Gordon Nelson (Chair of the Board of Directors, CCC), Interns Samantha Dupre and Jennifer van Overbeeke | Left to right: Interns Samantha Dupre and Jennifer van Overbeeke with CCC Coastal Zone Program Coordinator, Megan Ihrig |
Left to right: Intern Samantha Dupre, CCC Coastal Zone Program Coordinator, Megan Ihrig and Intern Jennifer van Overbeeke |