“Nature needs you.”

This year, DUC is celebrating 50 years of conservation work in Quebec. What are you most proud of since you arrived in 2023? 

Since joining Ducks Unlimited Canada in 2023, what I’m most proud of is having helped strengthen DUC’s role as a key player in wetland conservation in Quebec. I’m particularly pleased to have helped bring the agricultural sector and conservation organizations closer together around common goals for biodiversity protection. Several new initiatives have also been implemented in recent years, notably with the gouvernement du Québec, such as the Programme Nature-Études in the province’s high schools and the Mobilisation pour la restauration des milieux humides au Québec initiative. 

Faced with current environmental challenges, where do you find your energy and motivation on a daily basis? 

What keeps me passionate is my deep belief that conservation is part of the solution. The environmental challenges are significant, that’s true. Climate change, biodiversity loss, pressure on natural environments and land-use tensions are real. But every conservation or restoration project has positive impacts. 

What also motivates me is people. I work with teams, partners and communities who want to make a difference. When we succeed in protecting a wetland, restoring a habitat, mobilizing citizens, or establishing collaboration between organizations that didn’t always communicate easily, we see that change is possible.

On a more personal note, what are your favourite places in Quebec to immerse yourself in nature? 

There are several places in Quebec that are particularly meaningful to me. The Marais du Nord obviously hold a very special place in my journey. It’s the spark that ignited my love for wetlands. It’s an area I know intimately and that has taught me a great deal about the value of wetlands, wildlife and access to nature. 

Lake Saint-Pierre is also a very significant area. DUC has carried out various projects there, notably the sentier des Migrateurs in Maskinongé, which was inaugurated last year. It boasts environments of great ecological richness, but this place also reminds us how crucial it is for conservation to be carried out in consultation with communities, agricultural producers, governments and local organizations. 

Here are some other sites open to the public that I love: the Marguerite-D’Youville Wildlife Refuge, the Battures-de-Saint-Fulgence Wildlife Preserve and Parc de la Frayère. 

What message would you like to send to women who aspire to a career like yours?

My first piece of advice would be not to wait until you have all the answers before taking your place. You learn a great deal by moving forward, by asking questions, by surrounding yourself with the right people and by accepting challenges. 

Above all, I would tell them this: your voice matters.