Katelyn Warner wins Wetland Centre of Excellence student scholarship

Using mist nets and small aluminum bands, staff and volunteers at Hilliardton Marsh Research and Education Centre carefully band passerines as they make their journey through northern Ontario. Katelyn Warner has worked with the staff and volunteers at Hilliardton Marsh for two years, and banding birds is only part of her work. She’s monitored tree swallow nest boxes, led critter dipping with students, and conducted water level maintenance in the wetlands, among the other work that keeps the centre running.

Her interest and enthusiasm for birds is the consistent thread that connects Warner’s academic and professional career so far. She describes the Hilliardton Marsh as an oasis and is especially passionate about the important role the wetland plays in supporting migratory birds.

Warner was introduced to the Hilliardton Marsh Wetland Centre of Excellence (WCE) when she was hired as a crew member with the Stewardship Youth Rangers. Hilliardton Marsh is part of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) network of educational partnerships that support youth conservation projects and wetland education across Canada. As a migration monitoring station, Hilliardton monitors a variety of birds as they make their way through northeastern Ontario.

An enthusiasm for birds and their environment

Warner’s love of birds is infectious, and her extensive knowledge shines through as she talks about her favourite parts of her work at Hilliardton.

“I got to band a belted kingfisher,” she says. “It’s a bird that I have always really liked, and of course is such a good representation of wetlands, so to be able to band this bird at this restored wetland was pretty cool.”

Banding a sharp-shinned hawk and introducing visitors to the local warblers are also highlights of her work. “The warblers that go through northern Ontario are very unique and very colourful,” she says.

After two summers maintaining nest boxes at Hilliardton Marsh, she’s continued to work on a tree swallow nest box project in Saskatchewan through her summer co-op. “I’d say tree swallows have kind of been following me through my conservation career, so they’re pretty special to me.”

A summer in the Prairies has also introduced Warner to the wonders of abundant shorebirds. “The little pothole wetlands are everywhere all over the prairies and make shorebirds so accessible,” she explains.

“I was able to help with the Wilson’s Phalarope project and phalaropes are not birds that I was familiar with before, but through this project I’ve just fallen in love with them,” she adds. “They’re so cute and they have such unique behaviours!”

Starting a conservation career

Gaining experience handling and banding birds isn’t always easily accessible, and Warner is grateful for the opportunities to learn these skills from her time at Hilliardton Marsh. “It’s really special and definitely I feel like it’s going to help me move forward in this career,” she says.

A career in conservation complete with fieldwork comes with its own challenges. “You’re working some days, and it’s really hot, or you’re working some days, and the bugs are just so bad,” Warner explains.

Warner sees learning and adapting to the outdoor demands of field work conditions as an important step in continuing her career in conservation biology. Her outdoor work experience at the marsh has prepared her with the skills and knowledge to continue to take on challenges and opportunities in her field.

“I find that everywhere I go, the wetlands seem to be a huge part of whatever I’m doing.”

Learning to lead

After her first year as a crew member, Warner was hired as a crew lead for her second summer. While supporting younger crew members was an adjustment, her interest in the marsh and confidence in her abilities made it easier to pass on her knowledge to the new staff.

That same confidence and leadership made Warner an excellent mentor and guide for visitors to the wetlands. Bruce Murphy, the WCE leader at Hilliardton Marsh, recognized Warner’s contributions to the marsh and was excited to hire her for multiple years as a student. “Where she really shined was interacting with school groups and visitors to the marsh,” he says.

“Kids come and they’re just happy to go up to the marsh and dip net for leeches and they’re having the time of their life doing that,” Warner adds.

A bright conservation future

Her deep appreciation for wetland environments and her thoughtful observations of birds and their habitats has informed not only Warner’s career path, but also her outlook on our responsibilities to the natural world.

“Wetlands are obviously so important to the environment,” she explains. “There are so many unique plants, animals and birds that make wetlands their home. I think it would just be so different without them.”

Warner recently completed her summer university co-op with Environment and Climate Change Canada in Saskatchewan and is returning to Trent to continue her degree in conservation biology.