Kiera De Michele from the Luther Marsh Wetland Centre of Excellence wins Ducks Unlimited Canada scholarship

Each year the program holds a Wetland Day where elementary students visit to engage in nature-based learning. It’s also an opportunity for high schoolers to practice mentorship and share their environmental knowledge. 

“For our young guests, Kiera combined an excellent knowledge base with an engaging personality. Kiera was always well-prepared and the clear leader amongst her peers,” says Matthew Timberlake, one of the WCE leaders. 

Kiera also took on extra responsibilities, further demonstrating her leadership abilities. She provided support to her classmates, offered additional assistance to WCE leaders and completed all of these with a wonderful attitude. 

“I’m a very outgoing, bubbly person. I like to help other people. I’m very passionate about environmental health and ecosystem biodiversity. So, stepping into a more leadership role, I feel like it was almost natural to me. Like, I wanted to help others see,” Kiera reflects. 

Unique experiences

During the WCE program, Kiera was exposed to a variety of new experiences. For example, she was able to explore new ecosystems and environments, allowing her to observe the diversity of plant and animal life.

“My favourite story would probably be our field excursions and going to the Rockwood Conservation Area. We went to look at different plants and different environments [and] ecosystems around the lake,” she says. “We did a lot of analyzing and data and research at the marsh, but it was good to see another ecosystem and another environment and compare how the two are different, how they’re similar.” 

The WCE program also hosts national events that allow students to engage with and compete against other partnered schools across Canada. Kiera was a participant in the Case Study Competition, where her group had to analyze a real–life conservation problem and present their suggestion. Her group’s problem focused on the question of whether it is better to preserve one large or many small wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region for biodiversity.

“It was a great experience to see many different presentations and other people’s point of views presenting the same case study that my group did,” she says. 

A bright future

Currently, Kiera is studying at the University of Guelph in their Bachelor of One Health program. The degree is the first of its kind in Canada that explores the intersection of human, animal and environmental health. 

“It’s a holistic approach, integrating all of the different pathways together to maximize a solution to different problems. Like when looking at the environment, you look at everything as a whole,” Kiera explains. 

Her time at the Luther Marsh WCE was a spark for Kiera to begin learning about ecosystems and the environment. She carried this interest into her choice of post-secondary program. 

Describing the impact of the WCE program, she says “It helped to influence my decision to take more biodiversity and ecology classes and lean towards more classes that I’m passionate about.” 

Ducks Unlimited Canada hopes the scholarship will provide Kiera with continued support as she finishes her studies at Guelph and as she transitions into her future career. 

“The program helped me get to where I am today, so I’m super grateful,” she says. “And it’s helped my outlook on life.”