From the Field: Summer Positions with DUC’s Conservation Teams

This summer, Ana, Forest, and Chet worked as conservation technicians in the Prairie Region, completing tame pasture and riparian assessments and doing the monitoring, repairing and maintenance work that supports conservation projects on properties owned or managed by Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Ana Maria (she/they)

Conservation technician in Edmonton, Alta.
4th year Conservation Biology at University of Alberta

Starting the day in Edmonton, Ana and the conservation team make their way to the first site. “We meet up at the office, talk about daily safety, and head out on our drive (looking for bison as we pass Elk Island National Park),” says Ana. The rest of the day is spent completing pasture health assessments by identifying dominant grasses and shrubs, the amount of bare ground, erosion and invasive species.

“It’s important work to be collecting baseline data about pasture health during a drought,” explains Ana. “In the coming weeks we will also start wetland monitoring and vegetation surveys on lands that have restoration in progress, and we’ll return to some of the pasture lands once cattle are grazing to evaluate vegetation health again.”

Ana hopes to work in community conservation in the future, supporting communities in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. “DUC is a great place to start building landowner relationships and to see how a nonprofit works,” Ana explains.

A highlight of this summer? “Getting the honour of being on the land and meeting new birds, insects, plants and animals. Most notable have probably been Wilson’s snipes, coyotes and moose, buffalo bean and sweetgrass, Nuttall’s blister beetles, and Ctenucha moths… I could go on!”

Chet Saretzky (he/him)

Conservation Technician in Saskatoon, Sask.
2nd year Environmental Biology at University of Saskatchewan

“So far I’ve really enjoyed the people, the places I get to see, being outside, and not stuck at a desk all day,” explains Chet Saretzky. This summer he’s working with DUC in Saskatoon and each day of field work looks a little different.

Often a field day will begin by driving to a project and preparing for the day’s tasks. Chet may spend the day sampling water or invertebrates, conducting tree swallow nest surveys with the University of Saskatchewan, delivering pollinator seeds, or mapping invasive species. But that’s not all: there’s lots of maintenance like cleaning up cairn sites and water control structures, hauling fence materials and installing signs that all have to happen too.

As an environmental biology student, this job has been a great fit. “The invertebrate sampling was also something cool to see for the first time,” he explains.

“I want to do something with the environment and the outdoors,” he adds. “I also want to do a job that means something. I feel like with Ducks Unlimited I am doing a small part for the planet.”

Forrest Richard (he/him)

Conservation technician in Edmonton, Alta.
2nd year Conservation Biology Technical Diploma student at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

Ducks Unlimited Canada was a household name for Forrest growing up. “DUC has taught me to love and appreciate our environment, and being given the opportunity to work with them is a significant career goal achieved,” he explains. “I’m excited to see what the rest of the summer will bring and how it will build my career in conservation.”

Alongside riparian and tame pasture assessments, Forrest’s work this summer as a conservation technician included assisting the engineering team in inspecting water structures and conducting wetland restoration project assessments on properties around Alberta.

While out in the field connecting his academic knowledge to field work, Forrest has noticed how his identification skills have been improving. “Being in the field has been an incredibly valuable experience as seeing the grasses and forbs in person makes them much easier to identify,” says Forrest, “and it gives me the time to find and study insects and new plants.”

“The number of unique insects and plants that I have found have definitely helped me become more confident in my knowledge of our province’s biodiversity.”