About Me

Me with tiny turt

As far as I can remember I've always been fascinated by the interaction between many of the wild species I would be able to catch a glimpse of or even better handle, measure, secretly pet and of course release. My passion for biodiversity and its conservation grew throughout my undergraduate degree. And after graduating with a B.Sc. in Biology, it became clear to me that a career in conservation was not merely a desire, but my calling (cliché I know… but true hihi!) 

Think I got a taste for the real thing when I first went in the field. I was lucky enough to volunteer for the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. There I got to monitor populations of different endemic bird species. And little did I know about how fun it can be to spy on a pair of pink pigeon while swatting swamp of mosquitoes before I stepped in the tropical forests there. 

After this experience, I couldn't convince myself to go back to an office job. Even lab work seemed boring at that point… not saying that lab work isn’t important hey! Hence, a few months later I embarked on a boat (OK fine… a canoe) to catch threatened turtle species in Ontario. Through bugs, excruciating heat, murky waters and storms, I was catching turts as part of mark-recapture survey conducted by the Wildlife Preservation Canada. I won’t lie and tell you that field work is all rainbows and butterflies. I'm not gonna hide the fact that at times, I cried my eyes out being either lost in the forest or stuck waist deep in muddy waters. But if I had to give any suggestion to an aspiring conservation biologist who wants more out of his/her work, it would be to do as many field expeditions as possible. Whether humble or elaborate, laid- back or needing tedious efforts, field work can be very rewarding if you give it your all. 

2014 has definitely been the year of new adventures, turning points and challenges. As part of the whole World Wild theme, I couldn't not set foot on the land of our ancestors. Also, what’s wilder that Africa?! You tell me. I’m currently living in South Africa, land of contrasts and diversity. Here I was introduced to a whole new side of conservation. As an intern I am raising awareness about local conservation issues among the communities living in and around the Garden Route National Park. This made me realize how important it is to give to the leaders of tomorrow (a.k.a. kids) the best tools possible, i.e. knowledge, so they can help safeguard our nature and keep the world turning for many more generations to come.

Hope you'll enjoy reading about my adventures in the wild and somewhat wild:) 

Cheers,

Jennifer