Wrapping up my time with Nature Canada’s Work Grow Program

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to participate in Nature Canada’s Work to Grow program through their partnership with Water Rangers. Through this program, I was able to continue my work with Water Rangers and take on the exciting challenge of spearheading our Ocean Week campaign. Today marks my one-year anniversary of being a part of Water Rangers, so it’s only fitting for a little reflection :).

One of my highlights during my time in the program was traveling to Cambridge and Toronto for Ocean Week. I spent some time in Cambridge with rare Charitable Research Reserve, where I connected with Istafa, rare’s Senior Educator, and learned about their conservation, research, and education initiatives. We spent the day filming a video interview I was featured in as part of their Career Connections series and ended the day with water testing to celebrate Ocean Week. We spotted so many creatures rare is home to, like turtles, bullfrogs, garter snakes, monarch butterflies, and ospreys! It was a great day.

I also got to meet most of my team in person for the first time to host Confluence: The Next Wave of Action on Community Monitoring in Toronto! We gathered, feasted, and learned together in an insightful workshop where I met other amazing, knowledgeable folks and did some water testing at the Toronto waterfront. It was a great experience that broadened my perspective on the water stewardship and watershed restoration work being done across Turtle Island.

As I reflect on my one-year anniversary with Water Rangers, I’m filled with gratitude for the projects I’ve worked on and the opportunities I’ve had. As the only team member based in British Columbia, it’s been lovely connecting with Water Rangers’ partners on the West Coast and nurturing more partnerships. From championing Ocean Week and leading our education initiatives to presenting at conferences, holding workshops, and working on impactful projects—I’ve learned lots and am really coming to find my place in the nature conservation space. A special thank you to Nature Canada for offering valuable resources that supported me as I navigated my career during this time. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with our amazing partners to promote water-ocean-climate literacy, developing our tools and resources, piloting the Business Case Guidebook and Toolkit, and supporting our mission to make water quality monitoring accessible to all.