My placement with Nature United - Part 2

By Hannah Johnston, 1st year MDP student

One really interesting aspect of my field placement is attending organization-wide events, and having personal interviews with employees. One employee I interviewed discussed their relationship with ocean conservation, as someone who isn’t from British Columbia, but has grown to love it over time. It feels very validating to hear Western scientists such as them citing Indigenous science and teachings as crucial components of conservation, particularly in British Columbia but also in Western environmentalism as a whole.

 

It’s really valuable to learn lessons from others. As people, sometimes it clicks to learn something from another human being rather than textual sources. I spoke with another employee who discussed the importance of establishing and maintaining relationships in and amongst Indigenous communities. Especially from the positionality of a nonprofit organization such as Nature United, it’s important to do a certain amount without overextending, while remaining staunchly rooted in the needs of the community. Because there is no real way to teach relationship-building in universities, there’s an essential respect and understanding that you have to come in with. Especially during times of pandemic, it’s heartening to hear that human relationships are at the core of communications.

 

Working virtually with Nature United is a bit of an outlier, as well as remote placements go. They were actually remote before the pandemic, so they’re actually ahead of the curve! It’s interesting observing their culture, because there’s this sense of making bigger meetings count, as far as congratulating one another on accomplishments. This culture is supportive, although I’m sure employees can still benefit from reaching out to one another and check on their many projects