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

My placement with Nature United

By Hannah Johnston, 1st year MDP student

I’ve been working at Nature United for my summer field placement! I’ve been working on an inventory project for Indigenous youth on-the-land programs throughout Canada, and learning about these topics has been both enjoyable and applicable to my interests for future endeavors. For the inventory project, we’ve created several “Program snapshots” that represent key information about several of these programs throughout Manitoba, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. Some of the goals with these are to provide a brief overview of the programs for the convenience of those conducting similar programs in different regions, who may use the information as a resource; allow for those planning their own pilot program to see a succinct model demonstrating factors that go into running a program; and facilitating contact between program directors and interested parties, such as potential partner organizations, potential funders, or someone running a program in a different region.

 

Working remotely can be challenging, and a lot of the time I would find myself pausing what I was doing to do some dishes, or take the dogs to the dog park. While it can be difficult to have separate spaces for “work” and “rest,” I found myself grateful for the quality time I got to spend with loved ones (especially at the dog park). A lot of working from home is locking yourself in a room, and accepting that inevitably someone will poke their head in during an important zoom meeting. For situations like this (as well as most situations), self-care is important. I took the time during the summer to reread my favorite books, catch up with friends, and try new things.