Quebec-Labrador Foundation - Intern Blog

Harrington Harbour: July 2011

2011-07-25T14:25:00.000-04:00

By Elizabeth Waters

Today we made our nature journals. Chessye, Olivia, and I had already made ours to test out the best way to do it. We had punched enough paper to make ten and cut all the canvas to the right size. At nine we met with the kids on the platform. Many of them had swim lessons in the morning so they rotated in and out. Luckily the journals took only a few minutes to assemble.

The journals consisted of ten pages of 8.5 by 11 printer paper folded horizontally in half. These were then inserted into a slightly larger piece of canvas. The idea was to have the kids paint the cover of the journals and decorate them however they wanted to.

We had the kids feed the string through the holes for the binding. Some of them came up with the idea of stringing beads onto the ends of the binding—so everyone started doing that and they came out pretty cool.

After lunch the three of us, along with Bianca and Cody (two teens from Harrington who watch the kids three days per week all summer) went to the local store to pick up some supplies for painting. We got plastic plates to use as paint palettes, thick paper towels, and water cups. Once back with the kids we all went into the school gym and set up tables. Each pair of kids shared a palette with the colors of the acrylic paints I brought.

Everyone finished painting their journals, helped clean up, and then went outside to play some games. It was really fun to see how each child decided to decorate their journal. They came up with so many different ideas. Today I felt like we really started getting to know each kid. We all had a lot of fun. Over the next week or so we’re going to keep using these journals to draw and write in. The kids (especially Emily) are very excited about it.

Belize: 26 June 2011

2011-07-22T10:11:00.000-04:00

By Connor Hedges

Today was the most successful day in Charley’s and my project. After a several days of struggling with finding a way to fix inaccuracies in the trails that we were mapping, we finally had a breakthrough. By using a drawing tool, we were able to “smooth” out any mistakes made by the GPS while it tried to maintain a satellite connection through the dense rainforest canopy. As we slowly fixed each trail, our map began to look a lot neater and more professional. Our map was finally taking form!!

Working side by side, Charley and I made significant strides in our project. While I was working with GIS software to finalize the La Milpa map, Charley began polishing his write-ups that described each trail and some points of interest along them. Once we were satisfied with the descriptions, they were placed into a PowerPoint slide so that we could begin formatting a trail map poster that would depict and describe the La Milpa trail system. We were eager to wrap up our project because we knew the next few days would be busy with visits to the Hillbank Field Station and the Chan Chich resort. By the end of the day our map was finished including all the trails, roads, and different buildings that make up the La Milpa campus. Along with Charley’s trail descriptions we hope that our work will help to increase the popularity of the trail system to both researchers and tourists.

Belize: 23 June 2011

2011-07-22T10:10:00.001-04:00

By Elizabeth Waters

After lunch we took another trip to the Mayan ruins at La Milpa—this time with Melvis who gave us a guided tour. In the first plaza (there are three at the site), we saw three temples and a ball court. The thirteenth ruler of La Milpa is buried outside of one of the temples without a stela. This is because he came to power as the citizens of the city were on their way out. He was also a good deal taller than the average Mayan in the area and is believed to have been an Aztec. We climbed up the side of the first and tallest temple with the help of a rope attached to a tree at the top.

After dinner we went on a night ride along the same road to La Milpa. We sat in the back of the truck as Vladimir drove and Melvis stood back with us shining a spotlight into the forest. We saw a giant toad, some turtles, a Kinkajou, some huge moths. We got out of the truck, walked a path, and held some Red-Eyed Tree Frogs.

They were so delicate and their little hands almost stuck to mine. Any deet on our hands would have killed them, so the Connor and Charley (who had just used some) could not hold them. The frogs only come down from the trees for three weeks every year to mate, so we were very lucky to see them!

Belize: 21 June 2011

2011-07-22T10:10:00.000-04:00

By Chessye Moseley

After breakfast Melvis took us all out on the Mahogany and Chicle trails and gave us their “official” tour. On the Mahogany Trail, Melvis taught us all about the various trees that we were encountering (including the Allspice, Mahogany, Black Poisonwood, Chicle (used to make gum!), and Bullhorn Acacia, Give and Take, Bayleaf Palm, Candlewood) and we came across a troop of Army Ants. Melvis also taught us some measures to take after being bitten by a snake to save the victims’ life. Apparently a ranger was bit by one of the most poisonous snakes in Belize just a few weeks ago and the way they saved his life was by cutting up the snake and slicing it in half then placing that bit over the bite and because the muscles are still working, it absorbs the venom.

We had the GPS with us so Connor could work on his GIS Mapping of the trails, Liz and I were ready with our cameras to photograph any potential points of interest that we may want to include in the brochure, and Charlie was diligently taking notes on so to write blurbs about the points of interest. Also on the Chicle Trail, just as we were entering, we encountered some angry Spider Monkeys who were trying to scare us off. They were swinging from branch to branch, pounding their chests, and sticking out their tongues making funny faces at us!

We’ve started getting into the Belizean tradition of taking a siesta after lunch - and after waking up every morning at 5:30 for a bird walk - they are pretty nice! We all retired to various hammocks, beds, etc. to rest after lunch and before starting up work again. We spent the rest of the afternoon huddled around our computers, importing photos, designing PowerPoint presentations, working with the GIS software and we are starting to get the beginnings of our final product. It is really exciting to be able to look at the progress we are making!

Belize: 20 June 2011

2011-07-21T13:42:00.000-04:00

By Connor Hedges

This morning, after a night of booming thunder and torrential rain, we awoke to a flooded La Milpa campus. The flooded walkways ensured that our feet were already soaked by the time we ate breakfast. The constant rain over the past few days had filled up what was an empty pond when we first arrived, and also awakened an anticipated resident of La Milpa…a crocodile! Our morning work consisted of continuing our work inserting fence posts surrounding the medicinal garden as well as painting a first coat of “Golden Brown” on our plant identification signs. With the added help our new Belizean amigo, Victor, digging holes in rocky terrain went a lot faster.

Following lunch, Charley, Graham, and I began our project on mapping the various trails surrounding La Milpa that wandered deep into the rainforest. Our goal, with the assistance of a GPS device, was to map two of the trails and find some sites on the trail that would be of interest to a visitor of the La Milpa Ecolodge. This was the first time that we were able to strap on our snakebite-proof gators. As silly as they looked we were happy to have them on when we began walking down a rainforest trail that we quite overgrown in areas and appeared to be perfect snake habitat. Within the first ten feet of the “Medicinal Trail” we came across a Speckled Racer, a colorful but harmless snake. Along the trails we also encountered a large leaf-cutter ant colony and Mayan ruins that were being excavated by some archeologists.

Upon our return to the cabanas, we went to work on our computers. Charley and Graham began writing short paragraphs that described the trails as well as points of interest along the trails. Our hope was that these short descriptions could be used in a pamphlet or map that is given to guests of La Milpa. Eager to see the data that our GPS had gathered, I went to work on uploading the data and displaying it on a GIS program. We were all very satisfied to see that our first day with this new project had been successful and were excited to continue the work over the next 10 days. As always, we capped off the day with a couple hard fought games of HORSE on the basketball court.

Belize: 19 June 2011

2011-07-21T13:41:00.001-04:00

By Charley Hildt

After breakfast we left for the Mayan ruins La Milpa at 8:30. It took a little under half and our to get there. It was nothing like I had expected. For the most part it was unexcavated and everything that was unearthed was only done so in sections. There were no great pyramids rather great mounds covered in dense foliage and trees. I now see why they are so hard to find. Literally I would not have known there were ruins there unless someone told me.

After walking through the area for a little over an hour and conversing with some archeologists it started to rain harder than it had the previous day. Everyone shoved their cameras into my backpack and we walked rapidly back to our truck. Even with our pace it took quite some time. That was perhaps one of the most fun truck rides I have ever experienced. Rain rebounded off of the roof of the truck and into my eyes blinding me temporarily. Connor and I were on the edges of the bed so we blindly dodged vines and branches. It was intense. Upon returning we found our cameras in good condition. Unfortunately everything else was thoroughly drenched. My boots had puddles and my shirt could hold no more water, even if it was thrown in a pond.

Belize: 15 June 2011

2011-07-21T11:57:00.000-04:00

By Connor Hedges

The travel to Belize City was very smooth. As we walked off the plane in Belize we were met by the hot and humid weather that we had expected in Belize. Outside of the airport Vladimir, the manager of La Milpa, greeted us and invited us into an air-conditioned van. Vladimir is an incredibly friendly man and he seemed very excited to have us working with Programme for Belize.

Our two and a half hour drive to the field station gave us our first glimpse into the Belizean lifestyle and culture. I was stunned to see that the roads (nearly all dirt) were used by cars, as well as cows and other livestock. The drive took us through large savannas that appeared to be very dry since the rainy season was only beginning. We ate lunch in the town of Orange Walk at a small restaurant. Our lunch was a classic Belizean meal of chicken, rice and beans. Our drive continued northwest and followed the border with Mexico for a while. A simple swim across a small river, and we could have been in Mexico. The ease with which we could get into a different country seemed to stun us all.

After driving along a smaller dirt road for six miles we arrived at our home for the next 15 days. The place is beautiful! All of the buildings have thatched roofs and hammocks hanging around the porches. This is quite the way to live in the rainforest. We all took the rest of the day to enjoy our new home and get settled in to our cabanas. A small basketball court quickly became a favorite hangout as ours.

I was just as excited about being in Belize as the rest of the group, however, the day of our departure from the US could not have come at a more unfortunate time—Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. BUT what I thought would be one of my greatest disappointments, became an instant highlight when I learned that we would be able to watch the game on a small TV. What a way to watch the game! In the rainforest huddled around a small TV and with the intermission reports in Spanish! After an exciting win, we all went to sleep newly crowned champions and looking forward to our upcoming weeks in Belize!

A week in Belize May 2011 - Kat Marshall

2011-07-14T09:31:00.000-04:00

Our week in Belize was an incredible and rewardingly productive experience, largely because of the friendliness and helpful nature of the Belizeans we worked with through TIDE. Although we had a rough idea of where our help was needed going in, the outline for the week given to us by Stephanie upon arrival was reassuring and definitely a crucial contributor to our ability to be productive. Having never been to Belize before, I initially felt a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of diving right in without a detailed itinerary, and laying out our plan through Stephanie and the experience of Mike and Walt at the onset of the trip really helped with that.

Deviating slightly from our schedule, we ended up spending two days at St. Benedict’s School, Wednesday and Friday. In terms of need this was definitely the project that stood out in my mind as being the most productive. While there, I spent my time in an Infant 1 classroom (ages 4-6), assisting the teacher with anything she needed (which was a lot—she has supervision over 35 students) including grading tests/homework, helping with lessons, and making copies and worksheets. Much like the greater PG community we encountered, the students came from a variety of ethnic backgrounds—Creole, Mayan, East Indian, etc. Lessons were conducted in both Spanish and English, and some students spoke Creole as well.

Mike and Walt had the slightly more sweaty responsibility of helping to lay foundation in the hot sun for a new classroom, but also got the chance to interact with students during PE.

Olive, the school’s principal, essentially dedicates all her time and energy to the kid. She takes on the responsibility of not only all the administrative work, but also teaches Year 5 students, does all the fundraising, stays after class to teach the older girls how to cook and supervise the boys soccer practice, and even is the go-to person for fixing the schools lacking office equipment that frequently breaks down. She expressed worries about the future productivity of the school as she has been planning to retire, but there really isn’t anyone on the horizon to take over her critical role. Although the students travel (mostly by bike or foot) from neighboring communities and come to PG just to attend the school, a roadblock she cited is the lack of jobs in the area for the students to go on to afterwards, and thus their education cannot be fully taken advantage of. It was clearly evident and reiterated by Olive however, that the biggest obstacle for the school is lack of necessary funding. In my classroom almost every student wrote with a pencil stump with no eraser, many did not have workbooks, and some did not even have desks.

It was cool to see the ways that the school and its partners in the community actively try to instill values of environmental sustainability into its students. Every Wednesday afternoon the students are required to spend time working in the school’s fruit and vegetable garden, the products of which they use as snacks that the students can then purchase (their food program recently had to cut). The kids make signs that they put up around the schoolyard as reminders to recycle (i.e. “If you litter, the world will be so bitter!). A taxi driver told us of a competition among schools in the community in which the student who comes up with the best environmental sustainability project is rewarded by an NGO with a scholarship and the resources necessary to complete the project. There is also a soccer competition that requires completion of some sustainability or community project for entrance.

In addition to talking with Olive we also had the opportunity to sit and talk with Michelle, a Peace Core Representative whose primary project was working on the library of St. Benedicts. Her main observation on development in PG was the lack of consistency and longevity of NGO programs in the region. She felt that while many groups traveled to the area and work there, few established the necessary permanency or training of the Belizeans to have any significant long-term impact.

Tuesday we went to the Port Honduras Marine Ranger station, where we spent about half the day before doing beach cleanup on a small key. There was definitely no shortage of trash and it was not a task high on the priority list of the rangers so this would be a good initiative to continue for future interns.

With a larger group to divide up the work it would not take long to really make a big difference. We then went to Payne’s Creek where we spent the night. The sun was starting to set as we arrived so we didn’t have a whole lot of time to explore but we did walk for a while on one of the nature trails, which was flat and wide open and would be great for birding. We saw a lot of wildlife on our way in, and the ranger told us that jaguars and toucans are also a common sight at the park.

We went to the Machaca Hill to help out on the organic farm on Saturday. Because it was a Saturday, there really was not a lot of work for us to do. The farmhand they had us working with told us that he never usually works on Saturdays for this reason but came in just because we were coming. We worked for a while putting soil into bags to be used for planted Cacao.

The tour of the farm and the grounds (led by an incredibly friendly and knowledgeable supervisor named Elin) was really interesting and informative. We saw the dolomite mine where they get fertilizer, the river site for future expansion, the ruins that they hope to make an addition farm attraction. Elin was able to identity and explain the function of almost every plant or animal we encountered along the way. For a group really interested in learning about the farm and its specific role in Belizean culture and community he would be the perfect guide.

Sunday we took a bus to Lubaantun for the final day of the Cacao Festival. There were vendor tents and live music, and it was set up on a Mayan ruin site. It was a great cultural experience to get during the trip.

We finished up our trip on Monday and Tuesday with our stay at Lime Caye. As Mike mentioned in his write-up, the boat ride out there really isn’t for the faint of heart. It took about two hours, and was very bumpy and wet throughout. This is important to keep in mind when packing for the excursion, as the only thing that saved my camera from getting completely drenched was me wrapping it in my QLF waterproof shirt (Thanks Larry!). That being said it was definitely the most beautiful spot we went to in Belize, definitely worth the trip and not to be missed.

We did beach cleanup on Tuesday, which was rewarding, as it didn’t look like the beach there had ever been cleaned. The best part was the cook—every meal there was absolutely phenomenal, especially the red snapper that I caught during the day that she made for dinner that night.

Belize Day One

2011-05-19T10:48:00.000-04:00

Today was a fantastic start. We went to the elementary school not exactly knowing what was in store for us, and it ended up being amazing. Walt and my first assignment was shoveling gravel for 3-4 hours to help with the construction of a new classroom for the school. Meanwhile, Kat was allowed to remain in the shade grading homework and tests for the teachers while they worked with their students. Later on, Olive brought us to lunch and we walked through the villages on our way back to the school.

Kat was a major hit with the kids. At one point, I looked over and she had 20-25 girls surrounding her, and approximately 7 hanging on her back and neck. Walt and I had some very interesting conversations about Belizean life with the two men we were working with. The ins and outs of Belize City, relations with Guatemala and the drug trade, and their hilarious perspective of bin Laden. Later on, we took videos and photos of the kids (which they loved) and got some great footage of Olive and Michelle, a Peace Corps volunteer with a very interesting perspective of Punta Gorda. Throughout all of this, it was about 100 degrees and dry (they haven't gotten rain in 2 months.) Celia mapped out our entire week to the day, but we may audible and ask to go back to the school again. Some great fundraising opportunities there, which we dialogued. How in depth do you want us to get on our check-ins? The wireless is down, but there is plenty of footage and photos when we get back. The interview with the peace core lady especially: all about NGO relations in PG, and how the one thing they are forgetting to do is to empower the locals.

Off to Payne's Creek tomorrow, just went grocery shopping for our dinner and breakfast (rice and beans, of course). Couldn't have been a better Day 1.

****** Michael Morris

Christina - 8 April

2011-04-19T13:46:00.000-04:00

This week I got to experience something that seems to be relatively common on the coast – getting stuck somewhere due to bad weather. I went to Chevery on Monday morning to attend a social development meeting and was supposed to come back on Tuesday, but didn’t make it back until Wednesday. It started to snow, then rain, and eventually the flight was cancelled. I didn’t mind though – it provided me with the opportunity to wander along some of the snowmobile trails through the woods, check out the beach, and see what the local development centre, the community learning centre, the clinic and the new hockey arena have to offer. I think the cook and waitress at the Misty River Restaurant, where we had all our meals, were beginning to wonder if we would ever leave, as we appeared for yet another delicious meal. While I was stuck in Chevery, Trish was stuck in St. Barbe's, Newfoundland due to ice conditions and technical problems that were preventing the ferry from running on the usual schedule. I say usual schedule, but really the ferry is incredibly unpredictable as a result of changing ice conditions. While Trish saw many seals on her return trip to the Lower North Shore, I did not see a single one on my flights, despite spending the majority of the flights with my face pressed against the window.

Chevery itself is interesting because some people have cars, but the roads there are not used in the winter. I walked out of the airport to find the “parking lot” full of snowmobiles. It was definitely a first for me to travel via plane and then skidoo to attend a meeting. While the skidoos are being used non-stop throughout the town in the winter, the cars are left to get buried up to their hoods in snow. I learned some new terms while I was there – it took me a couple minutes to determine that when people in Chevery talk about the “bar”, they are just as likely to mean the stretch of ice connecting Harrington Harbour (a community on an island just off the coast) to the mainland as they are to mean the drinking establishment. When I was there, the bar had just broken, and someone had gone through the ice. For locals, this means that the easy access provided between Harrington Harbour and Chevery that exists in the winter is coming to an end. When the ice can’t be used, residents of Harrington Harbour travel back and forth to Chevery via helicopter. In the summer though, Harrington Harbour has the advantage of being a stopping-point for the boats providing fresh fruit and vegetables, while Chevery does not. The vegetable selection at the Chevery grocery store was limited to a couple handfuls of shriveled button mushrooms and a cucumber that looked like it was striving to become a pickle. The town was also out of gas. It really made me think about the planning, organization and independence required to live in such an area.

The two-day meeting itself was productive and, like most things I have experienced here, provided me with more insight into some of the unique challenges being faced by individual villages and the region as a whole. I guess this is one of the reasons this group of women was meeting - to try to address some of the stumbling blocks to social development along the coast. All the acronyms often referred to – CLD, CEDEC, MRC, CSL, CLC, QeF, CHSSN, to name a few – are slowly becoming clear to me, although I am still confused about which organizations are responsible for which projects and who is on what committees. It seems like everyone (both organizations and people) has their hand in everything! The meeting provided a great opportunity to bring these women who are clearly incredibly passionate about the Lower North Shore together to discuss its future. I will be interested to see the changes that occur in the coming years along the coast.

We had beautiful weather last Friday, and I was able to get out and go ice fishing for the first time. My office-mate was nice enough to take me out to the cabin owned by some of her family. She showed me how to ice fish and took me for a ride around the pond. I even caught a (very small) fish!

Christina - 1 April

2011-04-19T13:35:00.000-04:00

Things have been pretty quiet around the office this week. Trish has been away at a conference/meetings and I have been manning the fort, so to speak.

Part of this week was dedicated to the organization and inventory of the marine species at risk observer program resources. We want to know how many of each chart, information package, etc. we have, as we will soon be putting together some new marine species at risk observer program kits in preparation for the fishing season.

I have also been searching for a somewhat elusive material called “gelva”. As it turns out, it can be rather difficult to identify mammal hairs directly with a microscope. The identification book that we received discusses making imprints of the hair in gelva, and then looking at the impressions of the scale pattern from the hair cuticle in the gelva for identification purposes. Hair cuticle patterns vary between species.

Later in the week, Francois Guillet and Candace Cochrane from QLF came by the office to visit, and to take some pictures. It was nice to finally put faces to some of the names I have been hearing and to the voices I have heard in some conference calls!

More recently, I have been putting together a poster about the ivory gull. These birds nest in the Arctic on nunataks – mountain peaks that protrude from glaciers. They are largely scavengers, feeding on the remains of polar bear kills, and the placenta and feces of marine mammals, although they will also eat crustaceans and fish found at the ice edge, where much of their time is spent. In fact, the scientific name for these birds is Pagophila eburnea, which literally means “ice loving”. Although these birds, which are unique in appearance due to their striking black legs and pure white plumage as adults, nest in remote locations far from human habitation, they are still being affected by human activities. It is difficult to conduct research on the ivory gull because they choose to live in such isolated and un-reachable environments – large amounts of time, money and equipment are required for research. Because the ivory gull spends much of its time by the ice edge and depends on ice to survive, it is quite vulnerable to climate change and the disappearance of arctic ice. Through information gained from locals in the Arctic, and through the research that has been done, it appears that the number of ivory gulls in Canada has plummeted by about 80% since the 1980’s. Residents of Southern Labrador have seen ivory gulls when they are sealing, or on other occasions. By putting up posters about the ivory gull, we are hoping to learn of more ivory gull sightings in the area and to gather more data on this little studied species. The ivory gull is designated as endangered and is included in the Marine Species at Risk Program. Through this program QLF works with residents in coastal communities to aid in the recovery of sixteen species considered “at risk” in Canada.

I’m off to Chevery on Monday to attend a social development meeting and am very excited to see another new landscape.

Christina - 25 March

2011-04-19T13:22:00.000-04:00

This week provided a chance to get out of the office for a couple days and to participate in the Youth Employability Forum hosted by the Coaster’s Association in St. Paul’s River. The forum brought together students from the various high schools along the coast, although unfortunately not all high schools were able to attend, and some schools were only able to send a couple students due to flight costs, etc. In total 26 secondary four students participated, with some students in Chevery attending via video-conference. The two days were packed with information, and many groups along the coast – QLF, CEDEC, the Carrefour Jeunesse, the Desjardins, the Coasters and others – ran workshops or presentations for the students. The topics ranged from acquiring computer skills to learning how to write a decent resume/cover letter and how to do an interview. We listened to the stories of three local entrepreneurs, and learned about what it means to be an entrepreneur/self-employed/small business owner, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. We talked about opportunities that might exist along the Lower North Shore in the future, and I was able to give a presentation about opportunities in the environmental field both here and elsewhere. Many of the presenters re-iterated the importance of education and were adamant about the advantages that come with being bilingual.

At one point, the students divided into their regions and were asked to determine their regions' greatest advantages and the greatest challenges. Presenters were divided up so that each group had someone they could ask for help/to get them thinking about the area. I was with the Blanc-Sablon group, and learned a lot about the area as seen through the eyes of the students. While many of the students were relatively negative about the area – many seem to think there is nothing here, no organized activities like they used to have years ago, no job prospects etc. – and they can’t wait to leave. They also had some very valid and insightful points about positive change that could take place. At the end of the two days, the students came together to present their suggestions for change to the mayors. The students had clearly put some thought into the presentations, and it was interesting to hear the responses from the mayors. This was the first Employability Forum in the area, and it went well.

Apart from the forum, I spent the week working on the marine debris banners that we are going to be putting up on the ferry, and writing an article for the local newspaper, among other things. Thanks to Trish, I was also able to enjoy a proper “boiled dinner” over the weekend.

While we were lucky and had good weather for the forum, we had another small storm over the weekend. At one point the snow literally drifted so much in front of the door that I couldn’t get outside! We had to go out the back door and shovel ourselves out. I love the winter, but I am looking forward to spring. I spent some more time exploring the coastline this weekend. The picture included is from exploration of the coast-line at low-tide.

Christina - 18 March

2011-04-19T13:15:00.000-04:00

This week I shifted gears a bit and started putting together a mock-up for some educational banners about marine debris. The banners will be placed on the Strait of Belle Isle ferry so residents and tourists can read them while they are in transit. The funding for these banners is being provided by Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Plan for Species at Risk. Many sea turtles mistake marine debris as food, which can be fatal. And other species can become entangled in debris such as plastic beverage holders.

I have learned some interesting things through my research on marine debris, for example, I had heard of the Pacific Garbage Dump (essentially a vast expanse of Pacific Ocean where garbage is concentrated due to marine currents), but had no idea that a similar thing existed in the Atlantic Ocean. In many places in the world’s oceans, plastic pieces outnumber plankton 6:1. Who knew? I recently watched Sharkwater, which provided some insight into the problems of by-catch and “ghost-fishing”, which can occur if fishing gear is lost (for example during a storm or as a result of strong currents). Ghost nets continue to catch animals year after year as they move through the oceans. Hopefully our banners will cause people to reflect a bit more on how our choices as individuals can adversely affect the environment.

This week I had the privilege of meeting QLF’s founder, the Venerable Bob Bryan, in person. He was here visiting the Lower North Shore and old friends for about a week, and we were able to have dinner with him a couple times during his time here. He even dropped by the office to see us and to share some stories about sea turtles and flying on the coast. It’s really quite amazing to think about how the organization started, and to see where it is now.

This weekend was the Coaster’s Association Annual General Meeting, which I attended. I learned a bit about all the different projects across the Lower North Shore, from health care, to community learning centres, to tourism. I was interested to hear about some of the innovative ways people here deal with relative isolation from certain services – for example, one speaker talked about some of the tele-health initiatives that are being implemented along the coast. It was also neat to see the impact that Mr. Bryan has clearly had on the Coast, as many people spoke about their experiences with QLF or remembered his trips to the Coast when they were younger.

Throughout the week, Trish and I have also been working on a presentation for a Youth Employability Forum that will be held in St. Paul’s River next week. We will be informing youth about the environmental field and job opportunities that exist here and elsewhere. I think it will be a great opportunity for the students to gain a better understanding of the options after school.

Towards the end of the week, we had a follow-up meeting to last week’s development meeting to set a list of development/tourism priorities for the area and to determine what potential proposals for funding should include. The meeting was good and everyone seemed to agree on some key priorities for the area. It will be interesting to hear what the government ministries think about these priorities, and to see the projects develop.

Christina - 11 March

2011-04-19T13:08:00.002-04:00

This week ended up being quite eventful. After a snow-clearing machine driver who probably mistook it for just another snow pile razed our quinzhee to the ground, we ended up being stuck inside for a couple days due to an epic storm. The power started to go on and off on Monday evening, and then eventually stayed off over night and until about 3 the following afternoon. It was back on for a couple hours, then cut out again for a couple hours. The heat in this building is all electric so it was starting to get a bit chilly, not to mention that we had no way to make tea to keep ourselves warm. We ended up playing board games by candlelight, piled on the clothing and blankets, and one of the neighbors was nice enough to drop by to check on us. When the storm was finally over, we were left with huge snowdrifts on the road in front of the office. It was quite a sight watching the lights of all the snow-clearing machines working away diligently across town like little ants.

Following the excitement of the storm, I was able to practice my French while reading some long documents about the wolf research that has taken place in Quebec over the years.

The majority of yesterday was taken up with a meeting about tourism, development, archaeological sites and other projects in progress on the Lower North Shore. The meeting brought together representatives from a number of local groups, as well as four very friendly and enthusiastic people from out of town representing various government groups. Discussion proved challenging at times as a result of the different languages being spoken at the table. It was great to be able to hear about all the different projects that are in the works on the Lower North Shore, and to learn about the potential that exists in this area. Not only are there a lot of project ideas, the projects are also very diverse. In general the meeting seemed to be very positive. Everyone involved is ready to put some of the many plans here into action to help celebrate the diversity and wealth of history, environment and culture that abounds on the Lower North Shore.

Christina - 4 March

2011-04-19T13:02:00.000-04:00

This week we headed up to Red Bay to present our information on lead vs steel shot to the hunters, and to determine with them a rough plan for constructing and placing the eider duck nesting boxes. Six hunters showed up for the meeting, and they all seemed quite keen to build the boxes. I am fairly certain that my technical comparison of lead versus steel (a comparison of shot pattern, crippling incidence, cost, etc.) did not really convince them of the merits of steel. I think the presentation went well though, and one of the hunters said he had never really thought about the health implications of hunting with lead shot. We showed the hunters the brochure and display that I have been working on, and are hoping to get some feedback from them. It’s great to see how much the hunters know about the various species in the area, they have such a wealth of knowledge!

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to see more of Labrador, and really liked Red Bay. There are some nice, old, decrepit buildings there, and houses scattered around the bay as well as on some small pieces of land jutting out into the bay. It’s quite beautiful. On our way up to Red Bay we tried to go to the Lanse Amour lighthouse, but ended up being unable to reach it because the road was blocked with snow. At another point we stopped and were able to take some pictures of the Pinware River, which is apparently world renowned for Atlantic salmon fly-fishing.

This week I finally heard back from some of the people I had been contacting about wolf research on the Lower North Shore, so I spent part of the week reading through papers and emails. I also finally succeeded in my search for a hair identification key for the contents of the wolf’s stomach. Although I do not have the key in my hands yet, it is being shipped up from the States. One of the emails I received in response to a query about wolf research here included a document from the 1930’s. If that is not a good indication that current research on the wolf population here doesn’t exist I don’t know what is.

Winter still seems to be hanging around Blanc Sablon – although many days have felt like spring, we are supposed to get about 2 feet of snow in the next two days. I have started to build a quinzee (snow shelter) in my backyard, so the weather really couldn’t be better.

Christina - 25 February

2011-04-19T12:56:00.000-04:00

This week saw a continuation of the wolf skull cleaning. I removed all the teeth, scraped them down to remove any remaining tissue, and whitened them in hydrogen peroxide. It’s interesting to see the variation in shape and size of the teeth, as well as the amount of tooth that is buried in the jawbone. The condition of the teeth, and the length and width of the testes can be used to estimate the age of the wolf. Using these measurements/observations, I estimated the age to be about 4-5 years old, although this is not an exact science by any stretch of the imagination.

I spent a large part of this week pulling together a powerpoint presentation which I will be giving to hunters in Red Bay, Labrador. This meant more reading up on eider ducks, lead, steel and nesting shelters. I was able to speak with a Master’s student who has done some eider duck research in Labrador. It was great to hear about his first hand experience with these animals, and it will be nice to have information to provide that is specifically from this area.

Trish and I have been trying to locate a key for identifying the hair of mammals in Canada, which has proven more difficult than anticipated. Many phone calls have led us nowhere, and although we have found the name of a key, we cannot seem to actually find the key itself. The key will be used to examine hairs obtained from the wolf’s stomach – we’re hoping this will allow us to determine what our wolf was eating before he died. I have also continued my fruitless search for information about the wolves on the Lower North Shore. I have yet to actually speak to someone who can provide me with detailed information about the population. It seems like the Lower North Shore is a bit of a black hole when it comes to information about many of the species here.

Next week: out to Red Bay!

Christina - 18 February

2011-04-19T12:51:00.000-04:00

This week involved meeting some new people, exploring new places, a little bit of forensic science, and some interesting recipes. I spent the beginning of the week creating a brochure about eider ducks, which will be used to inform people about some of the threats these birds are facing, and some of the conservation initiatives that are in place to help ensure survival of this species.

For something a little bit different, I was able to read through and provide feedback on the rough draft of the Management Plan for the Blanc-Sablon National Historic Site. As it turns out, I am currently living right next to a site rich in artifacts and evidence of 9000 years of human habitation and use. The document was incredibly interesting to read, as it details the various groups that have used this land. The authors (one of whom is Trish) explain the significance of the area from a historical and archaeological standpoint, and describe the importance of the unique physical environment and resources found here over numerous centuries to the people who chose to live here. I enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the landscape in a different context.

Myriam, a representative of the YMCA, was here on Thursday to conduct a site visit – while I am working for QLF, I am actually sponsored by the YMCA Eco-Internship program. Trish and I explained the work that QLF does, what I’ve been working on in particular, and gave Myriam a tour of the QLF office and residence. She was quite excited about our work, and even came to St. Paul’s River with us in the afternoon for our second visit to examine the wolf.

When we arrived in St. Paul’s River, Garland was in the process of skinning the wolf. It was great to be able to watch him work – skinning is something I have never seen before. The wolf was hanging from the ceiling, face pointed at the floor, and Garland worked his fingers between the flesh and the pelt, separating the two with a knife. I was surprised by how easily the skin peeled off – it almost looked like Garland was simply pulling a sweater over the wolf’s head. The wolf looked quite small and even whippet-like once the fur had been removed – it was amazing to see the musculature and the bones underneath the pelt, and we quickly realized that the wolf had almost no body fat. Throughout the various layers of the wolf we kept coming across porcupine quills. Trish removed the wolf’s stomach from his body, and next week I will be analyzing the stomach contents. I brought the wolf head home, and have spent the last couple days boiling the head in order to remove the flesh. We are hoping to keep the skull as an educational tool. I am also in the process of trying to learn more about the wolf population on the Lower North Shore. I was able to explore a bit more of the coast this week as well. Trish took me to Labrador – we went in search of gas for the camp stove, which we were planning on using to boil the wolf’s head. It was great to get out and see some new sights.

I was also fortunate this week to be able to attend a workshop about oral histories. Reenie Marx, an authority on oral histories, was giving workshops and lectures in the communities along the coast, and Lourdes-de-Blanc Sablon was one of her stops. Reenie provided some insight into the importance of gathering oral histories, how to do this effectively, and what uses the information might have in the long run.

Christina

2011-02-22T09:31:00.000-05:00

It’s been a beautiful week in Blanc-Sablon – gorgeous and sunny mostly, with one very snowy day. At one point there was so much wind and snow I could hardly see the trees outside the house, and then a moment later when I looked out the back door the sky was brilliant blue. To the west I could see the setting sun and blue skies mixed in with some pink-tinted clouds and to the east I could see the nearly black cloud that had passed over us, contrasted with the white, snowy hills. It was breathtaking.

In March, Trish and I will be heading up the coast to Red Bay, Labrador, to give a presentation to hunters about the merits of steel shot. Lead shot has been banned in Canada for waterfowl hunting as a result of concerns about lead poisoning in waterfowl and humans, and the detrimental effects that lead can have on an ecosystem in general. Many hunters still prefer lead shot to steel shot. I think it’s going to be a good presentation, but a hard sell – although I have found information about steel shot stating that it performs the same way lead shot does in many ways, I have also discovered through my research that there is a significant amount of hunter bias against steel shot.

In Labrador we will also be providing locals with the materials required for the construction of wooden eider duck nesting boxes - part of my job this week was to determine exactly how much wood will be needed. Eider ducks nest on the ground, and generally remain on their nests but if disturbed, for example, by humans or by boat traffic, they will leave the nest, leaving the eggs unprotected and providing a quick and easy meal for gulls. Our goal with the nesting boxes is to provide a safe environment where the eider ducks can nest and the eggs will be protected from hungry gulls – the box entrance will be large enough to let the eider duck in, but too small for a gull.

Apart from these projects, I have been putting together a plan for eider duck education activities in the Basque Memorial School in Red Bay, Labrador. The school has very few students – 23 in total for kindergarten to grade 12 - so the activities will have to be tailored to multiple age groups. I have been reading through the curriculum requirements for each grade to ensure that the activities will fit with the desired learning outcomes.

It’s been another good week.

Christina Norris

2011-02-09T09:48:00.003-05:00

I am Christina. I am the new YMCA Eco-Internship intern with QLF. After having worked from home for a week, I finally arrived on the Lower North Shore Monday. I have never been to the Lower North Shore before and am quite excited to meet the people here, and to learn about the environment and the way of life. I think it will be particularly interesting to be here in the winter.

The past two weeks I started to familiarize myself with the work that QLF is doing. This meant reading up on whales, sharks, turtles, ivory gulls and eider ducks. I learned about the marine species at risk observer program, which involves the residents of the area – fisherman, ferry operators, etc. – in an attempt to develop a more complete picture of which species use the waters off the coast.

Trish, my supervisor, and I attended a Social Development meeting this week. The idea behind the meeting is that there are many different groups active along the coast, performing various tasks with the ultimate goal of making the coast a better place, but there seems to be little communication between the groups. The hope is that by facilitating a dialogue between the various groups, and by pooling resources, the goals can be achieved in a more organized and efficient way.

Yesterday I was able to see a little bit more of the coast. Trish and I drove to St. Paul’s to examine a wolf that had been shot about a week earlier. Wolves seem to be more abundant in recent years than they have in the past couple of decades, and some of the residents seem worried about their safety – there are a couple of stories of wolves wandering right into some of the coastal villages. When we got to St. Paul’s, the wolf was frozen solid, but Trish and I examined it as best we could, looking at the teeth and taking some measurements. I even found porcupine quills embedded in the flesh near the muzzle. We visited with one of the local trappers for a while, learning about some of the experiences he has had with wolves in the area, and what he thinks the population might be doing. We plan to go back once the wolf has been thawed and skinned to take another look at it. We’re planning to look at the stomach contents to see what it has been eating, and we’re hoping to measure the testis – one article we found talked about relating testis length and width to age. We’re also hoping to get a better look at the teeth – the front teeth seemed quite worn down but we couldn’t really see the back teeth as the wolf’s mouth was packed full of snow.

I’m looking forward to learning more about this rugged and interesting environment in the coming weeks.

Alexis Chislett-Rowsell

2010-08-13T14:25:00.001-04:00

This summer I worked with the QLF as the coordinator of the Chevery Festival of the Arts, the annual Chevery Summer Festival and the summer film camp. Chevery is located on the Lower North Shore, which is located just after Natashquan and just before the Labrador. Some of the tasks I had to complete this summer were calling people to volunteer their time to work at the door, bar or kitchen for the summer festival. I had to write up different documents for the summer festival, the festival of the arts and the film camp. I had to fax different documents and I had to get the community hall ready for the different activities. Overall, my summer was good and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a lot of work but I didn't mind all that much and I got to learn a lot of new things and I got better at the things I already knew how to do. For example, I now feel more comfortable doing public speaking and I now know I can keep myself extremely organized! My experience working with QLF this summer was really good and whenever I needed help Ana was there to help and guide me all the way. This being said I have to give a big thanks to each and every person who helped me this summer! Thank you all so much !

Curtis week 9

2010-08-13T13:59:00.003-04:00

This was the week of the marine conservation camp for children aged 6-12. We spent most of last week planning for the camp in hopes that the kids would have fun while at the same time learn about marine species at risk and the ocean environment. Of all the weeks I have worked so far, this one would have to be the most rigorous but also the most fun. We had many different learning activities for the campers inside and outdoors. We did a number of crafts such as using recycled material to create a marine species at risk and tie dying an old item of clothing. We also had the campers split into groups, pick a marine species at risk and make a poster about the animal including interesting facts, threats, etc. We had outdoor activities which included a beach clean-up and assessment of marine debris, swimming in the Blanc-Sablon River, hiking up Mt. Parent to learn about the rare Fernald’s Milk-Vetch, scavenger hunt, and other fun activities. We were supposed to go for a camping trip on Greenly Island but unfortunately the weather did not permit us to go this year. We did however, have a sleep over at the QLF office where we had a campfire, told ghost stories, and watched Free Willy 4 with the kids.

Becoming a future teacher, I think this camp was great for kids to have fun but learn about the importance of the marine environment around them. We had discussions with the kids about the marine environment, the animals in the ocean, pollution, and global warming. The camper’s learned a lot. It was really great working with the kids and I really enjoyed myself this week. The photo above is a picture of all the campers and the interns in a group photo next to a banner we created with the kids (photo taken by Trish Nash).

Curtis week 8

2010-08-13T13:49:00.002-04:00

This was the second week of our observer recruiting trip across Newfoundland. After the Burin Peninsula we moved on to the Avalon Peninsula and visited more fishing villages in this area. We also went to a place called Cape St. Mary's which is a seabird ecological reserve and also a place where whales frequently go. We talked to the person in charge and he was telling us about the different whale species that they get in the area. We left him a kit and went on the trail that led to the main lookout. It was definitely a beautiful sight that held thousands of birds. Some of the species found in this area are Gannets, Kittiwakes, and Murres. It was a really interesting visit on our tour across Newfoundland.

One of the final stops on our recruiting trip was in Bay Bulls. This place did not have many fishermen for us to talk to but it was a big whale watching area. There were 4 different whale watching tour companies. We dropped off observer kits because their sightings information can help with the program as well. We went on a whale watching tour ourselves, which was really interesting. We saw a group of 4 humpback whales. We also saw several islands on the tour which comprised a sea bird colony – Witless Bay. Overall the trip was a great success as we recruited many observers for our program, learned a lot about marine species at risk, and got to take in some beautiful sights at the same time. The picture I have this week is of me, Stefen, and Phoebe at Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve.

Curtis week 7

2010-08-13T13:41:00.002-04:00

This is the week that we went on our field trip across the southern coast of Newfoundland. Our job was to recruit observers for our Marine Species at Risk program to get a better knowledge of some of the endangered sharks, sea turtles, and whales around these areas. We visited many different fishing villages along the southern Newfoundland coast. Harbour Breton was one of these areas which is on Connaigre Peninsula. We were able to recruit some observers from this area and some of these fishermen have amazing stories about what they see. The fishermen were very friendly to talk to and were eager to share their information with us.

Our next stop was on the Burin Peninsula where we visited such villages as Grand Banks, Fortune, Garnish, and St. Lawrence. We were able to recruit observers from these areas as well. We also visited St. Pierre and Miquelon which is an island off the south coast of Newfoundland that is owned by France. It was a whole different culture there with different rules and regulations when it came to the fishing industry. We were lucky enough to talk to a group of people from St. Pierre that are involved in programs involving marine species at risk. They have a group called SPM Fragile and they work with marine species and sea birds. It was a very interesting meeting and it was agreed that QLF and SPM Fragile would work together in the future. We also recruited some observers from this area as well. On our way back from St. Pierre white beaked dolphins jumped up along side of our boat, it was a nice end to a great week. The picture I have this week is me and another intern I'm working with Phoebe Howe from Brooks School in St. Pierre outside a restaurant.

Curtis week 6

2010-08-13T12:56:00.002-04:00

This week we were lucky enough to go to a town in Labrador called Red Bay. This village is about a hour and a half drive from Blanc Sablon where I work. Red Bay has a rich history in whale hunting. Basque whalers hunted whales in Red Bay in the 1500’s and early 1600’s. The type of whale that was hunted is called the right whale, which is an endangered whale species today. The right whale was given its name because it was the “right” whale to hunt because of its slow movement and the ease of killing them. The whales were hunted for the blubber which was used for oil to light lamp posts all across Europe in 1500-1600. Red Bay has a beautiful museum with all sorts of interesting artefacts about the Basque fishery that was once there.

After the tour of the museum we attended a meeting about the eider duck. This is a common sea duck found along the coast. The reason for the meeting was because of concern for the protection of the eider duck population in the area of Red Bay. The eider duck mother does not leave her nest until her babies hatch but with human disturbance the ducks are more easily scared off. The meeting that we attended proposed the building of small wooden boxes that would protect the eggs from being predated by gulls. A box that would be big enough for the eider duck to get in, but not the gull. The meeting was a success and the boxes will be built this fall for the next eider duck nesting season. It was definitely an interesting trip to this area with a very rich history.

Curtis week 4

2010-08-13T12:52:00.005-04:00

This week consisted of my fellow intern Stefan and I phoning the Marine Species at Risk observers from areas in Newfoundland, Labrador and Quebec. The calls were mainly to follow up on the past season of 2009 and to see how things are going for 2010. Many of the observers we called were fishermen who all had an observer kit that included such things as species identification charts, a log book and disposable camera. The fisherman were asked to keep track of any whales, sharks, turtles, or wolfish that they see when they are out fishing. This information is important to gather for the recovery of marine species at risk and to keep track of marine life on different parts of the St. Lawrence and Northern Gulf.

We also ask the fishermen if they need us to send any materials for their kit. We have to keep track of this because we are visiting many of these towns and will have to bring the kits with us. Although not all of the fishermen that we call have kept track because they either forgot on were not out fishing many were eager to tell us what they saw. One man claimed he saw a sun fish which is extremely rare. Its useful information like this that can really help with the marine species at risk program. That's all for now.

Curtis week 3

2010-08-13T12:49:00.004-04:00

During this week I got myself familiar with the Ocean Adventure Camp that the QLF has every summer. For one week the QLF holds a camp for children and has many activities dealing with marine species. This camp also includes an overnight stay on Greenly Island which used to be inhabited by people but has since been abandoned. Greenly Island is now a bird sanctuary including such birds as the puffin. The kids get a one night camping trip to this island and it is the job of the interns to help organize it. I have worked in a summer day camp with QLF before and really enjoyed working with the kids so this should be interesting. The camp runs from July 26th-30th. We have a local television channel for our community and I was able to set up a time slot where they show documents on marine species at risk to educate the local community. At the end of this week my fellow intern Stefen Crampton came in and I showed him around the different sites in our area. Stefen is from Toronto so this area is nothing like what he is familiar with but he seems really excited to get started

Brendan

2010-07-26T10:53:00.017-04:00

Dunham Counterfeiters

A couple of weeks ago I went for a drive with a colleague at the Missisquoi Museum. We were headed to Dunham to geocode some old cemeteries and heritage buildings. Nothing unusual about that.

Then, out of nowhere my colleague lobbed me a curveball: Nearly every site we were planning to geocode, she told me, was associated with counterfeiting. “Counterfeiting? Like Catch Me If You Can?” I asked. It turns out almost two hundred years ago, Dunham supplied much of North America’s forged currency.

Indeed, producing fake money in Dunham made a great deal of sense. Following the American Revolution, Loyalists fled northwards to Canada, several of them settling in the Missisquoi region of Quebec just north of Vermont. Because the area was previously uninhabited, and because British, French, and American interests were disputed, Missisquoi was a legal, economic and social mishmash, to say little of law enforcement. And so conditions were ideal for less-than-moral enterprise.

In Dunham in the 1820s and 1830s sprung up, all along Cogniac Street, a handful of counterfeiting rings, or “coniackers” as they were known. Ebenezer Gleason and his family ran the largest gang, with some competition coming from the Wing family down the road. These two cartels quickly became the leading suppliers of counterfeit money, not just for Missisquoi, but for all of North America.

Gleason’s gravestone still lies in the Harvey Cemetery on Cogniac Street (now called Chemin Hudon), and Turner Wing’s can be found in the aptly named Wing Cemetery less than a kilometre away.

After geocoding both graveyards, we went downtown to locate some heritage buildings my colleague had mentioned. One of them was the store of Seneca Paige, a “merchant” according to the heritage plaque next to the building. Paige, it turns out, distributed the fake money produced on Cogniac Street to a network of wholesalers across the border. The store was undoubtedly a front.

The Seneca Paige store on Rue Principale now houses the vineyard's office and store

By the mid 19th Century, increased competition combined with crackdowns had rendered forgery in Dunham a thing of the past. Nowadays, by contrast, the town hosts a network of vineyards, apple orchards, berry farms, and sugar shacks. Paige’s old store is currently the office and store of a vignoble in Dunham. You’d never suspect, walking down Rue Principale, that two centuries ago Dunham was the counterfeit capital of North America.

Me geocoding a church on present-day Rue Principale

Curtis week 5

2010-07-15T10:08:00.006-04:00

This week was spent getting our trip to Newfoundland together. Next week we are planning to go across the West and South coasts of Newfoundland to hand out observation kits and to recruit new observers. We also continued to call our current observers to get as much information as we can about marine species at risk. We were lucky enough to go out to Greenly Island as well. This island is located in close proximity to Lourdes De Blanc Sablon and is a bird sanctuary. We went with people from the Canadian Wildlife Service and their job was to count approximately how many birds there were around the island. This included birds such as the razorbill and puffin. Unfortunately we came to find out that the population of both birds decreased since the last time the survey was conducted. They come every 5 years to check on the bird populations on sanctuaries all along the coast. Over fishing of a fish called the capelin may be causing the decrease considering that it is the main source of food for many different bird species. It was definitely an interesting trip and we all had a great time. The picture I have for this week is actually of a baby gull, which was the main species of bird on Greenly Island.

Brendan

2010-07-12T09:34:00.003-04:00

Today marks my fifth day at work here in Stanbridge East. I’ve spent the past week cruising around the Missisquoi region of Quebec, locating historic sites with a handheld GPS device. Although I was hired as the “Richelieu River Community Mapping Intern”, I prefer the title “Treasure Hunter”. If you think that sounds anything like Indiana Jones, well, I thought so too.

My job involves promoting and collecting data for the Richelieu-Missisquoi Atlas, an online map that displays a growing body of cultural and historic sites in the Richelieu River and Missisquoi Bay areas.

But this is no ordinary Atlas, and I’m not the only reason that it’s growing. Users (yep, anybody) are encouraged to plot any historic or cultural sites they know of, and can do so from their own computer. In that sense, the atlas is participatory: it uses a technique called crowdsourcing to accumulate data from the public. You may have heard of some other sites, such as Wikipedia, that do the same thing. Later in the project, of course, each point of interest will be checked by qualified historians.

Here’s a picture of me geocoding the Missisquoi Museum where I work. After all, one hundred years ago it was a fully functional corn mill.

In any case, expect more blog entries outlining all the wonders and peculiarities of small town life, of treasure hunting, and of spreading the word about an innovative new website.

Curtis

2010-06-29T11:15:00.005-04:00

My second week at work with the Marine Species at Risk job involved more planning for the busy weeks ahead. We are hoping to set up cameras on one of the bird sanctuaries we have here but we are having trouble getting the materials to set up the cameras there. Hopefully we will get it all figured out and get some beautiful shots of the landscape and the wildlife. I also prepared some material for Ocean day that is coming up on June 8th. I did up some questions, wrote down some facts, and downloaded some songs about the ocean for our local radio. We have prizes for people who answer the questions and hopefully the knowledge about ocean day and protecting the environment will get out better to people in my area. That’s all I have for this week.

Stefan

2010-06-11T13:59:00.002-04:00

Hi,

My name is Stefan Crampton and I will be working in Blanc-Sablon this summer as a Marine Species at Risk Intern. I am very excited to head out there and learn all about the endangered species in the area, and then help with conservation initiatives in the community, field work and much, much more! From the sounds of it, it’s going to be an incredible summer. I am currently studying environmental sciences and international development at McGill University, so this program organized through the QLF is right in my field of study. I will be working with Trish Nash, my supervisor, as well as Curtis Walsh.

I am originally from Toronto, Ontario, and have lived there most of my life. I have never been to Eastern Canada, so I am quite excited to visit and live in a new Canadian region. I have just spent the last 5 months of my life studying and working in Panama. I was down there with McGill and we took 3 field courses revolving around biology, the environment and international development. I also worked with a Panamanian NGO on a jaguar conservation project in Chagres National Park, and really saw how critical it is that for conservation projects to truly work, you have to have the support and help of locals. Labrador is a world away from Panama, but I can’t wait to get there and start another stimulating and interesting internship!

Curtis

2010-06-07T10:34:00.003-04:00

Hi,

I’m Curtis Walsh, a returning QLF intern. I am presently a student at Bishop’s University just outside Sherbrooke, but I am originally from Blanc Sablon. I worked two years ago as lead camp coordinator in Chevery and I decided to come back for some more. I was hired by the YWCA as an intern for the Marine Species at Risk job in Blanc Sablon. I spent most of my first week getting to know the job and all that it requires. It looks like it is going to be a very busy and interesting summer. I will be helping my supervisor Trish Nash with field work in and around the area, as well as well as providing technical support to marine vessel operators involved in the marine species at risk program. There will also be a science camp for children during a week and I will also help with a soccer camp that will be coming in. I brushed up on all the sharks, whales, and other marine animals in the area and I should be ready in the weeks to come when we do some fieldwork. Its good to be back and it looks like it’s going to be a great summer.

François

2010-06-04T13:10:00.005-04:00

Bonjour,

Mon nom est François Guillet, je suis un stagiaire à la Fondation Québec-Labrador et je travaille, ce printemps et cet été, au développement d’un projet désigné sous le nom d’«Atlas Richelieu-Missisquoi». Ce projet consiste à cartographier la région entourant la rivière Richelieu et la baie Missisquoi, dans la partie sud du Québec, et à faire ressortir la richesse de l’histoire de cette région. Sur la carte en question, nous ajouterons régulièrement des points d’intérêt qui toucheront à quatre grands thèmes : les origines des nations (et tout ce que cela implique de batailles, d’escarmouches, de construction de forts, etc.), les voies commerciales (que ce soit le long des cours d’eaux, par voies ferrées ou par voies de terre), un lieu où vivre (il s’agit ici de l’établissement des populations sur les terres, de la construction de maisons, d’églises, d’écoles, etc.) et les arts, la culture et les loisirs (autant dans l’histoire passée que dans le présent). Dans le cadre de notre travail, nous accorderons une attention particulière aux apports des communautés anglophones et biculturelles (francophone et anglophone) à l’histoire de cette région. Leurs contributions furent variées et significatives, mais elles demeurent encore aujourd’hui peu connues; nous tâcherons donc de les faire ressortir au jour. Un aspect intéressant de l’Atlas consiste en ceci qu’il sera développé de manière participative : nous invitons en effet les gens de la région Richelieu-Missisquoi à ajouter eux-mêmes sur la carte interactive toutes les informations pertinentes qu’ils savent et toutes les photos et les images dont ils disposent. Enfin, je dois dire que je suis particulièrement heureux de prendre part à ce projet, car la région Richelieu-Missisquoi est celle où je suis né et où j’ai grandi, plus précisément dans la ville de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu!

Durant l’été, j’aiderai aussi Adrienne Blattel, au bureau de QLF à Montréal, à préparer et à organiser les diverses activités de la Fondation Québec-Labrador. Une part de notre travail consiste à aider les stagiaires et à répondre à toutes les questions qu’ils peuvent avoir. N’hésitez pas, donc, à nous contacter au bureau de QLF à Montréal.

Je vous invite à votre tour à vous présenter, de manière que tous les membres de la grande équipe QLF puissent faire connaissance! Et je souhaite à tous un très bel été!

François

2010-06-04T13:05:00.009-04:00

Hello,

My name is François Guillet, I am an intern at QLF and I am working, this spring and this summer, on a project called ‘Atlas Richelieu-Missisquoi’. This atlas is about mapping the area around the Richelieu river and the Missisquoi bay, in the south of Quebec, and showing how interesting is its history. On the map, we put all the relevant points about four main themes: the Making of Nations (military history), Corridors of Commerce, Here to Stay (settlement and the different kinds of buildings in a city or a town) and Recreation, Arts and Culture. We give special attention to the contributions made by the English speaking communities and bicultural (French and English speaking) communities through this area’s history. Their contributions in the Richelieu-Missisquoi area are signficant but not very well known, so we will try to throw light on it. An interesting part of the project is that the Atlas is built in a participatory way: we invite people of the area to contribute to the Atlas by adding all the information they know and all the photos or pictures they have. I am very glad to be part of this project, because I grew up in this area, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu!

During the summer, I will also help Adrienne Blattel, at the QLF Montreal office, to prepare and organise all the other QLF activities that will occur. A part of our work is to help the interns and answer all the questions they may have. So, feel free to call us at the QLF office in Montreal or to contact us by email.

I invite all of you to present yourself, so we may know the members of the big QLF team! And I wish to all of you a very good summer!

Merran

2010-06-01T14:47:00.008-04:00

On Monday, Ernie came by and we went over a plan. He said he would like to have research done on the Upper Lake Melville area and the abandoned communities as well as on the existing communities. In particular, he wanted me to look into where families were living and where they were going at different seasons of the year.This could include putting information together from previously written material as well as from interviews with community members. I spent a morning looking through the information at the Heritage Society with Peary as well as an afternoon at the Interpretation Center learning about the Inuit, Innu and Metis. With regards to the interviews, it turned out that some interviews had already been done with people who were living in Mulligan and that one of the Katimavik girls was updating these interviews in the Town building. Ed said I could help myself to looking over these interviews and pulling out any information I needed. I spent one day doing this. Overall though, I spent most of the first week reading through already exiting information to get acquainted with some of the history as well as I spent a lot of time meeting community members and forming relationships, such as Mina, Tillie Campbell, Katie Baikie, Clara, Billy, Dawn, Ed Tatauk, Joyce, Hazel and Joan. I was also invited to an Elders birthday lunch as well as one of their weekly lunches on Wednesday. I think and am hoping that forming some of these relationships will help me out later when trying to gather further information about the communities. All of the people have been extremely friendly and many are inviting us over for dinner and seal meat everyday as well as giving us a lot of caribou.

On Friday, I helped gather some people to attend Simon's clown show at the community center. The Elders seemed to enjoy it, especially as it is something they are probably not used to seeing so much. I also spent a day in Sheshuashiu getting to know some of the children, one of whom is now coming over to visit everyday. Simon has managed to organize ten shows at the Sheshuashiu school for next week and hopes to do some at the Melville Lake school later on. Billy, Simon and I are also planning on putting together a final show before we must leave for both communities. I've also spent some time listening to the Sheshuashiu radio station and hearing Innu-aimon. Fortunately, I have also been able to pick up some Inuktitut from Billy. I also spent a night with one of the Katimawik groups and am interested in helping them perhaps this week. One of the leaders said that her group would be interested in me doing a presentation of my thesis for them.

Shane

2009-12-01T15:41:00.002-05:00

A month ago in Ipswich, MA seven environmental professionals and one QLF coordinator came together in support of QLF’s International Program. The seven environmental professionals are all QLF Alumni.

The four American professionals were: Stewart Fefer of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rosemary Furfey of NOAA Fisheries, Salmon Recovery Division, Alix Hopkins founder of Portland Trails and a QLF Consultant, and David Manski of Acadia National Park.

The three international participants traveled from their homes to be part of this discussion and are incredibly important to the future of QLF, they are: Sami Backleh from East Jerusalem and a QLF Middle East Coordinator, Will Maheia from Belize and leader of the People’s National Party, and Mounir R. Abi Said, PhD from Beirut, Lebanon and director of Animal Encounter. I was lucky enough to be part of this amazing group. The discussion ranged from where the International Program has been to where it needs to go in the future and why collaboration with the international community is vital to our future.

What a treat to have seven of the finest environmental professionals the world has to offer in one room. It was a fascinating day and one I won’t soon forget. The best news is some of these people will be joining us on future endeavors starting in the spring of 2010!

Shane

2009-11-12T09:42:00.000-05:00

This has been an exciting few weeks for the Middle East Exchange Program. We have been granted official permission to conduct our NGO and Capacity Building program in Syria. Now the real work begins.

We also had the pleasure of hosting Sami Backleh, QLF Middle East Coordinator, and Mounir R. Abi Said, Director of Animal Encounter in Lebanon. Both gentlemen are part of the QLF Alumni and continued to assist QLF in its mission.

Sami and I spent two weeks together organizing the two separate Middle East Exchange Programs. We interviewed potential candidates both here in New England and the Middle East (thanks to Skype), we organized potential workshops, and even got to see some of the sites around Ipswich and Boston.

We are getting close to having all 16 participants for the Community Based Natural Resource Management exchange and have already begun the search for the 12 participants for our exchange with Syria. The Fellows are some of the brightest people we have working on sustainability and community development. This is an exciting time for everyone involved in the program.

Laura

2009-08-18T12:30:00.004-04:00

Sophia, Maggie and I ran the QLF Ocean Adventure Camp here in Blanc-Sablon. After being back for 2 days from the south coast, there was very little opportunity for rest. It was time to dive right back into action. We were a little worried when the weather forecast called for rain all week, since a lot of the activities we had planned for the camp involved being outside, but the weather gods must have been on our side because when Monday rolled around we had beautiful weather – in fact we had great weather all week.

There were 13 kids that showed up altogether: 4 girls and 9 boys ranging from six years old to twelve. They were all very eager to learn about marine animals and environmental conservation, and surprisingly already knew quite a lot about these things. On the first day, we divided the campers into two groups and had each come up with a team name and design a flag. The purpose of this was to get the kids to work together towards a common goal, it was a good way to add friendly competition, and I think the kids really enjoyed it. Of course, it was also very good for us, the counselors, because we could just as easily penalize teams if they were misbehaving.

We had many fun activities planned for our campers throughout the week. We did a scavenger hunt along the beach, made ocean globes out of recycled jars, paid a visit to DFO where the kids got to check out the zodiac boat as well as take home some neat gifts, we played animal Pictionary, went on a hike up Mont Parent overlooking the harbour and town, played Pin the Tale on the Whale, made sailboats out of popsicle sticks and foam (which they later got to test out on the river), and played all sorts of other great games. But by far the most exciting part of the week was our trip to Greenly Island, which is a migratory bird sanctuary located a few kilometres offshore that normally no one is allowed to visit. QLF was given special permission to stay there in order to educate the kids on the importance of this sanctuary and its purpose in preserving the local wildlife. We spent one night on Greenly with all the campers, watching puffins fly around us, learning about the island’s history, toasting marshmallows, and of course telling scary ghost stories around the fire. It was a fun day for all!

Laura

2009-08-12T14:25:00.004-04:00

After La Poile, we took the ferry back to our cars in Rose Blanche and drove up and around to the town of Burgeo, connected by way of the Trans-Canada Highway. We again dropped off our cars and set sail for our next destination along the coast: Grey River – a small community of just over 100 people, peacefully nestled in the crook of two high mountains. We were welcomed into the home of the mayor, who was a magnificent cook and also kind enough to organize a meeting for us with the fishermen in town. These men had the same sad stories as in La Poile. There were only 9 fishermen remaining who continued to fish commercially, but again, it was not an easy life here.

On we went the next day to the town of Francois (pronounced “Fransway” by the locals. Oh how the French would cringe!). This town was my favourite stop on our journey. I think it was here that I realized this was the most spectacular place I’ve been to. The scenery far exceeded my expectations. One after another, we passed through these little villages that dotted the coastline every so often, built as if by accident in between towering cliffs or along narrow inlets. Can you imagine waking up to these views every morning? But, like in the other villages we went to, Francois was also feeling the effects of their fisheries’ downsizing.

Next on our journey was the town of McCallum, another very tiny community built between two small mountains in an enclosed harbour. We were met at the docks by the woman who was hosting us for the night. As we walked through town, people greeted us as if we were already good friends. We were given the name of a fisherman, Terry, that we were told would be very interested in speaking with us, and so we went searching for him. We made our way to his home and were warmly greeted by his wife and invited in for tea. We gave Terry one of our observer kits, and it was funny because the very next morning he pulled into the wharf with a small shark that had entangled itself in his nets and died. It was exciting! This was the first time I had seen a shark close-up. We examined it for a while, making measurements and taking note of its markings, but it was soon time for us to gather our things and head out again by ferry to our last stop along the coast, Hermitage.

Hermitage is one of only two towns along the ferry route that is connected by road. It has cars and lots of people in it – a strange and unfamiliar sight! The town has a large fish plant which employs most of the residents and processes all the fish that are caught along the entire southwest coast. It was bustling with activity when we arrived. Our stay there was very short, however. We had just enough time to meet with a few fishermen and tour the fish plant before we had to board the ferry again and begin our long journey back to Burgeo to find our cars. We spent one more night in Francois, and were taken on the most spectacular hike along the mountaintops overlooking the cliffs and town below. We were almost eaten alive by mosquitoes, but it was well worth it! I got some great shots!

The next morning we boarded two ferries and returned to Burgeo where we collected the cars and began the long drive back home and back to reality. The road from Burgeo was incredible, it really gave me a sense of just how isolated we’d been this whole time. It’s completely devoid of any towns, gas stations, even other cars much of the way. We were told to watch out for caribou, and I was a little disappointed when we didn’t see any (although I suppose thankful too, since they can be really dangerous!). We stayed overnight in Rocky Harbour, and got to explore Gros Morne the next morning – what a beautiful park! We kind of lost track of time though, and almost missed our ferry out of St Barbe that evening (we literally made it with only minutes to spare!). What a way to leave Newfoundland with a bang.

Now we are back in Blanc-Sablon, and continue to reminisce about our spectacular trip to the south coast. We met a lot of people with incredible stories, and saw some very unforgettable places. It was a pleasure to get to know Newfoundland in such a unique manner, and I really hope to return again one day.

Chris

2009-08-12T14:17:00.001-04:00

Today is my last day at the office in Ipswich and tomorrow all of the interns are going up to Maine to spend the day. We are nearing the completion of the 15th Anniversary The Sounds Conservancy publication. Almost all of the images and illustrations have been purchased and Debbie, the graphics designer, is in the final stages of formatting the publication which she has done a great job on.

I am really pleased with how much I have learned this summer at QLF. It was a great opportunity and thank you Larry, Beth, Kevin and all of the interns for making my summer as enjoyable as it was!

Henry

2009-08-12T14:15:00.002-04:00

Since I have returned from Canada, I’ve been working in the QLF office in Ipswich. I have been working on the Sounds Conservancy’s 15th Anniversary Publication, and successfully handed it off to the graphic designer early last week, which felt like a triumph since I have been working on it on and off for the last two years.

Last Wednesday, July 22nd, Chris O’Book, Megan Murley and I travelled down to Cape Cod to check in with a few 2009 Sounds Conservancy grantees. Our first destination was to visit Alison Andrews with her advisor Barbara Brennessell in Wellfleet, MA. We arrived at Indian neck, on the bay side of Cape Cod, around 10 AM ready to search for Diamondback Terrapins, a threatened species native to the salt marshes of the sounds region. It was towards the end of their nesting season, so we saw plenty of caged off nests, but no actual turtles nesting, which was a little disappointing, but understandable considering how late in the nesting season it was. It was a beautiful day and a great opportunity to stretch our legs, so the mission was successful. After a brief swim in the bay, we left Wellfleet around noon to our next destination of Provincetown, MA, at the very tip of the cape. We had a great seafood lunch in town, and then met Owen Nichols at the Center for Coastal Studies office, right next to the downtown, touristy section of Provincetown. He showed us around the office, talked about his project studying the longfin inshore squid, and also about working collaboratively with all types of fishermen and scientists. He then showed us a tank in the office they were using to raise larval squid, so we were able to see these tiny creatures feeding. It was a beautiful day and turned out to be very informative, as I knew little of either project.

On Thursday, July 23rd, the Sounds Conservancy held a luncheon at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point for all of the 2009 grantees, some of the TSC directors, some QLF staff, and several Avery Point staff. This gathering was very successful, as we had about nine grantees show up and talk about their presentations. It was great to put faces to the names and projects I have only read about and to meet these fascinating, dedicated people in person. We got a tour of the amazing Avery Point campus, which is located right on the coast in New London, CT, and also had a fantastic catered lunch in a beautiful conference room overlooking Long Island Sound.

On Wednesday, July 29th, Chris O’Book and I travelled down to southern Massachusetts to do a few more site visits for the Sounds Conservancy. We met 2009 grantee Tara Rajaniemi at 8:30 AM at a coastal salt marsh in Fairhaven, MA. This site used to be the location for the Atlas Tack and Nail Factory, so the site was contaminated with heavy metals for decades. The EPA has tried to restore it to its natural state, so we were out there collecting samples to see if the restoration has been successful up to this point. Tara and her colleague Rebecca had planted bags full of resin in the marsh about a month before and came back to collect them to determine the amount of nitrogen present in the ecosystem. The marsh looked to be fairly healthy, considering its history, and we had a great time tramping around collecting the samples. We then drove to Woods Hole, MA, the location of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and more importantly 2009 grantee Dr. Michelle Portman. We talked about a few of her previous TSC funded projects, one involving marine zoning on Cape Cod and the other looking at offshore renewable energy projects, and the regulatory framework differences between the US and Europe. She was incredibly nice, and I learned a great deal in our hour talk with her. We then went to a restaurant in Woods Hole and both indulged in a Lobster Panini, something completely new to me. How delicious it was!

Friday is the last day of my internship, and I soon will be headed to Colorado to start my sophomore year at Colorado College. It has been a great summer, and I cannot thank QLF enough for the amazing opportunities they provided for me this year!

Megan

2009-07-28T11:19:00.003-04:00

I arrived in Boston in the beginning of June and have spent my summer interning at the QLF office in Ipswich. My primary job has been to assist the Executive Vice President, Beth Alling, with any work she needs completed. My different work has included working on a big grant proposal for a Middle East program, researching different conservation programs in the Middle East, participating and reporting on the Intern and Volunteer Program.

Just a few weeks into my internship, I was given the opportunity to travel up to the Newfoundland-Labrador and Quebec provinces for the Intern and Volunteer Program orientation. Along with a fellow intern from Ipswich, Henry Hatch, I flew into Deer Lake, where we met up with two other summer interns and the head of the Montreal Office, Adrienne Blattel. The five of us drove to Gros Morne National Park, the second largest National Park in eastern Canada, where we spent the night in cabins along the water. The next morning, we started our journey to Blanc-Sablon Quebec, but not without a quick morning hike in Gros Morne! We drove approximately five hours north of Deer Lake to St. Bart’s, where we hopped on board the ferry over to Blanc-Sablon, Quebec. After leaving Boston over 24 hours earlier, we finally arrived in Blanc-Sablon, where we were welcomed by the QLF staff and other interns with open arms.

The next three days in Blanc-Sablon absolutely flew by. In total, there were seven of us, interns and volunteers, and then three QLF staff who participated in the orientation. We spent the first day playing different ice breaker games to get to know each other and learning all about the history of QLF. This gave all of us a better understanding of why the Intern and Volunteer Program was such a crucial part of QLF and how much of an impact our work would really have on QLF. Since the environment and the general outdoors is such a leading component of QLF, we spent a great deal of our time outside and visiting different significant areas in and nearby Blanc-Sablon.

One of my fondest memories from this trip was being there for one of Quebec’s national holidays; St. John the Baptiste Day. The town constructed a massive bonfire on the beach, and at 11pm, the great fire was lit and everyone celebrated and danced the night away. The reason why this night left such a strong impression on me was because it was at the bonfire that I got the chance to meet all the children in the town, as well as many adults, and I began to grasp the magnitude in which QLF staff, interns, and volunteers have made an impact on these small, coastline towns, such as Blanc-Sablon. I realized that while I would not have the opportunity to work up in Canada for the summer, all of my work over the next two months would be making a profound difference in the lives of many.

Laura

2009-07-28T10:46:00.005-04:00

I’ve been running around the past three weeks with little to no internet access and haven’t been able to blog, so I’ll try my best to catch up!

On July 7th, we left Blanc-Sablon to embark on an exciting 2 week-long journey across the southern coast of Newfoundland, with hopes of meeting and recruiting fishermen into QLF’s Marine Species at Risk observer program. It was a difficult task to plan this journey. If you have ever taken a good look at a map of Newfoundland, the first thing that may strike you is the complete lack of road connection along much of the island. I’m from Ontario, so even in the most remote of areas we have road access. Just the idea of this forsaken coast dotted with tiny outport communities that are only accessible by boat is completely fascinating to me. What would it look like? Who are these people living there and what are their stories? I couldn’t wait to find out!

So, after weeks of planning this trip, it was finally going to happen! We boarded the ferry to Newfoundland that Tuesday morning and drove the whole western coast in one day (it took over 8 hours). We had a short stop in Cow Head to meet with Stephanie for lunch, and continued on to Port-aux-Basques, where we checked in to a little bed and breakfast for the night. The next morning we drove along the coast to Rose Blanche, and were lucky to have a few hours to kill before our ferry left. We used the time to wander the little community and hike up the lighthouse – a beautifully-restored granite building perched high on a cliff keeping watch over the waters below.

It was soon time for us to leave behind our car and continue by boat on to the town of La Poile. I was bursting with excitement as we rounded a point and pulled into a narrow passageway that seemed to lead to nowhere. After a few minutes, though, the town came into sight, and it was spectacular! Tiny wood houses rose up from the water in tiers, built right onto the rock outcroppings. It was amazing!

We met with some local fishermen and learned of the sad state of affairs for the residents here. They told us that La Poile, like most other fishing settlements along the south coast, was quickly dying. Not so long ago these fishermen could put out as many hooks as they wanted in the water and catch all the fish they could manage, but now there are very strict regulations that limit the number of hooks, the length of line, and the weight and type of fish they are allowed to bring in. The government has made these regulations in order to prevent overfishing, but it has had a very profound effect on the traditional fishing lifestyle of the southwest coast. In places where fishing has not ceased altogether, it has been severely reduced. I could not believe it when they told me that for some of them, the fishing season is only a couple of weeks a year! It has forced their younger generation to look for work elsewhere in order to support themselves and their families – no longer can these people make a living off fishing. These communities are in such great decline. It’s sad to think that I am visiting these places now, but in a decade or two they may all be gone.

Stephanie

2009-07-28T09:02:00.004-04:00

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing some older community members about living and growing up in Cow Head. The stories I heard while collecting this oral history were quite incredible.

I learned a lot about the hardships that the community faced throughout the winters. For a long time Cow Head was inaccessible by land and water for a good part of the year. Families were all very resourceful as they managed to survive with very little through long cold winters. There is a saying that goes “the long and hungry month of March” and it refers to the fact that people actually cut a meal a day from their diet in March to be sure that they would last through their winter supplies.

Through these stories I am made very aware of just how much Newfoundland has changed since it joined Canada in 1949. Life was hard in outport communities before then but I am told that despite the hardships that they faced people were happy even when they had very little.

Alyssa

2009-07-27T13:20:00.001-04:00

I have been working in Ipswich as an intern for QLF’s Middle East program since the beginning of July. It has been a really interesting and exciting experience, especially because the work that I have been doing is very connected to my recent study-abroad experience, from which I returned in late June. I will be a senior at Vassar College, but I spent the spring semester of my junior year studying at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, which is located on Kibbutz Ketura in Israel.

The Arava Institute brings together Jewish and Arab students from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and North America to live and study together in order to promote environmental cooperation across borders and thus contribute to peace building and sustainability on a personal, regional, and global level. The belief that “nature knows no borders” was evident not only in our studies but also in our daily activities and travels throughout the area. I took classes on water management, eco-health, and sand dune biodiversity, while also working on an independent research project that looked at water access in the Negev’s unrecognized Bedouin villages. Throughout the semester, I formed close friendships with students and staff from Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and the U.S.

When I arrived in Ipswich after only a few days back in the country, I was still adjusting, but excited by all the moisture and green vegetation that surrounded me, which was in great contrast to my five months in the desert. I was definitely missing life in the Arava, but it was wonderful to learn that much of my work here at QLF would be quite similar in its mission and ideology to what I had been doing the past semester.

I am working with Beth on a fellowship exchange program that will run next year between the Middle East and New England, which focuses on community-based natural resource management. The program will bring together emerging environmental professionals from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon to visit case study sites of participants in New England, and a reverse fellowship will bring the New England Fellows to visit case studies of the Middle Eastern participants and their organizations. I’ve been working on announcements and summaries for the Fellowship, and I have been in frequent contact with Sami Backleh, who is QLF’s regional coordinator in the Middle East, based in East Jerusalem.

My experience so far been extremely rewarding, and I am enjoying working with the other interns here in Ipswich. I am looking forward to continued work on this fellowship exchange, as I think it is part of an important effort for environmental cooperation, grassroots organization, and peace in the Middle East.

Chris

2009-07-27T09:39:00.002-04:00

I have been working in Ipswich for the summer at QLF on The Sounds Conservancy 15th anniversary publication, as well as the Interns & Volunteers program. I helped edit the publication (which will be out in the fall) and found images and illustrations that match the grantees’ projects and fields of study. Working in Ipswich is great. All of the interns here are a lot of fun and work hard. When one of us needs help on a project, there’s always someone there.

During the first week of work, Beth took us out on a canoe trip down the Ipswich River. We got to know each other beyond work. So we paddled and ate sandwiches for three hours- not a bad day’s work!

Late July, Henry picked me up at 7 and we headed down to the Cape with Meagan to meet with two of TSC’s grantees for 2009. We met with Allison Andrews who is doing research on diamondback terrapins on Cape Cod (Wellfleet) and monitoring their nests during nesting season which just recently ended. We learned that they mate based on temperature. Higher temperatures mean more mating. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any terrapins, but were fortunate to have a warm and sunny day, which are hard to come by it seems. We left Wellfleet for P’town to see Owen Nichols who is doing research on squid in the Cape Cod Bay. He showed us a PowerPoint presentation and then showed us the lab where new squid hatched about two weeks ago. He works closely with local fishermen to study the way environmental factors affect migration and nesting.

On July 23, many interns, Larry, and Beth went to TSC grantee luncheon at the University of Connecticut, Avery Point. We met about 15 grantees, past and present, showed up to update QLF and others about how they have used the grant money to fund their projects. Before the presentations, staff members of the university gave us a tour of the labs and activities that go on during the summer, especially for kids in the community who are less fortunate. Many of the grantees are in the middle of tests and gathering results from their projects. They were all gracious for the support they received from QLF and The Sounds Conservancy.

Until mid-August when I leave, I will be involved in a few more site visits in the Sounds region and working on other various projects. I have had a great opportunity to work with QLF again this summer!

Stephanie

2009-07-24T10:04:00.003-04:00

Today as I started on my walk home from the museum I realized how used to living in Cow Head I have become. The more time I spend here and the more people I get to know here the more my feeling for Newfoundland grows.

Several things I have encountered here have helped me to understand this place a little bit more. One of them is a book that a local woman started to write on the genealogy of Cow Head. The book was only ever produced as a rough draft but nevertheless it has been an excellent tool for me at the museum and in general. The book tells of the first settlers in this area and nothing has drawn the image of early life here as clearly in my mind as this book.

Another thing I have found insightful comes from the music and theater being performed in this town. Cow Head is home to a prominent Newfoundland theater company in the summer months. Fortunately I have been able to take in a few of the shows they have put on as well as a show by a well-known local musician. Seeing Newfoundland portrayed by Newfoundlanders through acting and singing has helped me to be all the more conscious of the particular culture that these people share.

Vincent

2009-07-21T10:16:00.005-04:00

Bien le bonjour des îles! Ma seconde semaine de travail fut beaucoup plus productive que la dernière. En effet, Magali Francoeur, l’étudiante dont je continue le programme aux Îles-de-la-Madeleine, est venue me donner un coup de main pour la semaine. Magali est une jeune passionnée de la faune marine et m’a été d’une grande aide au courant de la semaine. Depuis mercredi nous voyageons donc de long en large des îles en rencontrant quelques-uns de ses anciens contacts et en informant diverses gens et organismes de la présence de QLF et de son enthousiasme par rapport à l’implantation du programme des espèces marines en péril. Le travail qui se réalisera dans les prochaines semaines sera davantage axé vers un recrutement d’observateurs parmi les marins et un effort pour faire connaître à la population des îles la présence de QLF et de sont programme. Dans ce sens; après m’être fait un peu connaître autour des îles, la radio locale CFIM (FM 92.7!!) m’a contactée pour passé une entrevue annonçant ma venue dans l’archipel. Je suis de plus en plus confiant par rapport aux démarches et à l’implantation du MSAR aux Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

Cette semaine se conclut alors sur une note de joie et d’enthousiasme. Les Madelinots continuent toujours de m’étonner; que ce soit par leur gentillesse spontanée ou leur joie de vivre, les moments passés avec eux m’auront marquée d’une manière bien particulière. Bonne fin de semaine!

Christine

2009-07-21T10:10:00.003-04:00

The past several days have been pretty busy with community activities in La Tabatiere. Last Thursday, Paula (the community librarian) and I organized an Ecology Evening for children at the library. Two kids, Josh and Chloe, showed up and we had a great time learning about local ecosystems, keystone species, and the importance of preserving every element of local environments. After the lesson, we created an Ocean-in-a-Jar craft using shells and stones. The evening was a lot of fun, and it was great to see the kids so excited about the local environment.

On Sunday, I went on an afternoon outing with Marilyn and Dennis to
Robertson Lake, where there is a major hydro dam that supplies electricity for a stretch of the coast. Although Robertson Lake is not more than 20km from La Tabatiere, the serpentine roads and our stops to appreciate the scenery along the way made it quite a lengthy road trip.

Overall, things are coming together well with my internship work here. Although there are some challenges, such as a population that fluctuates wildly when people get a chance to go to their cabins, I feel as though my work here so far has been productive. Hopefully it continues to be so in the weeks to come, with several community events focused on seal fishery heritage coming up shortly.

Eliot

2009-07-17T09:02:00.012-04:00

Kids camp was great! We did a variety of activities, one of my favorites was making our own nests Thursday. We began the day by walking to one of the ponds were two Black Duck families have been raising there adorable ducklings. The children sat at the edge watching the ducklings follow the mother through the water, up the shore, off the shore, diving down and diving up as I read The Ugly Duckling out loud. After an extended walk back to camp we sat down at the crafts table and I asked them to draw their nest to hatch some eggs in, they had to make decisions about nest location, season, nest building material, etc. finally each was given several jelly beans to put on/in the nest as eggs. Each kid was then given a straw to collect "worms" (we used M&Ms) with. Watching them squint as they tried to suck an M&M to the end of their straw and then hold the air in as they brought it over to their "babies" was a sight to see. Their giggling and enormous smiles at the success of an M&M transfer was contagious and the whole group laughing along. At the end of the day of-course they got to eat the candy and take their nest home.
The only serious rain we had was on the last day during the 10-13 age group. A group of 4 boys showed up to camp that day and at their request the group huddled beneath the swing set in our jackets and I taught them how to knot bracelets and they taught me how to finger weave. Just as the skies began to clear, camp came to a close, well technically that is. 4:00 came and went but we continued to weave, knot and braid until the only string left was the tangled ball at the bottom of the bag. I put the remaining crafts away and the boys asked me to come with them to tour the Rowsell house fishing museum. Throughout the museum the boys would point at an artifact and say, "My Grandpa donated that." The small towns museum was full of artifacts from many generations and told stories of survival and hospitality of all the people along the coast.

Spending the afternoon with the kids beyond camp hours is anything but unusual here. The previous day I hiked over the island to the beach with a few girls from the 10-13 group and sat on the rocks watching the waves until one of them had to get back to the Nordik to Journey to their

fathers home in another village on the coast. We all walked her down to the dock to say good bye, in two weeks she will be back again and that pattern will continue all summer.(image_3595)

I went down to the dock with my host Mom and watched 200lb Halibut, which would become my dinner, getting unloaded from one of the fishing boats. I was amazed at how much meat came from the fish, which were very thin. Tammy and I were the only women on the dock, the remaining 7 observers and 6 workers were men between 17 and 80. The great catch meant good spirits on the dock. One of the younger workers was cutting the head off the fish before it was put in the storage bin posed for a picture with one of the fresh heads pulled over his rubber hood.

Henry

2009-07-16T10:46:00.001-04:00

After about 24 hours on the Nordik Express, Eliot and I arrived in Harrington Harbor at 5 pm on Saturday, June 27th. We were met at the dock by the friendly faces of Kelly Bobbit and Sharon Ransom, who showed the way to where we were staying. For the next week, there was incredible weather in Harrington. I was expecting to be braving wind and rain for most of my stay in Harrington, however, I was pleasantly surprised that all of that weather stayed in Massachusetts as I basked in the sun over the Canadian shield.

We made posters with Rachael Anningston, the swim instructor in Harrington, for both the recreation and the swim program on Sunday, and put them up around town in convenient, visible, and common locations. For the next couple of days we prepared for camp. We took a boat taxi to a craft store in Chevery and bought a load of crafts that excited my inner-child. We also met a fascinatingly funny French man from Tabatiere and talked to him for a while, enjoying his facial expressions that told most of his stories for him and made up for the little English he knew. We also got into Bob Bryan’s house and found a lot of helpful things in his back storage room, including a lovely, detailed journal which last year’s interns Winslow and Roz (thanks guys!) left behind.

On Wednesday night we had the official registration of the program, and had a bunch of kids and parents come to the community hall to sign up for the “Kids Summer Camp” that we had advertised. It was a good turnout, and we started on Thursday morning with all of the younger kids, and all had a great time. The kids were fun and glad to be outside, and despite some disagreement on a few activities (“I wanna play this- NO, we should play that- NO, they already said we were doing this” ect.), we all had a great time. I helped out Eliot at the camp for Friday and the following Monday, and then left Tuesday to come back to Ipswich, where I am now. I had a great time on my travels up to the coast, and it was amazing to spend ten sun-filled days in Harrington.

Stephanie

2009-07-16T09:51:00.006-04:00

I am coming up to the halfway mark of my stay in Cow Head and surprised to find that almost a month has gone by already.

Work at the museum is taking shape as I am starting to make my way through the list of goals I had hoped to achieve this summer. There are still plenty of things that I would like to do here and unfortunately only a month left in which to do them!

A large part of what I am doing is interpreting the museum’s collection through a number of makeshift panels. In writing these pieces I have the privilege of being able to truly get to know Cow Head. One of my favourite jobs here has been reading and digitally recording a school log book from the late 1930s. Coupled with the stories people have told me about the town’s history this book has given me a deeper understanding of where this community is coming from.

During the next month I look forward to meeting with members of the community who can share their stories with me so that I can try to reflect their voices in the museum’s narrative. Above all else I am excited to really try and emphasize the community aspect of the museum.

Hunter

2009-07-16T09:45:00.008-04:00

We started our journey down the western coast of Newfoundland on Tuesday. On our way to Port aux Basques we stopped in cow head to see fellow intern Stephanie and have lunch with her. After yet another delicious meal we continued our journey and arrived at the Ocean View B&B around seven. The following morning we drove 45 minutes to Rose Blanche where we caught a ferry to the quaint town of La Poile.

La Poile is a small fishing village that has no cars and the primary source of transportation is an ATV. The next morning, Trish, Sophia, Maggie, Laura, Sadie, and I went down to the doc to talk to fishermen about our Marine Species at Risk Program. We then discovered that there was a supposed Mako shark head at the bottom of the harbor, and lucky for us one of the deck hands retrieved it for us. While I pried the mouth open Trish hacked and pulled at the teeth in hoped of getting a sample. After lots of hacking and pulling we finally were able to get some teeth lose. Once Trish got a good look at the tooth she discovered that the shark was not a Mako but a Porbeagle instead. The next day we got on the 10:00am ferry at 9:15.

We then drove to St. Georges and stayed the night in St. Georges. The next morning I had to say my good byes to everyone at the Irving Gas Station. From there I got on a bus that took me back to Marble Inn and Resort. My experience with QLF has been like none other. Learning about new cultures and issues that the Lower North Shore faces has really meant a lot to me and I hope to come back next summer!

Vincent

2009-07-10T15:07:00.005-04:00

Bonjour à tous! Je m'appelle Vincent Gautier-Doucet et j'ai été tout récemment pris à titre d'interne pour le MSAR (Marine Species at Risk) Programpar la QLF aux Îles-de-la-Madeleine. C'est une opportunité très appréciée qui m'est donnée étant une personne aimante de la nature. C'est la quatrième fois que je viens en visite aux îles, mais c'est la première fois que je reste pour
un été complet; celles-ci m’émerveillent toujours autant! Je suis présentement aux études collégiales à Montréal. Bien que mon champ d'études ne soit pas immédiatement relié à la biologie marine, soit les Sciences humaines, je suis un passionné de la mer et de tous sujets qu'elle englobe. Dans un cadre pédagogique, j'assouvis cette passion par des cours complémentaires en biologie durant les quelques sessions où cela m'est possible.

Le poste que j'ai en ce moment rejoint mes intérêts de multiples manières, en effet, au-delà de la biologie, le contact avec les gens est une chose que j'apprécie de plus belle; les Madelinots étant des gens naturellement gentils et accueillants, mon été risque d'être des plus intéressant! J'ai bien hâte d'entrer dans le cœur de mon stage et de pouvoir vous donner de plus amples détails sur le développement du programme dans mon merveilleux nouveau coin de pays!

Vincent

Christine

2009-07-07T10:01:00.005-04:00

The past few days in La Tabatiere have been very windy and rainy, which has kind of put a damper on some of the local activities. Saturday was supposed to be the community Canada Day celebration, but it has now been postponed indefinitely. Since the weather was poor, and inspired by the new net-knitting skills I acquired this past week, I decided to pick up some yarn from a local supply shop to try my hand at knitting a toque. It’s going well so far!

This week, if the weather clears up, I would like to take some time to hike in the hills around La Tabatiere and Mutton Bay. As part of my work here, I will be creating a map of the community to provide to tourists coming off the Nordik so that they can make the most of their time here (if you’ve ever been at the wharf in La Tabatiere, you’ll probably recall that it’s a bit of a labyrinth to navigate your way into town). I think that going up for a bird’s eye view would be pretty beneficial.

Anyways, keep your fingers crossed for the weather to clear up, and I’ll keep you posted!

Christine

Maggie

2009-07-07T09:58:00.001-04:00

This past week or so has been busy here in Blanc-Sablon. We sent everyone off to their respective locations after orientation and got to work calling observers, planning our camp, and working on our trip to the southern coast of Newfoundland. Although these jobs are tedious we have had some beautiful days, perfect for taking to the back deck to work in some sunshine. The week was also interrupted with a day off for Canada day. All of us interns spent the day helping some of the women decorate the town for the senior tea celebration, getting some last rays of sunshine, and spent our night making a delicious Canada day cake. Saturday was the big Canada day celebration in the town hall, filled with music and dancing. I love it here but I'm very excited to take off for our trip to Newfoundland on Tuesday.

Stephanie

2009-07-07T09:49:00.004-04:00

Hello Everyone,

My name is Stephanie and I will be participating in one of QLF’s cultural heritage projects this summer. My job will involve working on several improvements to a community museum in Cow Head, Newfoundland. I am from Montreal and I study history as a major at McGill University. My strong interest in history, especially in history at the community level, was one of the primary reasons I sought out this particular internship with QLF.

I have been in Newfoundland for over two weeks now and am learning daily what life is like in a modern outport community. Cow Head is a wonderfully beautiful place, surrounded on all sides by Gros Morne National Park and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The town is home to a population hovering between 400-450 people. In the past these people have survived mostly off the fishing and logging industries. However today as Newfoundland’s traditional economic activities decline in importance Cow Head has turned towards developing a booming summer tourist industry.

As I have been learning about the town’s history at the museum it strikes me how much things seem to have changed here and how essential it is to organize and interpret the museum’s collection so that the community’s history will not fade away with the passing generation. I hope that by making improvements to the museum and interpreting local history more people will feel encouraged to learn and embrace their heritage.

Sunset at Cow Head, Newfoundland

Hunter

2009-07-07T09:29:00.013-04:00

I spent the weekend on Dog Island with Dwight! We took a little skiff from Old Fort Harbor. The waves were very big and we got soaking wet, which made the warm house even better when we got. After we warmed up in the house with a nice cup of coffee, we went out and began working on putting the shingles up on Dwight's new house. After getting the first row finished we decided to call it quits for the day and went back inside. That night we went up to Dwight's brother's house and played some poker. The next morning we went digging for clams. When we finished digging, we decided to continue working on the roof. After we finished half of the roof we decided to head inside and have dinner.

Dwight and I called this "The Last Supper," we had seal, cod, halibut, trout, clams, and salmon for dinner!! The next morning Dwight woke me up early and we went whale watching! We saw a few Minke whales but the highlight was the dolphins. We had a bunch jump right in front of the boat and then we could see them swimming underneath us! When we got back from whale watching, we finished putting the shingles up on the roof. After that we headed back into Old Fort Bay. I never knew how much fun building a house was!

Christine

2009-07-07T09:23:00.003-04:00

I’ve been in La Tabatiere for almost a week now, and so far I’m enjoying it! The past few days have been filled with meeting members of the community and discussing what they would like to see happen this summer. Most of the community members seem to agree that working with the children of the town and keeping them busy is a priority, so I will be working closely with the various local youth organisations. I’ve already spent some time with the kids at the Mecatina Youth Centre: on Monday we went to Point aux Neiges park, and on Thursday morning we went swimming at Roger’s Pond (despite the chilly morning air, the water was surprisingly warm).

This past week I also had the opportunity to spend some time with my host family, Marilyn and Dennis Collier. On Canada Day, we spent the afternoon driving on the dirt roads around La Tabatiere and Mutton Bay and having a look at the scenery. Marilyn was very knowledgeable about the plants growing along the sides of the road, and I was pleased to learn how to identify various berries. Once we had returned home, Dennis taught me how to knit seal fishing nets. Although it didn’t take me too long to catch on, I was amazed by how deftly Dennis managed to weave and knot the green twine into a net.

Over the next week, I’m hoping to get started on some of the community events and projects that are still in the planning stage.

Laura

2009-07-07T09:15:00.005-04:00

After volunteering this past winter in the Montreal office, I’m now very excited to be spending the summer in Blanc-Sablon working as an intern on QLF’s Marine Species at Risk program. I’ve been here on the coast for almost two weeks now and I’m continually amazed by how breathtaking it is!

Last week all the interns and volunteers traveled up to Blanc-Sablon for orientation where we learned all about QLF’s history, and enjoyed the opportunity to visit many nearby sites. My favourite part was our scenic drive along the Labrador coast (during which we saw two icebergs!) to the town of Red Bay where we learned about the 16th century Basque whalers – Red Bay is so fascinating because just a few decades ago they discovered the remains of numerous whaling ships (as well as clothing, tools, and other artefacts from the Basque era) which have been remarkably preserved by the cold waters of the harbour.

We also had the chance to visit the famous L’Anse Amour burial mound, which to this day is the oldest burial site found on the continent dating back some 75000 years, and walked up the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada (all 128 steps!) where we got the most spectacular birds-eye view of the Labrador coastline.

It’s been a wonderfully busy 2 weeks, filled with meeting new people, discovering new places, and learning more and more each day about the rich history and culture of the lower north shore. I’m really looking forward to the adventures ahead!

Henry

2009-06-30T10:07:00.006-04:00

On Sunday, June 21st, I flew up to Deer Lake, Newfoundland, to meet up with QLF staff Adrienne Blattel, and volunteers Hunter Bolling and Eliot Jackson, on our way to Blanc-Sablon, Quebec. We rented a car and drove to Rocky Harbor, which is on the coast and lies within Gros Morne National Park. The town was beautiful, and we had a great view of the park from our cabins, which were situated right on the water. The next day, we woke up early and drove to the Berry Hill trailhead, and went on a morning hike up the hill. We had a great view of the town of Rocky Harbor from the top, and also could see the huge cliff faces of the National Park behind us. We then decided to start on another hike, and walked about 15 minutes down the boardwalk trail when we came across a moose. It was a good sighting, as I have never seen a moose in Newfoundland before. We decided that this was a good turn-around point for our walk, so we strolled back to the car and set off for St. Barbe, which is located on the west side of the northern peninsula of Newfoundland, where we were to catch our ferry to Blanc-Sablon. Everything went smoothly, and we arrived in Blanc-Sablon on a beautiful afternoon.

Tuesday morning was spent doing the official QLF orientation, and by the end of it the general consensus was that we should get outside and enjoy the nice weather, so we took a hike up Mt. Parent, which has a beautiful lookout across the water to Newfoundland. On Wednesday, we went up the national historic site of Red Bay, Labrador, and learned about the old Basque whaling tradition, and how this site was applying to be named as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There was an informative and surprisingly modern museum, so much was learned from this trip. Again it was another beautiful day, which I was not expecting. I think it was warmer these first three days up here than it had been all summer in Ipswich!

Anyway, I leave on the boat tonight, Friday, for Harrington Harbor, where Eliot and I will be starting a recreation program. I'm excited to go back to Harrington again and see all of the people that I’ve met in years past. I spend nine days there, and then its back to the Ipswich office where I will finish out the month of July. There will be an update soon!

Christine

2009-06-26T14:33:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone! My name is Christine Porterfield, and this summer I will be interning in La Tabatiere, QC with QLF's Seal Fishery Heritage. I'm originally from Guelph, ON, but I have been studying Anthropology and World Religions at McGill University for the past three years. I first heard about QLF through the McGill Arts Internship Office website and knew immediately that this position would be an amazing opportunity to see remote and beautiful regions of Canada- and so far I haven't been disappointed.

I've had the chance to visit several of the villages along the coast via the Nordik Express during my journey to Blanc-Sablon for orientation, and I've been consistently amazed by both the beauty of the land and the character of the people. This impression was further reinforced by the events of the past few days during intern orientation: we have visited Red Bay National Historic Site to learn about Basque heritage, participated in a vibrant St. Jean de Baptiste Day community bonfire, and ventured out to see several local landmarks. I'll be leaving for La Tabatiere this evening, and I am excited to see what cultural and environmental experiences I will encounter during the next six weeks.

Eliot

2009-06-26T14:26:00.005-04:00

My name is Eliot Jackson, I am from Denver, CO and will be attending St. Mary's College of CA this fall to study biology. I landed in Deer Lake on June 21st to join a group of four that would be traveling the Newfoundland coast to the ferry in St. Barbe across the Strait of Belle Isle. The drive through Gros Morne National Park was stunning and we had the opportunity to take a short hike on which we were fortunate to see a small moose, a few carnivorous plants and a tremendous view of the lush park.

The highlight of the drive was a stop we made in Bird Cove at a community run archeological museum. The woman that took us on the tour was the first of many endearing folk I have met in these small costal towns. She was particularly animated, and as we meandered through the artifacts she would point them out, recite the name location of discovery and quickly slide into a story about her childhood. One could not help but grin as they leaned in to decipher the thick Newfoundland accent. " I tink it wa a real vouy-kin' I says don' goes in de'r I says to him," her eyes were round as she bustled behind one of us, her hand on their shoulder as she slowly leaned out, "don' goes in der I says." How that was associated with the artifact I can not recall. However, each of the stories she told gave me a glimpse of the attitudes and lifestyle there that was perhaps infinitely more valuable. I continue to learn about the communities here through the stories of new acquaintances and friends.

This evening I will board the Nordik Express for Harington Harbor were I will be running a recreation camp and marine camp over the next three weeks. I am so excited to meet the kids and explore another community. Orientation has helped me prepare for the upcoming weeks and with each day I become more confident in our work there.

Hunter

2009-06-26T13:08:00.003-04:00

Hey my name is Hunter Bolling and I am going to be a senior at Tower Hill School in Wilmington Delaware. I arrived in Blanc Sablon on June 21st. I first heard about QLF through my dad who spent two years as an intern when he was in college. His sister, my aunt, also spent a year as an intern for QLF. For the past few days we have had all the interns and volunteers here in Blanc-Sablon for our orientation. So far we have done some great icebreaker games, gone on hikes, and had absolutely delicious food. I will have to say that the Poutine is my favorite, the mix of french fries, gravy, and cheese just can't be beat. I can't wait to have some more!

Maggie

2009-06-26T12:57:00.010-04:00

Hey, my name is Maggie Carey and I am 17 years old. I'm from Boston, Massachusetts. I found out about QLF through an intern program at my high school, Students on the Forefront of Science. They pick one rising senior every year to work on the QLF Leadership Program. I will be spending 5 weeks this summer in Blanc-Sablon working on the Marine Species at Risk program. I love it here on the coast and I'm very excited for this summer.

Danielle: April 22, 2009

2009-05-20T15:00:00.002-04:00

I am now settled in at QLF’s Montreal office, and I’m enjoying every minute of it. Each day brings new challenges, opportunities, and learning experiences. I have had the opportunity to meet and work closely with QLF staff on a variety of projects. I am constantly amazed at how much effort and energy staff, interns, and volunteers put into their projects. I am thrilled to be learning all the ins and outs of operating an international non-profit conservation organization, including the intricacies of coordinating projects remotely.

Most recently, I have been working on the Annual Newsletter of QLF Canada. I am involved in the writing, editing and coordination of its publication. Thank you to all the staff for their wonderful articles and photos. Keep your eye out for its release in the next few weeks!

Magali: 24-mars-2009

2009-04-02T16:14:00.001-04:00

Cap-aux-Meules:
Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine sont un milieu insulaire présentant un large éventail d’activités culturelles et de plein air. Depuis mon arrivée, j’ai eu la chance de jouer aux quilles, d’essayer la danse en ligne sur le rythme de la musique country, d’assister au lancement d’un cd de musique traditionnelle des îles, de découvrir l’exposition de maquettes de bateaux au Musée de la mer, de fêter la Mi-carême, de déguster différents poissons et invertébrés marins, de faire des randonnées au Parc des Bucks, de me promener sur le littoral et bien d’autres!

Toutefois, une journée particulière restera gravée à jamais dans mes souvenirs, celle où j’ai passé un après-midi complet sur les glaces de l’Étang-du-Nord afin d’assister à la chasse aux phoques. Cette journée ensoleillée m’a permis de découvrir des paysages de glace féeriques, d’observer la faune aviaire, et bien sûr, une multitude de phoques, adultes autant que juvéniles, de m’instruire sur l’historique et la pratique de cette chasse, et ce, en agréable compagnie d’amis madelinots.

Les joues bien colorées par le soleil, les jambes fatiguées par les cinq heures de marche sur de la glace lisse ou morcelée et la tête remplie de souvenirs, cette journée a été pour moi une expérience unique!

Je tiens à remercier tous les gens que j’ai eu la chance de rencontrer, de parler avec et d’écouter et qui m’ont si bien accueilli parmi eux! MERCI!

Magali: 19-février-2009

2009-04-02T16:13:00.001-04:00

Bonjour à tous!
J’adore ma vie aux Iles-de-la-Madeleine. Arrivée depuis cinq semaines, le temps avance sans que je puisse m’en apercevoir. Les Madelinots sont des gens vrais, sympathiques et qui prennent le temps de te dire bonjour dans la rue, même s’ils n’ont aucune idée de qui tu es. Les paysages hivernaux sont magnifiques : banquises de glace, dunes de neige à perte de vue, superbes falaises et même quelques forêts paisibles. Les activités couramment pratiquées en hiver sont le bowling et la danse sur de la musique country acadienne ou des îles. J’ai également commencé à jouer au volley-ball les jeudis et les dimanches, alors que les vendredis sont destinés aux 5 à 7 au bar local, où il est très plaisant de rencontrer les gens dans un contexte autre que celui du travail. De plus, j’ai découvert un magnifique parc, du nom de Parc des Bucks, près de la maison où je demeure et où les gens y pratiquent autant la randonnée, le ski de fond que la raquette.

J’ai trouvé un logement chez une charmante famille; les Petitpas. La maison est merveilleusement bien située puisqu’elle se trouve à 7 minutes de marche du travail et tout près de tous les services offerts au village de Cap-aux-Meules. Ma famille des îles m’invite régulièrement à me joindre à eux soit pour manger ou pour partager diverses activités lors des fins de semaine.

Les communautés éloignées et insulaires offrent une multitude de petits trésors à découvrir … Je me considère très chanceuse de pouvoir vivre cette expérience parmi ces personnes si chaleureuses.

Magali

Magali: 13-janvier-2009

2009-04-02T16:11:00.002-04:00

Mon nom est Magali Francoeur et je viens tout juste d’être engagée à titre d’interne pour le programme sur les espèces marines en péril. D’ici peu, je deviendrai une Madelinienne temporaire, puisque je travaillerai aux Iles-de-la-Madeleine afin de recueillir le savoir traditionnel des pêcheurs locaux et leurs connaissances des espèces marines en péril.

J’ai étudié à l’Université du Québec à Rimouski en biologie marine lors de mes études au premier cycle, et j’ai poursuivi ces dernières en maîtrise en écologie internationale à l’Université de Sherbrooke. Depuis trois ans, je me promène un peu partout au Canada et à l’international via mes études et des expériences de travail. Enfin aujourd’hui, j’ai la chance d’appliquer mes connaissances au profil du QLF, un organisme ayant une vision autant environnementale que culturelle, et ce, dans notre belle province du Québec.

Merci de me donner l’opportunité de découvrir de merveilleux paysages hivernaux, des gens chaleureux et un travail touchant tous les aspects qui me tiennent à cœur!

Karen: 10-Nov-2008

2009-04-02T15:26:00.001-04:00

I’ve only just started volunteering at QLF’s Montreal office, trying to help staff members coordinate the involvement of youth in the 6th Canadian River Heritage Conference. I’m especially looking forward to finding young participants from overseas committed to managing, restoring, or conserving riverine resources within their own country. I can’t wait to see what novel reflections will come from bringing together these young people (of very diverse backgrounds) with industry spokespeople, advocates, researchers, and First Nations representatives.

After only three days of work, I am getting into the nitty-gritty of fundraising, and surprisingly, having a really good time. Simone and Adrienne, QLF staff, are warm, focused, and helpful; they made me feel comfortable and valued from the very first day!

Negar: 10-Feb-2009

2009-04-02T15:23:00.004-04:00

Hello again! Recently I traveled to Iran to visit with my family. This was an opportunity to explore new program directions while my country. As part of my QLF Internship, I traveled to two islands in the Persian Gulf during this visit to Iran (December 2008). The purpose of this travel was to learn about the marine mammal work of environmental Non-governmental organizations on coastal Iran.

One of these Islands was Qeshm, the biggest island in the Persian Gulf with an area of 1628 km2. I had not been to Qeshm before, and I enjoyed it very much. Along with partners from Plan for the Land, an environmental NGO based in Iran, I visited several conservation sites and met with local conservation groups as well as fishers. Together, we had the opportunity to visit beautiful sites such as the Qeshm geo-park, the only geo-park in the Middle East (see picture to right), and the protected area of sea-forests (mangrove forests) that serve as habitat for many bird species. We also saw dolphins in the Persian Gulf.

In addition, I visited Kish Island, where I met with Mr. Houshmand, the director of the Kish Island Dolphinarium, an advocate of marine mammal conservation in the region.

This journey, under the direction of Beth Alling, Middle East Program Director, helped me to more fully understand some of the environmental issues facing the Persian Gulf aquatic environment that I had learned about during my internship experience. This experience motivated me to attempt more for the conservation of the Persian Gulf environment. I came to understand that there is a big difference between reading about environmental disasters in newspapers or books and actually experiencing (or feeling) them in the real environment and witnessing their adverse impacts on local people’s lives.

Negar: 10-Nov-2008

2009-04-02T15:22:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! My name is Negar, I am 28 years old and from a very far country from Canada: Iran. As part of my studies in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Graduate Diploma Program at Concordia University, I have been working at QLF’s Montreal office since September 2008.

I always enjoy working in environmental NGOs and have a similar experience in Iranian environmental NGOs. When I was planning to start my internship at QLF, my goal was to support QLF’s emerging work in the Persian Gulf and to explore relevant EIA issues in that region. I proposed a project which has both the required characteristics of Graduate Program and is useful to QLF.

Since I am interested in the activities of environmental NGOs and believe in their crucial role in conserving the environment, I am researching the potential for environmental NGOs in eight countries around the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea to engage in the process of Trans-boundary Environmental Impact Assessment. Making a connection between different NGOs in this region, especially NGOs in different countries, provides a valuable opportunity for these NGOs to share their experiences and knowledge and to support each other in the conservation of the environment beyond political borders.

Because QLF has international programs in Latin America and Caribbean, Central and Southern Europe and Middle East, I believe that it can provide opportunities for interns and volunteers who are interested in these regions.

I am working with incredible and nice colleagues at QLF Montreal office. I have a month left here and I will miss my colleagues very much.

Maro: 10-Nov-2008

2009-04-02T15:18:00.002-04:00

Hello, everyone! My name is Maro Adjemian, and I recently began a "Culture and Conservation" internship at QLF's Montreal office. During my internship, I will be working with Adrienne Blattel on a few Cultural Heritage projects on Quebec's Lower North Shore, as well as helping to develop a Canadian National Heritage River Foundation. I have a BSc in Biology from McGill University, and just finished a Masters in Geography, also at McGill.

I am excited to be working with QLF because of its focus on conservation, people and culture- all things that are important to me! I am also happy to have a chance to learn more about Quebec's Lower North Shore, a place where I have never been, but would love to visit one day.

Laura: 10-Feb-2009

2009-04-02T15:17:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! My name is Laura. I come from Montreal originally but have lived in Ottawa for most of my life. I decided to return to this lovely city after graduating high-school in 2005 to obtain my BSc from McGill University. How time flies –I’m already in my final semester at McGill, studying in environmental sciences and geography.

Since being at McGill in the area in which I study, I have developed a strong passion for the environment and the need to protect it. I have seen firsthand the damage ecosystems have incurred due to human activities, and so I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to work with QLF, and to assist in their initiatives for conservation of our natural resources. QLF seems to have so many exciting projects on the go, and I’m really looking forward to being a part of it all!

Maro: 12-Jan-2009

2009-04-02T11:04:00.001-04:00

It has already been three months since I began working at the QLF office in Montreal- time flies! I have really been enjoying my work here. The QLF staff seems to only include wonderful people, and the projects I am working on are interesting.

Lately, I have been primarily working on two different projects. The first is a seal-fishery heritage project in La Tabatière, a small village on Québec’s Lower North Shore. The seal-fishery practiced in this area is different from the seal hunt, and involves catching seals in complex traps made of underwater nets attached in the path of migrating harp seals. The fishery is illegal now, but historically has been very important to La Tabatière’s culture and economy. I have been researching the seal fishery in order to make a booklet about it, which the community will then be able to sell to interested tourists to make a bit of income. The second big project I am working on, along with a couple of QLF staff members, is a business plan which will be submitted to the government with the hopes of starting up a Rivers Canada Foundation. This foundation would give out grants to support river conservation across Canada. Besides these two projects, I have also been involved in several other smaller projects, which keeps things from ever getting boring! It’s a great experience to work at an office this small, since I am able to learn the ins and outs of non-profit life.

Danielle: 18-Feb-2009

2009-04-02T10:55:00.003-04:00

Hi! My name is Danielle Lewchuk and I am volunteering at the QLF's Montreal office. I have a B.Sc. in Environment from McGill University, and I am looking forward to applying my knowledge to real-world conservation issues. I grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, and acquired my appreciation for the diversity of the natural world during many summers spent on canoe trips throughout Canada.

I will be helping out with a number of projects for the QLF, but so far, I have worked on a resource guide for fishers on the Lower North Shore and a proposal for a new protected area.