Où la Nature est Belle

OÙ LA NATURE EST BELLE

WRITTEN BY: EUGENIE GAUJACQ, FRENCH COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

The outdoors has always been an important part of my life. My mother's solution to hyperactive children was barring us from the house for 8 hours a day. I'll forever be grateful to her for this because those countless hours spent outside are where I fell in love with nature. As we grew older, spending time outside was always a given, every day getting a little more creative and reckless, from gathering all the neighbourhood kids to play our version of Mantracker to walking in the woods at night to give ourselves a little fright. Nowadays, I've (somewhat) calmed down, but nature remains a huge part of my life.

Quite frankly, the outdoors keep me sane. There is nothing more peaceful and grounding than going for a walk or a hike, especially when the weight of school and work feel like they might crush you.

When the job posting for the position of French Communications Intern at the Nature Trust fell into my lap by chance, it immediately piqued my interest. I had never heard of the Nature Trust before, so I quickly did a deep dive into who they were and what they did. It only took a few minutes to know that I would love to be a part of this organization.

Eight months later, this internship has been rewarding in so many ways. Through my work here, I have learned so much more than I could have anticipated and was often pushed out of my comfort zone, especially since communications is not in my field of study. For example, I had never imagined myself writing a blog, yet here we are. I now have a new set of skills that will be useful for future endeavours and a much deeper understanding of the conservation, stewardship, and engagement work they do here at the Nature Trust.

As French Communications Officer, my job entails a lot more time indoors rather than in the field. Being fresh out of ankle surgery, office life sounded just fine to me. After all, I was still going to be a part of something so crucial for the environment.

The times I did go out in the field and get my hands dirty were just as rewarding. After leading Frog Walks, I have now retained a lifetime’s worth of fun facts about the amphibians found in Hyla Park and New Brunswick. I will forever get so excited when anybody spots a frog around me so that I have the opportunity to show off my newfound knowledge. Also, convincing my friends and family to wake up way too early on a Saturday morning to remove marine debris that litter our precious shorelines for the Great Fundy Coastal Cleanup has all been worthwhile.

In academia and on social media, it becomes difficult not to get discouraged by the constant new data and reports demonstrating just how badly we’ve treated our planet. What seems like a never-ending wave of negative headlines warning us of our impending doom and informing us about world leaders taking steps in the wrong direction all start to weigh you down.

Working at the Nature Trust has reinvigorated my passion for the environment, as well as my optimism that there are in fact, people that truly care and are dedicated to preserving our precious natural spaces and wildlife. Office life isn’t so bad when you work with such open, kind, amazing, and passionate people. Hearing (and translating) everyone’s unique journey that led them here at the Nature Trust has reassured me and helped diminish the sometimes overwhelming uncertainty surrounding “What’s next?”.

Thank you to St. Thomas University’s Experiential Learning and Community Based Learning Department
and Venture For Canada for funding this work experience.