Reflections from our Intern

As NWPS Intern, Annie Merritt, concludes her internship with us this week, she reflects on her time spent working with our society. Read on below for a glimpse into her experience over the last four months.

Annie on her first day with NWPS

I first learned about Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society while searching for summer internship opportunities online. NWPS caught my attention because of their focus on both wildlife preservation and environmental education, which combines my two passions of protecting the environment and working with youth.  In my many years working as a Camp Counselor and Youth Mentor I have come to appreciate the curiosity, imagination and enthusiasm of youth.  This makes working with this age group very rewarding, but even more importantly, it makes for a very receptive audience when teaching about the value of environmental stewardship.  Given the importance of educating our future generations about their role in the preservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat, I think that the outreach work done by NWPS is incredibly important and I was very happy to have the opportunity to get involved with this organization.

Interning with NWPS has been a very positive experience.  Because it is a smaller organization, I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of different projects, and I have gained a good understanding of the work that goes into the operation of an environmental non-profit.  The experience I have gained working here has included event planning, newsletter and press release writing, applying for grants and in-kind donations, and participating in various NWPS activities including school programs and festival events. Because of the variety of tasks, I have really been able to diversify and build upon my existing skill set.  This has also made for a great work environment, as no two days at NWPS have been the same!

As my time at NWPS comes to a close, I would like to express my thanks to NWPS’ Executive Assistant, Kristine for always patiently answering my questions, and Education Coordinator, Darren, for sharing his absolutely contagious enthusiasm for wildlife. It has been such a pleasure working with you this summer! I would strongly encourage anyone looking for an opportunity to enrich their knowledge and diversify their skills to get involved with NWPS.  Not only will you be able to contribute to the protection of the environment, but you will also have a great time doing it! 

- Annie Merritt, NWPS Intern

If you would like to Intern with NWPS, please check out the current job posting at http://www.workcabin.ca/jobs/conservationwildlife/internship-unpaid