Meet NCC’s 2023 summer interns: Ocean Kveder
Ocean Kveder (Photo courtesy of Ocean Kveder)
As the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) internal communications & culture intern, for the month of August I will be highlighting several of our interns working across Canada. Their contributions are helping conserve and restore the land and the species living in it.
I am thrilled to introduce Ocean Kveder, this year’s Conservation Volunteers program assistant for southern Alberta. They graduated from Lethbridge College with a bachelor’s degree in ecosystem management, with a focus on fish and wildlife, and they previously worked at NCC for two summers, in 2019 and 2022, as a conservation technician.
Ocean says that their education has prepared them for their internship.
“Connecting with people is one of the ways that the long-term, healthy management of ecosystems can be brought to light — the more you learn about something like this, the more likely you are to want to take action to care for and protect it. When people are given opportunities to try out hands-on conservation measures, they tend to get deeply involved in it and grow a love of it,” they shared.
They spent a lot of their youth exploring the breathtaking landscapes of both Alberta and BC, which cultivated their love for nature.
“My family is full of outdoorsy people, so none of them were surprised when I decided to go into a career based in environmental science.”
Ocean says that their weeks are anything but typical. Whether attending meetings with other staff, drafting plans and documents for upcoming events, conducting field work or coordinating Conservation Volunteers events, their experience is a whirlwind of exciting challenges.
“The variability of each week keeps me on my toes, but I love it.”
Ocean offers valuable advice for future NCC interns, encouraging them to participate in Conservation Volunteer events.
“[These events] bring out a wonderfully diverse group of people, with every event you hold; rove around and talk to them!” says Ocean. “This is partly to check in on them and see if they need anything and how they’re feeling. Learn about their outlooks, interests and watch them seemingly work magic.”
They also have another piece of advice for all interns: “Stay curious and be open to new opportunities! Also, hand sanitizer is great for getting tree sap off your skin.”
Here at NCC, we are confident that their genuine love for nature will inspire us all. Stay tuned each week for more insightful stories from the field.
About the Author
Kyla Cortez is the Nature Conservancy of Canada's internal communications & culture intern for the summer of 2024. She is currently doing a double major in English and book and media studies at the University of Toronto. Aside from journalism and academics, she loves birds, going to parks and travelling to different places.
