{"id":36918,"date":"2023-03-21T15:43:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-21T20:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildlifepreservation.qa.caorda.com\/?p=36918"},"modified":"2023-03-23T10:44:24","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T15:44:24","slug":"past-new-noah-sarah-falconer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildlifepreservation.ca\/fr\/blog\/past-new-noah-sarah-falconer\/","title":{"rendered":"Sarah Falconer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Canada\u2019s 32nd New Noah<\/h5>\n

Meet Sarah Falconer<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/main><\/div><\/div>
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Mary Ann Evans (under the pseudonym George Eliot) says in The Mill on the Floss, \u201cWe could never have loved the earth so well if we had no childhood in it\u201d. My childhood spent camping, hiking, and up to my elbows in mud searching for all kinds of critters absolutely beget my love for wildlife and later, my desire to protect it. I grew up mainly in Ontario, searching for salamanders at a family cottage in Haliburton and squeezing through caves at Rattlesnake Point. I was lucky enough to have a family that not only tolerated my love of animals, but they also encouraged it. This messy, dirty, squelchy childhood was the start of my informal education as a wildlife biologist.<\/p>\n

Although I pursued drama at an arts high school in Toronto, I succumbed to my passion for wildlife for my undergraduate degree. My formal biology education started at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, studying for a zoology degree. The Okanagan is actually a desert, which means not only does it produce excellent wine, but it also hosts a myriad of species that can\u2019t be found anywhere else in Canada! Living in this unique ecosystem opened my eyes to the incredible diversity of habitats Canada boasts.<\/p>\n

If my messy childhood was any indication, one of my favourite parts of biology is getting into the field and working on projects hands-on. I did this for four months at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre during my undergraduate degree, taking a variety of field-based marine courses. I got my feet wet (literally) learning about seaweeds and snails, and in the process fell in love with the ocean. Conducting a directed-studies research project while there was my first foray into research, which I continued by completing a fourth-year honours thesis once back in the Okanagan. My thesis evaluated the use of groups of species as surrogates to direct conservation funding in British Columbia. This work gave me first-hand experience in how complicated it is to execute conservation projects and how funding can be allocated to have the biggest impact for the most species.<\/p>\n

Throughout all these experiences, a common thread for me has been my love of zoos. From attending zoo camps at the Toronto Zoo as a child, to completing my required volunteer hours in high school there, to working as a zoo camp counselor in the summers during my undergrad, I have always appreciated being close to animals and sharing my passion with others. These formative experiences allowed me to learn more about the animals themselves, as well as discover the incredible conservation work that zoos can do. It gave me a behind-the-scenes glimpse into programs like head starting,\u00a0l'\u00e9levage de conservation<\/a>, and genetic management which are all fundamental parts of zoo conservation. I was excited therefore to participate in the \u201cReNew Zoo \u201d program for my Master\u2019s degree, which centered around zoo science and the contribution of zoos to conservation. My thesis research in this program involved the Vancouver Island marmot, which is Canada\u2019s most endangered mammal! There has been a long-standing conservation breeding program for this species to try and protect it in the wild. I worked closely with the population of marmots at the Toronto Zoo as part of my degree, which was a highly rewarding experience. Most biologists will attest it\u2019s hard not to love your study species and I am no exception. Those resilient little marmots have burrowed their way into my heart for good!<\/p>\n

After completing my Master\u2019s thesis, I began my professional conservation career at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy in Winnipeg, Manitoba as a conservation technician. My primary responsibility was managing a beluga whale monitoring program (back to the ocean! Woo!). I even got to spend some time in Churchill, Manitoba getting to see the beautiful white whales in person. In my role I also participated in a variety of conservation programs for other at-risk species in Canada. From tiny grassland butterflies, to burrowing owls, to polar bears, I was thrilled to put my conservation knowledge into practice \u2013 even if it meant living through Winnipeg winters!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Follow along with Sarah as she explores Mauritius!<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section>
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