South Nation Conservation provides jobs to local students

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Summer Students Standing at a distance outside of the South Nation Conservation Office in Finch, Ontario

South Nation Conservation (SNC) welcomed eight students and recent graduates to its team this summer, thanks to support from the Federal and Provincial Governments.

SNC is a regional leader in summer student employment; every year, the Conservation Authority hires local students from across its 4,441 km2 jurisdiction in Eastern Ontario.

“We’re proud to secure investments that contribute to our local economy and give talented students an opportunity to work in their field of study,” says SNC General Manager Angela Coleman. “We are grateful for the hard work and enthusiasm that our local youth bring to support our conservation authority work every summer.”

From working in the forest, or within a Conservation Area, to supporting natural hazard programs or delivering environmental outreach programs including Youth Fish Camps, students become familiar with the inner-workings of a non-profit organization while getting exposed to a variety of career opportunities and experiences.

“I’m very excited to be working for South Nation Conservation this summer,” said Loic-Arnaud Plouffe, a Property and Approvals Student from Hawkesbury, enrolled in the Forestry Program at Collège Boréal in Sudbury. “I’m pleased to be part of an organization that protects, supports and enhances our environment for the benefit of all residents.”

New to the team this year are Allison Talsma, Sarah Derikx, Loic-Arnaud Plouffe and Arielle Noonan. Returning are Alicia Howse, Mary-Louise Sturman, Gianmarco Maggiore, and Hope Boyle. Gianmarco Maggiore, who began working with SNC as a student in 2021, has gone on to secure a full-time position with the Authority as a Water Resources Analyst. Collectively they are from Ottawa, Hawkesbury, Hamilton, and Kemptville.

“We look forward to hiring young and enthusiastic students every summer,” says Coleman. “They are our future generation of leaders and will hopefully go on to become good environmental stewards.”