Meet Our Summer Students, Abigail and Vicki!

This past summer, Earth Rangers was lucky enough to work with four young people from the Canada Summer Jobs program! Every year, CSJ connects non-profit organizations like Earth Rangers to folks at the very beginning of their careers. We sat down with two of our summer students, Abigail and Vicki, to chat about the paths that brought them to Earth Rangers. They’ve got great advice for kids who love animals and dream about working in conservation when they grow up!

Meet Abigail!

What made you want to work at Earth Rangers? 

I wanted to join Earth Rangers because of their profound impact on environmental education and advocacy. As a biology graduate, working for a sustainable and environmentally friendly company is extremely important to me, and here at Earth Rangers, they live harmoniously with nature and animals.

What do you like most about working in conservation?

I love working in conservation not only to spend more time in nature but to preserve it for future generations. As we are faced with numerous climate catastrophes, it is important for my role in society to educate and advocate for future generations.

What advice would you give to kids who are curious about green jobs? 

My advice to kids curious about green jobs is to pursue that interest! If you are really passionate about helping animals, the environment or just the planet in general, then there are lots of roles for you in the world right now. Find something you love and something you are good at (writing, speaking, art, etc.) and combine those things to find a green job that suits you!

What’s your favourite day-to-day way to bring down your carbon footprint? 

My favourite day-to-day way to bring down my carbon footprint would have to be working remotely. Any day I can avoid the commute using my car is a good day! I also love using my re-usable water bottle and limiting electricity at home.

If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why? 

If I could be an animal, I would be a blue whale, because they are the largest animal on Earth, with a heart as heavy as a car, enjoying the ocean. I love to swim and these animals are extremely beautiful when they are living freely.

Meet Vicki!

What made you want to work at Earth Rangers? 

As a kid, I always loved and supported Earth Rangers. I was even an Earth Ranger myself. All my life, I’ve cared about animals, and our planet, which houses all of them. My dream was to be an Earth Ranger and to work with animals. Though my passions have shifted to graphic design, this opportunity to work at my dream job AND do something for the animals I so care about has been nothing less of a dream. 

What do you like most about working in conservation?

I love working in conservation because I care so deeply about wildlife and preserving our natural environment. Not only that, but I get to work with people who also share the same love and care that I do. My co-workers are some of the most thoughtful, passionate and caring people that I have had the honor to meet. 

What advice would you give to kids who are curious about green jobs? 

My advice for kids is to stay curious, passionate and innovative! Asking questions, finding ways to help or even just talking about conservation or green jobs are all great ways to learn more. Furthermore, never give up! You never know what opportunities may arise if you keep working hard.

What’s your favourite day-to-day way to bring down your carbon footprint? 

My family does this fun game where we always ensure that, when someone leaves a room, we turn off the lights. If you leave the light on, you have to pay up a loonie! We also have a garden in the backyard where we put good food scraps, like egg shells and fruit cores. Finally, we actively practice recycling and keep our recycle bins bigger than our trash bins to remind us to recycle the items that we can. 

5. If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why? 

If I could be an animal, I would be a quokka! They are the cutest little marsupials from Australia with the most adorable smiles. They are so small and look so happy. I would love to spend my days as a lounging quokka eating some fresh leaves.​