Junior Conservationist shares experiences
Mercedes Prout recalls experiences as Junior Conservationist at Ausable Bayfield Conservation in summer of 2025
Exeter-area student learns about local conservation while working at Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) during two-month summer work experience opportunity
By Mercedes Prout, Junior Conservationist
I had the incredible opportunity to be the Junior Conservationist for Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) during the summer of 2025. This two-month position is an amazing chance to showcase all of the different fields of work done here at ABCA.
I learned about this position after working at the first-ever March Break Summer Nature Day Camp. The staff at Ausable Bayfield Conservation encouraged me to apply after I showed interest in some of the other fields of work.
I went into my first day, as Jr. Conservationist, with expectations of working in the environmental field. It did not disappoint at all!
The first day of every week was out beach monitoring with Rosalind Chang, ABCA Healthy Watersheds Technologist, sampling water at four different gullies and beaches for Escherichia coli (E. coli) levels.
This summer we partnered with the University of Guelph in research to look further at the DNA of the E. coli. I was super interested to learn about this.
After that, I never experienced the same week twice. I was moving all over the place. I got to try a little bit of everything, from turtle monitoring, to Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) Passive Swabs, to looking at Stream Loggers, looking at the Butternut orchards, and surveying for mussel populations.
Throughout my two months, I was able to take on a variety of tasks that opened my eyes to the many sides of conservation work. From walking the fields looking for loggers, to collecting water samples across the watershed, and even helping out at summer nature day camp, every single day brought me something new to which I could look forward.
What stood out most to me was gaining an inside look at just how many different responsibilities the conservation authority carries. Without this experience, I never would have understood the true range of their work, or the massive positive difference it makes for the community.
I would like to thank Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation for funding a position like this for young people like myself to get to experience all of the incredible career paths in their field.
I would also like to thank all of the incredible staff at ABCA for being so welcoming and making the office a place I looked forward to coming to every day. Everyone was clearly very passionate about their work and their enthusiasm was contagious.
– Mercedes Prout is from the Exeter area and is entering Grade 12 at South Huron District High School.