When Olivia Davis first got into her canoe on the Dumoine River last summer, she could not, for the life of her, get it to go straight. Headwinds, currents, and whitewater rapids made it difficult for her and her paddling partner to steer the canoe where they wanted it to go. 

It’s not that Davis was unfamiliar with being on the water. She rows with the University of Ottawa, where she’s wrapping up her biology degree. But it was learning to work with the unpredictability of the wilderness, the unknown factors, that took some time to figure out. But it was exactly this kind of unpredictability she was craving after spending years in a lab. 

They were among the several dozen participants in the first class of a new youth conservation program run by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s Ottawa Valley (CPAWS-OV) chapter, created to offer youth from 18 to 30 years old a year-long introduction to the world of conservation work. 

And as part of this program – called Nature for Everyone, Everywhere! – they were taking a three-day trip down the Dumoine River that runs the westernmost edge of the MRC Pontiac and is one of few major rivers in southern Quebec that remains undammed. 

Guided by expert paddlers, participants learned about the history of the river and all the work that has gone into protecting its watershed from development. In 2023, after two decades of work, CPAWS-OV succeeded at having some 1776 square kilometres of its watershed officially designated as a protected area. 

And it was on this trip that Davis began thinking about what she would take on as her own personal conservation project for the year – a requirement of the program. She said learning about the work to preserve a wildlife corridor through the Dumoine’s watershed inspired her to think about work she could do in her daily life to help wildlife move through the built environment. 

“I spend a lot of time on the Ottawa River at the Ottawa Rowing Club,” she said. “The Ottawa River is a huge corridor for migratory birds that come down from the Arctic in the winter. This is kind of like their Florida.”

After noticing that many smaller birds end up hitting the rowing club’s large glass doors, or getting caught inside the building, she decided to work on getting the club to install some bird-friendly window protectors to help the birds avoid flying into the glass. 

“I’m hoping to use that as a gateway to convince [owners of] other buildings that might be along the river to do that too.” 

Davis has yet to get the rowing club fully on board with her vision, but she’s working on it. And it’s this work – the process of promoting some form of conservation work within the spaces where students already spend time – that is at the core of CPAWS’ mission with this program. 

“There’s many different ways students can participate, whether it be through education, environmental awareness, whether it be a community program, like a community garden or shoreline cleanup,” explained Jennifer Haughton, who recently started as education coordinator for CPAWS Ottawa Valley. She noted the program provides support to youth through workshops and one-on-one mentorship to ensure that they successfully complete their projects. 

Other projects taken on by the program’s first students include the removal of invasive phragmites species, the creation of a composting program in a student’s cottage community, creating workshops to deliver to the community or to schools on various environmental topics, and creating educational panels on various species to be installed in the Dumoine River aquatic reserve. 

“I think some of the goals are more like what can you do for your community, at a local level in terms of conservation,” Haughton said. 

Now, as the first class of the program is nearing the finish line with their projects, which are expected to wrap up in April, CPAWS-OV is recruiting participants for its second year. 

Haughton said the program is perfect for youth with a passion for nature and the environment, and a curiosity about how to build a career working to protect it. The program offers opportunities for developing job skills, including resume building and interview skills, and ends with a youth summit where participants can show off their projects and network with other people already working in conservation. 

It is bilingual, entirely free of charge, and includes a weekend canoe expedition trip, which provides participants the opportunity to experience the outdoors and connect with nature. 

For Davis, it was the promise of getting outside that first drew her to the conservation program. As a fourth-year biology student, many of her peers are keen to become doctors, or continue as lab scientists. But Davis, who grew up camping and has long had an affinity for the natural world, applied to the CPAWS program because she wanted to try something different. 

“I’ve always been interested in [protecting] biodiversity, and some sort of conservation work. So I figured that while I’m taking more required courses at school, looking for volunteer opportunities would be a good way to get more field experience,” she said.  

While she doesn’t know exactly what kind of work she wants to do once she graduates, she said the program has opened her eyes to options outside of the conventional research route. 

“I definitely feel like I align a lot more with the environmental studies side of things. [ . . . ] People always say you should do a career in something you’re passionate about because it makes it easier to get up in the morning. So I’ve found that there’s a lot more options and paths forward than I originally thought.”

Applications are due Mar. 31 and can be found at https://cpaws-ov-vo.org/campaigns/youth-program/.