Autumn Jordan has always been interested in conservation, making Trent’s Bioenvironmental Monitoring and Assessment (BEMA) graduate program a natural fit.

“I grew up in Muskoka, which really immersed me in nature and fostered my love for conservation of wildlife and habitats,” says Autumn, a full-time student in the interdisciplinary BEMA Masters program – an intensive, one-year, course-based degree that’s offered exclusively online with a 15-week professional placement.

“These placements are very important for students to gain professional experience in the environmental sector, while putting into practice some of the knowledge and skills learned during their coursework,” says Jennifer Bull, the program’s placement coordinator. These include skills in data analysis, science communication, and using geographical information system (GIS) software ArcGIS to generate maps.

Monitoring swallow populations in Dunnville Marsh
Autumn completed her placement with Nature Canada working as a conservation coordinator for the Naturalist team, and was able to conduct fieldwork in the Dunnville Marsh near Lake Erie.

“It was amazing,” she says. “We monitored a variety of birds there and saw over 30,000 swallows the first day and 40,000 the second day – mostly Purple Martin, Barn and Bank swallows, though we also spotted some Tree and Cliff swallows."

Autumn also had the opportunity to hone her writing skills, with two of her articles, titled All About Swallow Roosts and Turtle Nesting, published by Nature Canada.

Advocating for habitat protection
Swallows are aerial insectivores. While their populations are relatively healthy and plentiful in the study area, their populations are declining from east of the Rockies and onward.

“The only Purple Martin population that’s doing well is out where we were monitoring,” says Autumn. “We’re hoping to get the area protected because their populations are declining due to the use of pesticides, which cause a decline in the insect populations that they feed on.”

While not a keystone species, swallows play a critical role in habitat and are a great indicator of overall ecosystem health.

Online program a plus during pandemic
Autumn completed her B.Sc. in Biology at the University of Ottawa, with a focus on conservation biology and ecology. Knowing she wanted to do more in this field, she decided to pursue Trent’s M.BEMA degree.

She says all her professors at Trent have been amazing mentors and teachers. Her biggest takeaways from the program include the chance to deepen her knowledge of environmental law and policy as well working alongside ornithologist Ted Cheskey, her placement supervisor.

“He really opened my eyes to the marvel of swallows and birds overall,” says Autumn, who learned that her contract with Nature Canada had been extended following her placement. “I’m so grateful to have gotten this opportunity, especially when a lot of young people my age are struggling to find work in their fields.”

She hopes to continue working in the environmental non-profit field, advocating for wildlife conservation through community organizations and outreach. There’s no doubt that Trent has prepared her for her next steps.

“The placement program within the M.BEMA degree has been crucial to deciding on my next career steps,” she adds. “It has given me the opportunity to confirm that this is the work I want to do.”

Autumn was also the recipient of this year’s M.BEMA Leadership Excellence Award for achieving academic excellence and demonstrating leadership as the M.BEMA representative with the Trent Graduate Studies Association.