Position Available – 2023 Research Field Team

This summer employment opportunity is funded by the Quetico Foundation through the Margery J. Warren bequest. The purpose of this position is to provide a student in the field sciences or related post-secondary program the opportunity to gain valuable experience. The Research Team Leader is part of a two-person research field team primarily responsible for collecting data in the remote wilderness of Quetico Provincial Park under the direction of the Park Biologist. When in the office, responsibilities will include data entry, analysis, and report writing.

By |February 4th, 2023|Jobs|0 Comments

Reflections of a Quetico Foundation Research Team Member

Photo 1: Kelsey Atatise standing beside a huge white pine on the 3080m portage into Cache Lake from Lindsay Lake. Photo Credit: Katherine Tripp. Photo 2: Offering tobacco prior to obtaining an increment core form a red pine. Photo Credit: Kelsey Atatise. 

I started working as part of the Quetico Foundation Research Team in the year 2020, with this field season being my second year as part of the team. I decided to work for the Foundation because I have a keen interest in biology and in working in a natural environment, and believe it is important to make a positive impact on the environment for future generations. There are a variety of subjects that I wish to study in post-secondary in the near future, including environmental sciences and biology. The work that I have been part of with the Quetico Foundation will help me achieve these goals. Throughout the two years that I have worked for the Quetico Foundation, my role as a research team member consisted of various fieldwork projects focused on collecting all scientific data for the Park Biologist. The main goal of collecting this data is to support the management of Quetico Provincial Park’s ecosystems with a focus on supporting and increasing the ecological integrity of the park. Being given the chance to help support the management of Quetico Provincial Park’s ecosystems these past couple of years has been an invaluable learning experience.

By |September 4th, 2022|Foundation News, Jobs|0 Comments

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2022

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!

Danni Gartshore, Master’s of Biology candidate at Lakehead University

Danni is currently researching the impacts of the invasive Spiny Water Flea on the growth of fish. She conducted her field work in Quetico Provincial Park in the summer of 2021, and is also looking at historical data dating back to the early 1970s.

By |February 12th, 2022|Foundation News, Park News|0 Comments

Artist in Residence Update

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It was another different year for the program with the pandemic continuing to affect travel at the border and within Canada. This year 2 artists in residence were successfully scheduled for the month of August for 2-week residencies at the park.

Unfortunately, circumstances made it so that both artists canceled their residencies just before arriving. One artist canceled due to a family emergency and another canceled because of the fire and smoke situation at the park in late August. We are hoping to offer the artist in residence program for all of the peak season in 2022 after another unusual year this year.

By |October 29th, 2021|Foundation News, Park News|0 Comments

Shan Walshe Bursary

this year’s winner of the Shan Walshe Bursary, Kelly Brigham

by: Kelly Brigham (letter from this year’s winner of the Shan Walshe Bursary)

Dear Selection Committee,

This fall I will be attending the University of Guelph, as I have accepted my offer of admission. While just beginning my post-secondary education, I look forward to completing my Bachelor of Science specializing in Environmental Sciences. This is a four-year program, and I couldn’t be more excited to attend and learn more about our environment. I knew I was interested in environmental sciences as my career path because of how much I love the outdoors. I grew up living on a lake where I developed my love for hunting, fishing, camping, horseback riding, hiking, snowshoeing, canoeing and so much more at a very young age, much like Shan Walshe. Some of my favourite memories of these activities took place in Quetico Provincial Park.

By |October 9th, 2021|Foundation News, Fundraising, Local news, Park News|0 Comments

Spiny water flea impacts on fish: Year 1

MSc student Danielle Gartshore and Ben Wood, a graduate of Dalhousie University

by: Michael Rennie, Associate Professor Lakehead University; Canada Research Chair in Freshwater Ecology and Fisheries

We are now into our second year of work in Quetico Provincial Park to investigate the impact of spiny water flea (or Bythotrephes to us scientists). Thanks to generous funding from the Quetico Foundation, we initiated our first full year of fieldwork in Quetico, with some different approaches than originally planned and modifications due to COVID, but were highly successful in gathering critical information to answer our research questions. Much of the fieldwork this summer was focused on collecting aging structures for walleye from lakes that will help us to answer questions about the potential negative impacts of Bythotrephes on early growth rates of Walleye, being led by MSc student Danielle Gartshore.

By |September 27th, 2021|Foundation News, Park News|0 Comments

Biology Interns

Katie Tripp

by: Katie Tripp

Most of the summer was spent working on the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas and moving songbird meters around the park. In addition to this work, other projects completed this summer include collecting depth and water clarity information from lake trout lakes so that each individual lake trout population’s risk from climate change can be assessed; sampling lakes for the presence of invasive Spiny Water Flea and monitoring trends in salamanders in the park. We also assisted the Lakehead University Quetico Foundation Research Partnership students in data collection for their thesis.

By |September 9th, 2021|Foundation News, Park News|0 Comments

In Memoriam: William Sargant “Sarge”

It is with great sadness that I have to report the passing of William Sargant, known by all as “Sarge”. For many years Sarge had fought the good fight against illnesses related to his diabetes until they finally got the better of him on Wednesday, August the 18th, 2021.

He was the Executive Director of the Quetico Foundation from 1997 to 2005 and since then has remained as Trustee Emeritus. During his time as Executive Director, he achieved the highest level of fundraising ever recorded for the Foundation. Under his watch, the Foundation prospered and was highly effective.

By |August 20th, 2021|Foundation News|0 Comments

John B. Ridley Research Library 2021

Library shelves with books

By: David C. Toop

This year was a memorable one for Quetico Park. We entered the season with Province-wide Covid restrictions in place. Day use was allowed, while the opening of the Dawson Trial campground was delayed by several weeks. Many of our guests are American, and the USA border did not open until well into August. This was too late and too restrictive to open our remote entry stations this season. From June onward, forest fires caused the closure of the southern part of the backcountry, and by late August, the entire backcountry. The Ridley Library opened again to park visitors, many of whom were in awe of our collection of local and indigenous archives.

By |August 19th, 2021|Foundation News, Park News|0 Comments

Congratulations #QueticoPortageChallenge Winners

During the last couple of months, Quetico Foundation challenged paddlers and nature enthusiasts to “Portage, Snap and Share” to raise awareness and funding for Quetico, the Iconic Wilderness Class Park. Thank you to everyone who took part in the challenge and donated. Congratulations to the following #QueticoPortageChallenge winners. Thank you to all the sponsors, we really appreciate your support!

By |May 25th, 2021|Events, Foundation News, Fundraising|0 Comments