We recently had the pleasure of attending the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists conference in Red Deer, from November 22 to 24. NRTG staff that attended had an opportunity to chat with many of the attendees and, importantly, reconnect with previous students we have not seen in several years. It is with great pride of our students that we could see so many of them doing so well professionally and know that we contributed, in some small way, to their success and their work in professional environmental biology. The reward for instructors and for NRTG is watching former students grow and master the skills we introduce them to.
To break the ice as people new to NRTG approached our booth we had a series of quizzes through the days. These were not easy; for example, identifying a species from a single bone or by pelt. People enjoyed this so much they came back over and over as the quiz changed through the days. Prizes were given out; swag distributed. The attendees and surrounding booths appeared to enjoy having such an interactive and challenging booth. And, on our side, we had great fun and laughed a lot with the visitors. This was important as it embodies everything we do: training should be fun, include laughter, be occasionally challenging, but in all cases rewarding.
The time passed too quickly. We made friends, we made contacts, and we potentially found new instructors. We went with the intention not of business development, but rather to engage strangers, talk environmental issues and challenges, introduce those unfamiliar with us of what we do, and to re-connect with past students. As we flew home, we felt very much we had accomplished those goals.
Sean Mitchell, Program Manager
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