Hartley Bay First Nation, British Columbia

Jessica Numminen's field placement started in the Gitga'at community of Hartley Bay which is a remote community only accessible by boat or float plan, located on the Northwest coast of British Columbia.  She was involved in research project identifying different conservation options for the protection and conservation of whale habitats, ecological marine areas and culture in the territory of the Gitga’at First Nations on the North Coast of British Columbia.

The research is important for developing conservation options and recommendations for the Gitga’at First Nations and the World Wildlife Fund Canada for their review, discussion and analysis as a way of moving forward with respect to the development of concrete plans for future conservation designations in the region. The remainder of the placement was spent in Vancouver working out of the World Wildlife Fund Canada Pacific Office, compiling the findings into a final report and gaining first hand experience of environmental non-governmental organization.