This blog is an archived post written by Eva during her 4^th year in the Urban and Regional Environments stream.

 

 

 

York University is a partner of AIESEC, which is an international organization that offers internships abroad, leadership opportunities, cross cultural experiences, and volunteer opportunities. The internship are anywhere between 2  to 12 months long depending on the opportunity. I was particularly interested in the environmental internship at Middlesex University in Mauritius. In my second year course, ENVS 2400: Foundations of Environmental Management, I had learned about the challenges of environmental conservation. I was particularly interested in policy cycle and getting the public involved in environmental conservation. Moreover, I wrote a Briefing Note to the New Prime Minister of Canada on Climate Change. I wanted to compare Canada to Mauritius and analyze the impacts of climate change on Mauritius.

I was an Ecological Welfare Intern at Middlesex University in Mauritius, where I had the opportunity to work closely with NGOs, such as Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and Plankton Recycling Co-op, to promote urban sustainability.  I participated in field work and environmental assessments. In addition, I conducted over 100 surveys with local people to get the public involved in sustainability projects. I used the surveys and external sources to write a report on strategies NGOs in Mauritius can implement to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.  In addition, I presented the finding of my research to more than 50 students in local schools, including Phoenix Secondary School.

After my internship, I wanted to further learn about environmental management, so I decided to pursue Urban Ecologies Certificate offered by the Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University.  I was most excited to take ENVS 3740 Urban Ecology and have the opportunity to do more field work. I wanted to critically analyze the relationship between the natural and urban environment. I was interested in taking ENVS 3402: Ecology and Conservation Science course to explore habitat fragmentation, species decline, and ecology of invasive species.  I was also fascinated by ENVS 3400: Introduction to Climate Change Science and Policy course, more specifically the topics on the science of sea level rise and atmospheric processes.

Reflecting on my second international internship experience, I became more open- minded, discovered my passions, developed leadership skills, and had a fun experience.