Greetings!

My name is Eric Zinger; I am nature enthusiast hailing from a small tourist town in Southern Ontario. Growing up I spent my summer days blissfully hammering away on a fort a friend of mine and I built in some cedars at the top of the forest we frequented behind my cottage.

When a busy family schedule began to keep my family away from the cottage I turned to woodworking. It always seemed logical that the transition into my adult life would lead me to carpentry. Clearly it surprised me that less than a year into what would be my carpentry apprenticeship I felt I had taken a wrong turn somewhere along the line.

This realization led me to some serious self-reflection, the result of which opened my eyes to something that had been there all along. Maybe it wasn’t the construction of my fort that offered me so much satisfaction, maybe it was the tranquility the forest offered me after a long day of work in the bush. This is what directed my attention the Ecosystem Management program at Fleming College.

To say I was apprehensive about being back in school would be an understatement. That all changed however, when I was introduced to the opportunity to be a part of a field placement, assisting with research on my other childhood passion, reptiles! From that point on my sights were set and I had my bearing, the process of making myself a candidate for this placement put me through a whirlwind of personal change, I rededicated myself to school and found a passion for learning. This opportunity is both an excellent fit for me, and an experience that will provide me with hands-on experience in the career that I will someday soon, call my own.

Hey! My name is Taylor Boucock and I am in the Ecosystem Management Technology program at Sir Sandford Fleming College. I am 20 years old and from the Niagara Region. I (obviously) love the outdoors and the environment and have dedicated my life to it. Some other hobbies of mine are hiking, fishing, boating, watching musicals, country music, and horseback riding. I also have a great interest in reptiles and amphibians. In the past I have worked on reptile and amphibian studies, focusing mainly on turtles. I have such respect for these creatures and that is why I am very excited to go to Costa Rica and experience all new species of reptiles and amphibians. I have always had a great respect for animals, and have wanted to help them. Ever since I was little I would take in injured or stray animals and rehabilitate them, now thanks to my education at Fleming College I plan on doing the same for the environment!

I tend to consider myself a fairly simple person. Give me sunshine and some great music and I’m a happy camper. Show me any creature on this great earth and I’ll find a reason to love and protect it. I find the greatest peace with nature, the ocean specifically. The power it holds has always fascinated me, the crashing of waves will forever be a calming sound, the smell of sea air holds nostalgic powers that bring me right back to amazing travels in the past  and the combination holds a special place in my heart that makes it feel like home.

I am forever an optimist, but I know the severity of the threat to our environment and the fragile state of the oceans. The opportunity to work with endangered Leatherback Turtles and do something positive for the planet’s biodiversity is so exciting and I anticipate it to be very rewarding.  I expect this exposure will deepen my appreciation for oceans as a nurturer of fragile, important populations.

As an avid traveller, I can’t wait to finally see the rainforest. I don’t think I can fully comprehend the ecological diversity waiting for us, but I sure love to think about it! We have an amazing team of wonderful people that will only make the journey more enjoyable, there will be no shortage of laughter. My only fear is that two weeks won’t be long enough to completely take in the experience, but I plan to make every moment count and remain grateful for the chance to take some action.