My New Job

Since the start of May, I have been employed in a new job. It's more of a summer job since I am still have one more year of university but it is directly related to my interests in the natural environment. The job is with a private company called Urban Forest Associates (UFORA for short) and they specialize in urban forestry and natural habitat restoration. In some respects it is a landscaping company but they do it with an eye to restore forests and ravine properties that have been degraded by unsustainable uses and in some cases neglect. Many of the clients are private property owners who have properties at the edges of ravines and want their property to have a more natural look. This is done by removing non-native trees and other plants and replanting with native species. The company takes extra care to ensure that the actual plants are sourced from local seeds and that trees and shrubs purchased from nurseries are not some cultivar or hybrid that they sometimes try to sell as a wild native species.

The work is similar to what I have been doing for the past 10 years as a volunteer so I am very happy with the job, especially now that I am being paid to do it. However the volunteer work tends to last only 2-3 hours per day and now I am doing it 7-8 hours a day, 5 days a week. It is physically demanding work and I am slowly adjusting to it. My previous jobs in the IT biz and my school work was quite sedentary and I am taking some time to adjust to it. This means that I am finding less time for blogging so this is the main reason why my posting to Don Watcher has declined recently.

Fear not loyal blog followers, I am still taking pictures and noting changes in the Don. It's just a matter of finding the time to write about it. I hope to get back to a a regular blogging routine soon.