Ladysmith resident and Vancouver Island University student Braden Judson has received a stewardship bursary from the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
Each year the foundation’s program provides awards to post-secondary students currently enrolled in their second year or later of in salmon conservation or aquatic stewardship studies.
Applicants must demonstrate volunteer experience in environmental stewardship.
“It’s important that young people get the support they need for a well-rounded educational experience, which is where our Stewardship Community Bursary program comes in,” said Dr. Brian Riddell, president and CEO of the foundation.
The foundation awarded a total of $19,000 to fourteen post-secondary students in British Columbia in 2016.
The number of students and total amount awarded was the largest in the program’s history.
Since 2005, the bursary program has awarded almost $88,000 to 67 students entering environmental fields.
“Volunteers are a critical component of salmon recovery in British Columbia,” said Riddell.
“Often-times, student volunteers bring new science and conservation methods learned in the classroom to the programs they volunteer for outside the classroom.”
The bursaries are made possible through fundraising by the Pacific Salmon Foundation, including a major donation made in 2016 by TransCanada Corporation.
“We strive to support environmental initiatives that matter most to our local communities - so we are very pleased to support educational opportunities for students who display leadership in environmental stewardship in B.C.,” said Andrea Jalbert, Vice President of Environment, Land and Indigenous Relations at TransCanada.
“Through the work of these dedicated students, TransCanada is proud to play a role in the protection of wild salmon habitat and is committed to collaborating with Pacific Salmon Foundation around the sustainability of this important resource.”