As a junior high student, Michael Gast went on a school trip to an ecology camp at Cli Lake, approximately 100 kilometres west of his home community of Fort Simpson.

It was there that his career trajectory was set.

SA国际影视传媒淭hat really inspired me to get a job in the environmental field. It was amazing to be out at a beautiful place learning about how it operates,SA国际影视传媒� Gast said.

Years later, he would graduate from the University of Alberta, having attained a bachelor of science degree with a double major in biology and chemistry.

That helped him land a position as a wildlife technician with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Fort Simpson in January 2021. HeSA国际影视传媒檇 worked with the department as a summer student previously.

SA国际影视传媒淭he job is very much what I learned in university. We do wildlife monitoring, which includes caribou, bison, bear, small mammals, some insects,SA国际影视传媒� Gast said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 wonderful to learn what our local government is doing for nature.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was learning mostly about AlbertaSA国际影视传媒檚 ecosystems in university and now relate some of those concepts back to NWT ecosystems. I took quite a few chemistry courses that helped me understand some of the molecular changes to bodies and environments.SA国际影视传媒�

Although his post-secondary education put him in a good position to step into the professional role, SA国际影视传媒渁 lot of the job is different from school because this job has more practical day-to-day things that need to get done that just arenSA国际影视传媒檛 taught in an academic setting,SA国际影视传媒� he said, referring to organizing meetings and surveys and scrambling to find alternatives when thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a shortage of materials.

Gast attended Thomas Simpson Secondary School, now known as L铆铆dl寞寞 K煤臋 Regional High School. Looking back, he said he had some friends who didnSA国际影视传媒檛 take their studies seriously and although he did, he could have applied himself more.

SA国际影视传媒淲anting to have a social life and studying is a hard juggle, as it is for most teenagers,SA国际影视传媒� he acknowledged, but added that SA国际影视传媒渄uring my time there I always planned on going to university, which drove me to get the grades needed to get into university. Although it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 easy for me, I did have to put in effort to get good enough gradesSA国际影视传媒� If I could go back, I would spend a little more time studying to gain the skills needed in university.SA国际影视传媒�

Upon arriving at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, he experienced what he called SA国际影视传媒渃ulture shock.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淐lasses were massive and the atmosphere towards education was the opposite of what I experienced in high school. I did have to take multiple courses over (again) in university to pass them. In high school, I didnSA国际影视传媒檛 study at all except for exam season, which was maybe two weeks,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Gast received financial assistance through the Dehcho First Nations which eased the burden of pursuing a higher education.

SA国际影视传媒淭he scholarship made a huge difference. I did not have to worry about finances as much when I received it,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

These days, he spends his working hours taking samples, doing inventories, getting items ready for surveys, assisting in surveys that require additional people scanning for animals, taking notes and performing data entry.

He added that heSA国际影视传媒檚 quite content with the start to his career.

SA国际影视传媒淣ot sure where ISA国际影视传媒檒l be in 10 years but so far this job is great,SA国际影视传媒� he said.