In the fall of 2007, Shannon Mallory has found herself on the South coast of Norway. After living almost 2 years in Whitehorse, Yukon Canada working as a GIS Analyst and most recently as a Project Officer for a northern climate change organization, she decided to take an internship sponsored by the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
“My decision to take an internship in another circumpolar country was to have the opportunity to work with an international staff and uncover new ways of researching sustainable development practices, managing environmental data and strategies of adapting to environmental change”. Previously she had been working as a Project Officer for the Northern Climate ExChange, an organization which serves as a catalyst for climate change research in the Canadian North. She was responsible for education and outreach in conjunction with the northern portion of National Research Canada’s Canadian Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Assessment. Shannon has also been involved in community adaptation strategy workshops involving local community groups, Yukon Territorial Government, City of Whitehorse and local First Nations. Shannon grew up in Southern B.C, but always had a curiosity of the north and a love of winter. After working as a Forest Fire Fighter in Nelson B.C, Shannon headed to Prince George B.C, then Whitehorse, Yukon. “I loved the feeling of packing up all my belonging and heading up the Alaska Highway for 2000km on my own, just hoping that my old truck would make it all the way. It was the start of an adventure. My time in Whitehorse opened so many doors, and I attribute that to the sense of community and connections you make in the north.”
After her internship with the University of the Arctic and GRID-Arendal, Shannon plans to start a Masters program in the area of environmental security and water management. “I think that my internship with UArctic and GRID will be a great international work experience for me. I am very excited to work on UArctic projects and collaborate with colleagues in Finland and Sweden. I couldn’t have asked for a better placement.”
Shannon will be working on developing a UArctic On-line Atlas, and contributing to the UArctic On-line News Service. Her internship is part of International Institute for Sustainable Development Circumpolar Young Leaders Program funded by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
More information on the International Institute for Sustainable Development Circumpolar Young Leaders Program can be found Tags: news
