Meet our new CHC Community Science Assistant: Bracken Worthington

CHC’s wildlife monitoring programs are receiving some extra support this fall: We are pleased to welcome Bracken Worthington to the team, for an Internship as Community Science Assistant. Bracken is pursuing an Environmental Science degree at CCV and shares that she’s “excited for hands-on learning with a local organization” to parallel her classroom studies. 

Bracken was introduced to CHC as a student in last year’s Wildlife Tracking Immersion, which she says gave her a whole new perspective on wildlife activity in “places she passed by” growing up in Montgomery. After those 8 sessions of following otter and bobcat trails, exploring moose habitat, and investigating all manner of wildlife sign, she earned a Level 2 Track & Sign Certificate during a two-day CyberTracker certification workshop (the global standard for assessing wildlife tracking skills).

Bracken will now apply that experience to investigate wildlife habitat throughout the CHC region. In Fall that will mean monitoring trail cameras and searching out scat and other territorial markings on parcels in wildlife connectivity hotspots. When snow arrives, the focus will shift to following the trails of wide-ranging carnivores to document their use of these connected forests. 

When not at school or tracking, you can find Bracken working for Barred Woods Maple, owned and operated in part by CHC Woodlots members Matt and Barb Paggi, on over 1300 conserved acres in Belvidere.  

The CHC Wildlife Tracking Immersion begins a new session on November 16th as a shortened 4-session program running November through January. There are still a few spots left to join, whether you are looking to volunteer with our wildlife monitoring program or just looking to become better acquainted with wildlife in the places that you pass by. Learn more at coldhollowtocanada.org/wildlife