INTRODUCTION
Hello there! My name is Jollee Perrier, and I am graduating from Thompson Rivers University in the spring of 2023 with a bachelor’s of Natural Resource Science. I grew up in the south Okanagan hiking, swimming, rock climbing, and camping. I came to TRU and played two years for the Women’s Soccer team and then eventually found my passion for natural resources.
Throughout my schooling, I grew an interest and love for the research field, especially natural resources. My second and third-year classes are what sparked my interest in wanting to do my own. Some of those assignments were research proposals, literature reviews, and in wildlife management class I assisted in the annual small mammal trapping study. Then in 2022, I had the opportunity to accept the undergraduate research experience award program (UREAP). While working under a graduate student, I did my UREAP research on home ranges and road susceptibility on Western rattlesnakes, Yellow-bellied Racers, and gopher snakes in the White Lake Basin near Kaledan in South Okanagan BC.
Learning about natural resources while traveling and working across BC has allowed me to see the importance of research. Research has given me experience in learning valuable self-managing skills with scheduling and communicating professionally. I have learned to manage large amounts of data, write professional reports, collaborate with colleagues, and have gained valuable connections with master’s students. I have learned how to track with radiotelemetry, conduct surveys, handle venomous snakes, and write professional reports. These are unique experiences I will remember and continue to grow on in my future careers and progress to acquire a professional designation.
