The Clayton H. Ridell Faculty of the Environment, Earth and Resources

Friday afternoon saw the Grand Space Opening and Career Fair for the Faculty at the Wallace building at the University of Manitoba.

The Faculty has an important place in Manitoba. Resources, management of the earth and water in our province, and handling of environmental issues are all critical to our future.

The Faculty has a Co-operative Education option which allows students to get work experience as part of their program. This option is also important to provide closer links to the needs of Manitoba employers and the learning of students in the program. I know this is an important option because my daughter Pauline took environmental science at the University of Manitoba and participated in the co-operative education program. Her hands on experience working in the field contributed to her growth as a steward of the environment.

Pauline and her husband, Roger, are now in South-east Asia. They are working with the World Wildlife Fund and they are working with people in Laos who live along the Mekong River and its tributaries. They are trying to help people in the communities along the Mekong and its tributaries achieve good stewardship of the fisheries in these rivers. The
Mekong is one of the major tropical rivers of the world, with an incredible number of different fish species including a River Dolphin. Pauline has also done some important work on the wetlands along the Mekong and their economic impact. We are proud of Pauline and Roger and their work, though we often wish they were a little closer to home.