Meet Chevaun Toulouse

Chevaun Toulouse (left), Student - Trent University.

Chevaun is currently pursuing a joint major in Indigenous Environmental Studies and Sciences with Biology Honors at Trent University in Peterborough. In 2023, she completed the Indigenous Environmental Leadership Pathways Certificate at Royal Roads University in British Columbia. Additionally, Chevaun has engaged in research opportunities, participating in the Indigenous Undergraduate Summer Research Scholars Program at McMaster University in 2021. Prior to her university studies, she earned a Fish and Wildlife Conservation Technician Diploma from Sault College in Sault Ste Marie in January 2015. She then later, obtained the Ontario Master Naturalist Certificate in 2019 through Ontario Nature and Lakehead University.

A fun fact about Chevaun is her achievement in photographing all the Ontario species of snakes, including seeking out extirpated ones beyond Ontario's borders—a testament to her dedication to wildlife conservation and exploration. In her free time she enjoys playing in the swamp, catching snakes and turtles. Going on walks and listening to music. Overall just being outside.

When did your love of STEM begin?

Growing up on Sagamok Anishnawbek gave me an interest in and respect for the natural environment. As a child, I was outside every day, catching snakes and turtles in the swamps. I was exploring my surroundings, becoming familiar with the plant and animal species that lived around me and in my community.

My nokomis (grandmother) was a farmer, residential school survivor, school bus driver, and business owner. My mishomis (grandfather) was a hunter, trapper, business owner, and chief of Sagamok Anishnawbek. When I think of my mishomis, I think about the land. He was born in 1900 in Sagamok on the Toulouse Bay of Lake Huron and did not attend any school. He worked as a hunter, trapper, fisher, and translator. At that time, Indigenous people were looked to and sought after for their knowledge of natural resources. My family knew the land and the water, which was how we survived, even after colonization.

The colonial interference in my family and my environment, and the intergenerational trauma passed down, means I have had to seek out and rebuild cultural connections with people and the land. Although I have grown up in my community, I still do not know my language, and I am just starting to learn more about Anishinaabe culture. This is especially important now that I am a mother.

The legacy of residential schools profoundly shaped my home and family. My grandmother was sent to the Spanish River Indian Residential School for Girls when she was just 7 years old. My nokomis was one of the most ambitious Indigenous people and women I have ever met. She never let anyone tell her she could not do something. She was also one of the best Ojibwe language speakers and encouraged me to speak it.
Regaining knowledge that was lost, I have grown to understand the inherent responsibility I feel to care for the land. The connection to the land is a foundation in Anishnaabe culture, and it is this connection that allows me to care deeply about biodiversity and the importance of healthy ecosystems.

Being out on the land every day was where it all started to make sense. While I was working on the Blanding’s turtle project for the Toronto Zoo Turtle Island Conservation, I collaborated with other Indigenous women interested in conservation. This was the first time I got the chance to work with other Anishinaabe youth who had similar interests as me.

I began working for Turtle Island Conservation at The Toronto Zoo as a Project Lead- First Nation Conservation Technician. I assisted with the implementation of the Toronto Zoo’s Turtle Island Conservation program (TIC) with Adopt-A-Pond’s Blanding’s turtle Head starting and Reintroduction project in the Rouge Urban National Park.

Blanding’s Turtle Head-starting and Reintroduction
Blanding’s Turtles are one of the 8 Species at Risk turtles found in Ontario, and currently listed as Threatened. With a population of only six individuals in the Rouge Urban National Park remaining, the Toronto Zoo initiated their Head-starting and Reintroduction program at their facility. This involved collecting nests from source populations, which are populations that are healthy and stable. Their eggs are collected from sites that are in danger of destruction and would otherwise not succeed, so removing them from these locations and adding them to a declining population would be more beneficial than leaving the eggs to perish. The eggs are collected and incubated at Magnetawan First Nation for the month of June before they are transferred to the Toronto Zoo’s facility. There they are hatched out and raised for up to 1 year to provide them a size advantage or “head-start” to begin their life in the wild. These turtles are then released and monitored in the Rouge Urban National Park as more individuals are added each year, and the program grows. This initiative has been active since 2014 when the first cohorts of individuals were released.

My position was assisting with the release and monitoring of Species at Risk turtles into the Rouge National Urban Park. I also assisted in care, radio-tracking, and monitoring of Species at Risk Turtles. I ensured the Species at Risk turtles were radio-tracked on a consistent basis, data collected and analyzed, and a formal report written for the project. I was also project lead on the Eastern Milk snake monitoring project, and Western Chorus Frog monitoring project. As part of an artificial cover object research project, I monitored Species at Risk snakes.

Through assisting in the development and delivery of programming/ resources for TIC, I was involved with outreach, education, and distribution of educational materials to schools and communities. This involved planning events at Toronto Zoo and Rouge National Urban Park, such as the Canadian Herpetological Society Conference. I worked in a team environment with other conservation projects developing programming and resources that could be used for education and outreach at the Toronto Zoo. While working at the Toronto Zoo I have been involved with the Christmas Bird Count, Massasauga Rattlesnake workshop, Ontario Nature BioBlitz, Toronto Zoo Indigenous people’s day, Toronto Zoo Venomous Reptile training, Blazing Star’s Ontario Reptile Survey Course, MNR Youth Outdoors Day, Ontario Amphibian and Reptile Field Research Techniques workshop and the Roberta Bondar Camp, teaching First Nation youth about nature photography.
I presented on “Conservation as Tradition: Protecting Biodiversity in First Nations Communities” at the Biodiversity Without Boundaries, NatureServe conference in 2017 and am an acknowledged Contributor to Master of Environmental Science Thesis “Overwintering Ecology of Head-started Blanding’s Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) in an Artificial Wetland Complex.” When I was not working for the Toronto Zoo, I was volunteering at local reptile facilities and doing outreach for Indspire; a national Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families, communities, and Canada.

I worked for The Magnetawan First Nation Lands, Resources and Environment Department as the Lead Species at Risk Field Technician and Cultural Coordinator. I conducted daily road and habitat surveys, rattlesnake gestation surveys, identified, captured, and collected morphometric and spatial data on turtles, lizards, and snakes. I recorded daily logs, managed data, created and delivered outreach and education to the community and surrounding area. I radio-tracked species at risk to better understand their spatial use of the landscape, so this data can be used to inform land-use and development, which includes the 4-laning of Ontario Hwy 69. The work I did for Magnetawan First Nation Department Lands, Resources & Environment Department was especially important to me because it gave me the opportunity to practice my culture and at the same time implement Western Science based techniques learned in my education.

What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?

I found myself looking forward to being out on the land with my Anishinaabe co-workers, observing the changes in the land and witnessing the interconnectedness of beings for myself. Interconnectedness within nature and Anishinaabe culture was something I have heard about my whole life, but for the first time, I felt like I was experiencing it.

In my career so far, I have met many amazing First Nation scientists who are enthusiastic about their environment and culture. I am hoping to use all my knowledge and experience to develop conservation programs as well as cultural programming for youth in my community Sagamok First Nation.
These are the understandings and traditions that I hope to bring to western science, to ensure that biological classifications and concepts are imbued with the wisdom of those who have known this land the longest.

Once we collectively feel this connection, this relationship, we can then begin to understand the responsibility we have—the responsibility that I feel, and that my ancestors felt. My son inspires me to be the best Anishinaabe kwe (mother) I can be. I want him to know his language and culture, which is why I am learning it with him. I want to conserve and protect our beautiful land for my little ginoozhe (pike).

I also hope that my work, especially with species at risk in the Great Lakes, will show others how vital the land is to culture and community. The species that are at risk in the Great Lakes are incredibly important, and they are taking the brunt of agriculture, pollution, and urbanization. We need to step up our conservation programs for the Great Lakes, and all the ecosystems they sustain, and we need to see the Indigenous ways of doing that.
I am hoping to help, contribute and support language revitalization, and conservation opportunities for youth and community members. I found a deep sense of meaning and belonging working in conservation and I hope to help create those opportunities for others. The environment is quickly changing, and we are losing our native wildlife; at the same time, we are losing language speakers which is a huge part of the culture/identity. I am hoping to create resources in the language pertaining to the land, environment, and ecosystems.

Exploring the environment, different ecosystems throughout Ontario, Meeting different First Nations, and their conservation projects and incredible field techs/youth working on the projects.

What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?

If you don’t know where to start, take advantage of free events or volunteering for different events that might interest you. Getting involved with your community (urban or rural) is very important in figuring out who you are and what you want to do/how you can contribute.

Research what kind of conferences or other opportunities there are. There are often bursaries or other sources of funding for Indigenous youth, especially in the clean energy and environmental field. Funding for travel is almost always available for Indigenous youth and students who are interested in attending different events. In this age of reconciliation, take advantage of opportunities that come your way.

There are a lot of Indigenous professionals in this field and so many different aspects to it.

I wish I had known sooner that I could pursue this type of career and utilize the knowledge I gained growing up in my community. There is so many opportunities and different aspects to the environmental field and I have found conservation work very rewarding as an Indigenous person.

I like to hope that I am leading by example for other Indigenous youth. I have been able to collaborate with other Indigenous people throughout my career and we have helped each other out just by creating support and community within the environmental conservation field. I have made best friends through my work and have watched those friends become more comfortable with identification and handling of reptiles and amphibians but specifically snakes.

In my career so far, I have met many amazing First Nation scientists who are enthusiastic about their environment and culture. I am hoping to use all my knowledge and experience to develop conservation programs as well as cultural programming for youth in my community Sagamok First Nation. These are the understandings and traditions that I hope to bring to western science, to ensure that biological classifications and concepts are imbued with the wisdom of those who have known this land the longest.