A Passionate Protector
- Erv Henderson
Photo Courtesy Allison Henderson
Saskatchewan. Upon her birth she showed no signs of becoming a conservation biologist. She cared not whether animals became extinct, or the environment became polluted. She merely wanted food, shelter, a fresh diaper, and the occasional teething cookie. It was much later in her life that something caused her to devote a large part of her life to the research and protection of endangered species and their environment.
What generated Allison’s concern as a conservationist? Was it feeding of stingrays in San Diego, or the discovery of a dead mouse at the block party in Yorkton? No matter the cause, it has led to adventures beyond her wildest dreams. They have included studying weevils in Switzerland and attempting to breed them to kill a noxious weed in the Canadian Prairies; roaming through the rain forest in Costa Rica to discover a pheromone produced by a female coffee weevil that could reduce their population without insecticides; living in isolation for three months and climbing sheer rock cliffs to study seabirds on Vancouver Island; reaching into badger holes not knowing if a snake, badger, or burrowing owl was inside while monitoring the owl population in Saskatchewan; tracking endangered species populations while strolling through Grasslands National Park, avoiding the occasional rattlesnake; and finally traveling to India to become a yoga instructor.
Allison received her K to 12 education in Yorkton, Saskatchewan and has gone on to earn a Biology Bachelors degree from the University of Saskatchewan, a Masters degree from Simon Fraser University, and is presently pursuing her Ph. D. in Conservation Biology at the University of Saskatchewan. What makes a passionate protector? Perhaps you can ask Allison what has motivated her to give a large part of her life to this cause. - Erv Henderson is Allison’s father.