The ten techs of twenty-twenty-six
Edited by Tessa Serry
This field season we’ve been working on two projects for the Caribou Program: the climate theme of the Moose Research Initiative and a wellsite restoration study.
Austin “The Caribou Whisperer” Johnson
Armed with half a degree in Ecosystem Management from Lethbridge Polytechnic, and plenty of experience mowing sports fields in the corn capital of Canada. He is the lucky charm of the group, with the most caribou sightings (10 as of May 31st 2026), as well as beavers trying to break into his cabin. All while being able to seal a door to stop mosquitos from entering a cabin and getting the lawn mower to start after all hope was lost. Somehow the coolest things happen to him.
Favourite field food: Monster Energy Drinks
Field experience you would not recommend: Not bringing gumboots to a site in the middle of a swamp
Landon Bick
Landon is nearing completion of a Wildlife and Fisheries Honours degree at the University of Northern British Columbia. After three seasons of forestry experience in the mountains of BC he has gained an ability to effectively bushwack through any terrain and leave his coworkers in his dust. In his words, “any day in the bush is a good day.”
Favourite field food: Turkey, cheese, and mustard sandwich.
Field experience you would not recommend: Running 700m though devil’s club to get to the heli pad on time
Tessa Serry
This is my first summer with fRI Research. I’m going to have a bachelor’s in biology and mathematics with co-op. I’ve moved from coast to coast and have been living on the east coast for a while. I’m the saltiest sea dog in Alberta. With a background in fish and bugs, I’ve been learning lots about Alberta living, and large mammals.
Favourite field food: Gotta love cans of peaches and sour patch kids
Field experience you would not recommend: Getting followed by a bear.
Madison Szafranski
Having earned a BSc with Specialization in Ecology, Madison has gone from working directly with wildlife in wildlife rehabilitation and captive birds of prey management (bears and eagles and hawks, oh my!), to working to monitor wildlife in their natural habitats. Having come to fRI Research from 4+ years with the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, she’s a wiz with a quad or argo, is the best person to send your bird ID pictures to, and thinks no good field day is complete without ice cream to cap it off.
Favourite field food: Peanut M&Ms and fish crackers
Field experience you would not recommend: Digging soil cores in cattle fields
Skylar Shepherd
This is Skylar’s second summer with fRI research and her first summer as one of the caribou teams crew leads and she is stoked for another summer of hanging out in the boreal, setting up cameras, seeing caribou and venturing down muddy forestry roads with RV trailers. In the fall she will enter her last year of her BSc in Natural Resources Conservation at the University of British Columbia. Skylar is a local Alberta girl that grew up in Jasper. During her free time you can find her mountain biking or swimming in the freezing lakes near home.
Favourite field food: Apple GoGo Squeez
Field experience you would not recommend: Carrying T-posts in a lighting storm
Aidan Dagenais
This is Aidan’s premiere season with fRI Research, and in the terrestrial biology field he possess a Bachelors in Environmental Management through the University of Waterloo. He brings strong experience from years of work in resource industry and biogeochemistry. With that experience, he has a strong affinity for a field fix and trouble-shooting on the fly.
Favourite field food: Peanut butter sandwiches
Favourit field quote: “Dirty hands clean data.” – Landon Bick (Probably)
Zach “Smokey” Burns
This is Zach’s first summer with fRI Research and his first field season working in Alberta. Originally from Ontario, Zach has a Fish & Wildlife diploma from Sault College. Most recently, he worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources, maintaining trail cameras and trapping small mammals in Ontario. Outside of work, you’ll see Zach fishing along a mountain river or living around a campfire with smokies after a long field day. Whether he’s asking about “your story” or out there fishing, he’s always up for another adventure.
Favourite field food: Just smokies and more smokies
Favourite quotes: “Shoot your shot, never know what can happen or what could have been.” and “The mountains have me now!”
Darko “iPad” Gojsic
This is Darko, he’s an aspiring iPad kid with a bachelor’s degree in geography. This is not his first fieldwork rodeo, but it’s been a fun rodeo nonetheless. His previous employers made him do plenty of camera work in the boreal as well as lots of plant identification. One employer had him climbing trees professionally; now it’s just a hobby.
Favourite field food: Berries from the bush
Field experience you would not recommend: eating gluten
Javier Puac
Originally from BC where he obtained a BSc in natural resources conservation, this is Javier’s first season with fRI Research. With previous field experiences in the natural resource sector in BC, Alberta and the Yukon, there is no such thing as a bad day out in the bush no matter what happens. Outside of work you can find him being active in various forms, or sometimes just watching cool movies.
Favourite field food: Green grapes
Field experience you would not recommend: Losing truck keys in the bush and never finding them
Emily Hall
Emily is originally from Ontario, but has been working throughout the country over the past 10 years working in a diverse range of habitats and field based positions. She has a degree in Environmental Science and a diploma in Ecosystem Management which further blossomed her love of being a generalist, embracing the chance to learn about and work with all types of species, landscapes and habitats!
Favourite field food: charcuterie, fruit sugar fixes and the occasional treat for those “type two” kind of days
Field experience you would not recommend: forgetting important equipment in the truck, and realizing too late
