Introducing the Manitoba Summer Staff Team
Get to know the awesome folks doing the work of creation care this summer
By Zoe Matties, Manitoba Program Manager
May 7, 2025
Summer is an exciting season for A Rocha in Manitoba. Warmer weather means we can get outside and do the work we’ve been preparing for all winter: prepping new monitoring plots at the Boreal Ecology Centre, planting delicious vegetables, and exploring creation with kids, to name a few. All this good work also means we get to hire a brand new batch of bright young people, eager to help us achieve our mission of caring for creation and equipping others to do likewise.
Whether they realize it at the beginning or not, the summer experience with A Rocha in Manitoba is not simply about doing a job, and going home at the end of the day. It is about discipleship, and helping these young people answer the question of “what kind of person do I want to become?”
We often say at A Rocha that “integration” is our secret sauce. It’s what makes us unique. But what does “integration” mean? It is the process by which we understand creation care as relevant to all aspects of our lives. It means that our faith and our work in conservation are connected, and in fact, inseparable. Integration is the way our values are embodied through our behaviours.
Not only do we hope these young folks get valuable job experience this summer, but we hope they also feel like we have invested in them as people and leaders. No matter what their work looks like in the future, we hope they all will be equipped to be conservationists in whatever they do.
So without further ado, here are this year’s batch of summer staff in Manitoba.
Walker Giesbrecht
Role: Conservation Science Assistant
Memorable Encounter with Creation: I recently encountered a pair of American Crows that were chasing and being chased by a Coopers Hawk. I stood there for around 15 minutes watching the three of them wrestle and dive at each other in the air.
One thing I am looking forward to: I am really excited to do some breeding bird surveys this summer.
Would you rather be able to fly or breath underwater: I would much rather fly because I would love to be soaring above the clouds
Molly Armstrong
Role: Urban Agriculture Coordinator
Memorable Encounter with Creation: Last spring I was on a canoe trip and was taking a rest on land by the river. There was a dead yellow butterfly on the ground and it was encircled by a bunch of its friends. I had never seen animals mourning their dead and it was so beautiful and sad to see.
One thing I am looking forward to: I am excited to learn more about gardening and urban agriculture, I think it is such a valuable skill and will definitely be putting the knowledge I acquire this summer to good use in the future. I am also looking forward to spending so much of my time outside, I love the outdoors and nature, and I think being immersed in them will be good for my spirit.
Would you rather be able to fly or breath underwater: I would so much rather fly!! I am kind of scared of water and it’s so cold, flying sounds like the most exhilarating thing. And it’s pretty fun in dreams so I’m sure I would enjoy it 🙂
Sophia Sacco
Role: Urban Agriculture Coordinator
Memorable Encounter with Creation: My memorable nature encounter was being bit by a horse in the butt while working at a ranch. I had a nice mark for a few weeks. I would also encounter wild coyotes when I would walk my dog on the trails. We would get followed by the baby coyotes.
One thing I am looking forward to: During my time at A Rocha, I am excited to learn more about agriculture and the food sharing program at the farm. I am a hands-on learner, working in the garden and on the farm will provide me with amazing skills and great guidance. Some of which I can bring home to my gardens. I am thrilled to watch how plants grow and the life cycle of our food and nourishment and how it brings the community together.
Would you rather be able to fly or breath underwater: I would choose to fly. It would be better for the environment while I could travel to any place I dream of. I could save on airfare and those lengthy security lines and not have delayed flights. Although I would have to find out how much luggage I could carry…
Sophia Nast-Kolb
Role: Environmental Education Assistant
Memorable Encounter with Creation: When I was young, probably four to ten years old, I would sit on the dock at my grandparents’ cabin on the Whitemouth River and spend hours staring over the side at minnows, tadpoles, and water bugs, zipping about in the water. Sometimes, instead of just watching, we would take our little nets, mine was pink, and catch as many minnows as we could. We would collect them in a little bucket on the dock, and, after we had our fun, release them back into the water, and then join them ourselves. Swimming around in the shallow waters, one with the minnows.
One thing I am looking forward to: I am really looking forward to spending time with the kids at day-camp and sharing my passion for nature with them. As a person who grew up rurally, my childhood was filled with nature, and I hope to instill some of that childhood delight in the natural world in them.
Would you rather be able to fly or breath underwater: I would rather be able to breathe underwater. My whole life people have referred to me as a fish because I will spend hours in a river or lake when I have the chance, and being able to swim even longer and swim deeper by having the ability to breathe underwater would be awesome. Also you could swim without worrying about the horse flies or mosquitoes above you, which would be a major bonus.
Support these Young Leaders
The work we do is made possible by generous people like you. Give a gift today to support these young leaders as they teach kids about nature, monitor biodiversity at the Boreal Ecology Centre, and grow local food for those in need in Winnipeg.
