Madison Gard

Gard spent her childhood exploring the beach and tidepools in Cholla Bay, Mexico. Observing how pollution and climate change affected the beach and marine creatures over the years caused her to pursue a career in environmental science and work to save the oceans. While at Western, Gard researched pinniped (seals and sea lions) predation on Chinook salmon with graduate student Zoe Lewis in the Marine Mammal Ecology Lab. Madison hoped her internship would place her “into one of the NOAA fisheries research facilities, potentially in Alaska or Massachusetts…fisheries are one of the main intersections that humans have with oceanic populations.” She intended to continue working on land restoration projects, and intended to earn her doctorate after graduating from Western in 2023, conducting research to inform decisions on ecosystem management and contributing to “sustainable fishery management decisions.” Gard hoped her experiences would lead her to “a career that will contribute towards coastal habitat conservation and restoration.”