Inspiring Young Tahltans – Ocean Van Mierlo

INSPIRING YOUNG TAHLTANS

Ocean Van Mierlo

In the Nat Pass, Ocean Van Mierlo saw the caribou herds change from frequent groups of up to eight to infrequent groups of four or less in only a few years. The impact of industrial development and climate change on wildlife is still being understood and it takes dedicated professionals to protect the ecosystem. Education has always been Ocean’s passion and she is learning everything she can to help preserve the land and the wildlife that inhabits it.

Ocean Van Mierlo is a twenty-year-old Tahltan who is part of the Quock family and the Crow Clan. Her parents are Tina and Edward Van Mierlo, and her Tahltan grandparents are Gladys and Robert Quock. Ocean currently lives in Victoria, B.C.

Born in Terrace, B.C., Ocean lived there for two years before moving to Telegraph Creek where she spent a year before growing up in Dease Lake. She had ample opportunity to spend time on the land as she was in Girl Guides where she worked hard to receive twenty-five badges and she was in the Junior Rangers where she learned valuable survival skills like making fires and shelters, leadership skills, and more. She also went camping with youth groups with Curtis Rattray where he taught them about the land, the Tahltan connection to it, and Tahltan culture. These experiences were her fondest memories of school and gave her an understanding of how important a healthy ecosystem is.

Ocean always knew she wanted to attend university and her life experiences guided her educational journey. She watched wildlife documentaries with her dad which taught her about the effects of climate change and in grade nine she joined a Stone sheep data collection trip where professionals netted sheep and completed saliva, blood, and hair testing. This created a deeper passion for wildlife, and in grade ten she went to the Red Chris mine where she saw the effects industrial sites have on the land and wildlife, which made her want to learn how to mitigate the impact human activities have on wildlife. Since then, she has been completing the courses necessary for veterinary school.

In grade eleven Ocean moved to Terrace to pursue more hands-on studies. She says it was a huge change coming from a town of 350 to a high school with more than 500 students but she rose to the challenge and built her confidence through hard work and study. Upon graduating, she was accepted to the University of Victoria where she is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies. This was another big step up in academic intensity where she had to really focus to achieve her goals.

After Ocean’s first year of university, she worked for Galore Creek as an environmental assistant providing her more exposure to different professionals including botanists and wildlife biologists. She finished her second year of university and is currently working at Brucejack mine as a geological technician where she loves completing field work outside. In her off time, Ocean loves to rock climb and stays active in the gym. Sometimes school and life can be difficult, but she always remembers the quote about not regretting the things you did, but regretting the things you did not pursue. This helps her stay focused during long hours of studying and keeps her on track as she pursues a career as a wildlife veterinarian so she can help preserve one of Tahltans’ most sacred resources.