Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada
I am a passionate researcher and conservationist with a demonstrated history of working in academic and non-profit research and conservation sectors and in support of Indigenous-led stewardship. My skills involve natural and social science research, project management, community engagement, public speaking, fundraising, facilitating, writing, and relationship building. My research and work experience centre around community-based marine conservation and spatial planning, adaptation to climate change, and understanding the cumulative effects of anthropogenic activities on marine ecosystems and coastal communities. I hold a PhD from the University of British Columbia's Zoology department and currently work in support of the MPA Network process in the Northern Shelf Bioregion of British Columbia.
My role is to coordinate and implement a regional strategy to restore the integrity, resilience, and connectivity of threatened nearshore habitat in Howe Sound/Atl'kitsem and throughout the Salish Sea. Our focus is on eelgrass and marine riparian habitat that is important to forage fish and salmon species. Over the past year we have conducted seven eelgrass transplants throughout Howe Sound/Atl'ka7tsem in collaboration with community groups, First Nations, and local governments.
Project: The Howe Sound/Atl'ka7tsem Marine Reference Guide is a multi-stakeholder initiative to protect regional marine environmental health by creating decision-support tools and resources for governments, First Nations, marine stakeholders, and community members. Responsibilities: Develop and implement project's field research and data analysis, lead and manage team of four staff, coordinate and chair project steering and governance committees (local governments, First Nations, marine stakeholders), conduct community engagement and outreach, gather and interpret marine ecological and marine-use data, write reports (Project Plans, LOIs), prepare budgets, secure funding.
My role is to research marine habitat protection and restoration for British Columbia's shore zone and subtidal coastal ecosystems, with a focus on marine conservation in Howe Sound/Atl'ka7tsem. I am the project manager for a marine conservation analysis focused on Howe Sound/Atl'ka7tsem's ecological and cultural attributes.
-Conducted fieldwork on stickleback in Misty Lake, which consisted of sampling stream and lake stickleback populations -Participated in experimental design