Youth Advisory Board 2019-2020

Stephanie is a white settler Canadian with English and German roots. She is living on the territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people in Odawa (Ottawa) completing her PhD in Indigenous geography at the University of Ottawa. She was born and raised in Dryden, Ontario until she moved to Tkaronto (Toronto) for her undergraduate and Master’s degrees in kinesiology at the University of Toronto. Stephanie was a youth advisor for the 2017-18 Great Waters Challenge and will be bringing the Great Canoe Journey to students in the Northwest Territories. Stephanie is most passionate about connecting youth to the land and water through education and engagement.

Christine is constantly challenging herself whether it be exploring what Canada has to offer in each season or a recent venture, starting up her own business. Water has always been a critical part of Christine’s life as farming is dependent on the weather. Christine is excited for a new venture, starting up her own sustainable business farming crops/vegetables, making maple syrup on a piece of property she just purchased. Christine resides in a small rural community which is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe Mississaugas. Christine completed the Ecosystem Management Technician program and Advanced Water Systems Operations and Management program both completed at Sir Sandford Fleming College. She has been a water and wastewater treatment plant operator/mechanic with Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) for the last 3 years. OCWA has an OneWater Education program which allows operators like Christine to teach grade eight students about water and wastewater treatment processes. The program gives students a good perspective on the importance of conserving/protecting our water for future generations. Christine has also taken part in the first year of the Great Canoe Journey Program, helping in designing workshops, creating content and doing workshops herself for various age groups.

Danyka is a proud Acadian from northern New-Brunswick who has been based in Canada’s capital for the past 5 years, in the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Conflict Studies and Human Rights at the University of Ottawa and will continue her studies at UBC’s Teacher Education Program starting in September 2019. Danyka was also on the Youth Advisory Board for Waterlution’s Great Canoe Journey program, organizing and facilitating workshops in Ontario, Quebec and New-Brunswick. Since she can remember, she has been involved in her community through projects and organizations related to education, social justice and environmental stewardship. She is a strong believer of the importance of empowering girls and volunteers as a Girl Guides leader in Ottawa. In the past 4 years, Danyka has lived short-term in 3 different countries. She is passionate about languages and culture and aspires to become a history teacher that is capable of teaching a history that is inclusive and non-sugar coated. She is also an avid long-distance runner and is at her happiest when hiking mountains and canoeing on rivers.

Raven Simpson is 27 years old and comes from Serpent River First Nation. She has three beautiful children who she adores and would do anything for. Currently, Raven is a student with the Indigenous Environmental Keepers Program. Raven is starting  a four month internship with the City of Greater Sudbury. She enjoys spending time outside with nature. Raven’s had the opportunity to learn many great outdoor skills and is looking forward to putting them into action. Raven wants everyone to learn and understand that water and the environment are very important, especially for the next generations.

Emma is currently living  on the Territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Emma started her undergraduate degree in a concurrent education program, and though she loved teaching, environmental science stole her heart. Now Emma has made sustainability and climate change action a priority in her life and career. This passion was sparked when undertaking an undergraduate thesis on impacts of climate change on northern Canadian soils, after which she transferred her academic skills into the workforce. Emma has previously worked in the environmental communications and renewable energy fields, but after completing her Masters of Environmental Science, she transitioned to the charitable not-for-profit sector to pursue work on pressing environmental issues.

Currently Emma works at Pollution Probe, an environmental charity, where she focuses on the areas of research, policy and community engagement. Some recent topics and projects that she has been involved in are engaging the public on transitioning to a low-carbon economy and protecting and monitoring the health of the Great Lakes.

Emma strongly believe that a circular economy, collaboration and education are key tools to reaching sustainability. In her free time, Emma enjoys rock climbing, paddling, hiking, comedy, learning new things and having great discussions with thoughtful people.

Charlene currently lives on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. Charlene recently graduated from George Brown College and is currently working as a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) at a brand new indigenous-focused EarlyON Centre under Native Child and Family Services of Toronto. She  majored in Biology, and has always had a keen interest in science and nature. Her role at this EarlyON Centre combines her passions of playing a role in children’s learning and development and also promoting more on-the-land, nature-based curriculum. While working with indigenous people, she is constantly learning and growing, developing more of an understanding and appreciation in our connectedness with all living things.

In her free time, Charlene enjoys being outdoors all year round doing activities such as canoeing, hiking, and snowboarding. If she is not outdoors, she also invest my time in numerous hobbies such as DIY-ing anything and everything, sewing, embroidery, playing music on her guitar and ukulele, as well as singing. Aside from her full-time job as a RECE, she also host events such as Plant Nite and Flower Power where she teaches a group of people how to create and design terrariums or fresh floral arrangements. Although she can be quiet and shy at first, she warms up to people easily, because she is eager to listen and share. Charlene is resourceful, creative, enthusiastic, open-minded and always eager to learn new things. In turn, as an educator, she strives to share this knowledge with everyone, especially young children. Charlene wants to help build a more conscious, compassionate, and informed future generation.

Logan Koeth is an environmental professional and facilitator within the Grand River watershed on the traditional territory of the Six Nations in Kitchener, Ontario.  She has prepared and delivered experiential learning materials for eight graduate and undergraduate level courses on topics ranging from collaborative water management to environmental sampling and field techniques.

After a transformative experience with Waterlution’s H2O Global Leaders Training and Water Innovation Lab in Canada, she is making a daily practice of building spaces with dialogue that connect people with each other and the natural environment.  Logan is enthusiastic to combine her knowledge of facilitation with her practice of experiential teaching to share traditional Anishinaabe knowledge with the young minds of the future!

Logan holds a BASc (Honours) in Environmental Engineering and a MASc with a specialization in Collaborative Water Management from the University of Waterloo.

Laina Timberg was born and raised in Etobicoke, Ontario and currently resides and works on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. Laina is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto, where she majored in Environmental Studies and minored in Indigenous Studies and English. Her studies focused primarily on environmental policy within the different levels of the Canadian government, and as well on food and water security.

Laina has had a deep love and concern for the environment since she was very young, which led her to a career in environmental protection. She believes that humans have a responsibility to protect the natural world and all the animals and creatures within it. Laina also believes that the best way to combat climate change and to protect the planet is to empower and educate others so they too can make a difference.

Laina also loves baking and running. Her go-to recipes for events are chocolate chip cookies or apple pie. She even once baked a three-tiered cake for a work event. Laina also began running again several months ago and is training for a 10km race in the summer.

Currently living on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee. Rosy was born and raised on the East Coast of Canada and learnt at a young age the power of appreciating our environment and the people in it. She spent her youth canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing and trying to avoid the mall. She moved to Ontario for school and completed her undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Guelph. This turned into an interest in renewable energy and energy transitions in Canada. Rosy has had the chance to work in nuclear clean-up projects, wind development and other energy system implementation and it grew her passion for possible ways to protect the wonderful world around us.

After graduating Rosy worked in the Yukon implementing renewable energy in remote indigenous communities attempting to move away from diesel. While there, she spent time in areas and with people that completely changed my life. Spending time on rivers and mountains built a new-found appreciation of what we can learn from nature and cultures and the connections that they build. She currently lives in Kingston, ON.

Aanii! O’pwaagan Anizhkenaat Kwe dizhnikas, Wiikwemkoong donjibaa, mishiikenh doodem. Hello, my english name is Stephanie Pheasant. I am 28 years old from Wiikwemkoong First Nation. I am married to my husband, Tyler, of two years from Wahnapitae First Nation. Our daughter, Evita, is four years old.

Stephanie is in her second year of Indigenous Studies at Laurentian University, working towards a masters. Adjusting to formal schooling since high school, she is also in the process of fine-tuning her program to achieve more; a bachelors in Psychology, Education, and Business. Stephanie has also been on and volunteered for the Indigenous Student Circle of Laurentian University as well as being on their pow wow committee.

While not attending school, she likes to attend and volunteer my time educational cultural events, attend ceremonies and teachings with her daughter, and participates in pow wows (traditional and competition) with her family and friends.

Thiviya Thavanayagam is a grade 11 student at St. Marcellinus Secondary School in the province of Ontario. She is currently settled on the indigenous land of Anishinabek, Huron-Wendat and Anishinaabe. Being a part in school clubs such as eco club, Thiviya makes an attempt to create her school environment as eco-friendly as possible. She is passionate about pursuing a career within the environmental field involving the sustainability of our most valuable resource, water. Growing up, she realized how water has been taken for granted daily without people knowing. Her goal is to contribute to a more water conscious and sustainable world.

Da Chen is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Urban Planning at the University of Toronto. He lives on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.

His relationship with the ocean’s waters is quite complex.  Da was born on the Southeastern coast of China but had little interaction with the ocean. He grew up by Lake Ontario but his relationship with water was one of fears. He wasn’t a swimmer and the lake looked dark and scary for him. Da’s relationship with water really started to change over the last few years. He had the opportunity to visit and learn from beautiful places in Canada. Through his job with Parks Canada, he  camped by Lake Superior, and watched the sunset on the Pacific and he felt connected to the land while on the shore of the Arctic.

Da has been part of some amazing initiatives such as the Students on Ice, Kakehashi project, the International Marine Protected Area Congress in Chile, and Ocean Bridge. These opportunities allowed him to learn so much and meet amazing youth from across the world. It also help Da to realize his privilege and instilled the responsibility to give back to the world and the environment.

Da often like to share his feelings and emotions through poetry and writing.  He looks forward to meeting more amazing young people from across Canada and learning new skills and tools to truly make a difference in his community.

Emily lives on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.  Emily achieved her undergraduate degree in Aquatic Resources and Public Policy at St. Francis Xavier University and a Masters of Science in Water Science, Policy and Management at the University of Oxford. She has worked for non-profits organizations internationally and has worked to bring aquatic policy into community awareness. Emily has written about aquatic and environmental issues for numerous magazines and blog series, including Evergreen, Great Lakes Commons and the International Water Association. In these positions Emily has focused on using innovative communication techniques to inspire change.

Currently, Emily is working in the finance sector in Toronto and completing her MBA to find better ways to combine economics, social action and policy change. She also works to better tell the stories of women in Toronto with Our Women’s Voices, as she hopes to be a support for women of every culture, a mission she hopes to apply globally.

Emily has traveled to 45 countries and continues to travel to better understand different stories, cultures and ways of living her search for better communication techniques that promote positive change and action.

Marina currently lives on the traditional territory of the Algonquin people. Marina was born in Vancouver and spent my formative years in Ontario. No matter where she was living, she has always been passionate about freshwater and marine issues. Marina is very interested in helping bridge the gap between scientific expertise and policy, making connections, educating, communicating and facilitating solutions. She has a Bachelor of Science (environmental science, minor in biology) from Carleton University, and a Master of Resource Management degree from Simon Fraser University.

Currently, Marina is a policy analyst at Environment and Climate Change Canada, working specifically on water policy development. In her spare time, she likes to travel and explore new places, and is an avid photographer and scuba diver. Marina also participated in Waterlution’s Water Innovation Lab- Canada.

Sydney is a university student extremely passionate about the environment and keeping our water clean. She is currently pursuing a joint honours degree at McGill University in Political Science and International Development, with a minor in Environment. McGill is located on the traditional territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka. The island called “Montreal” is known as Tiotia:ke in the language of the Kanien’kehá:ka. Her extra-curricular experience is currently the VP Communications for the McGill Chapter of Amnesty International. In this role she manages the social media platforms, help run events to bring awareness to human rights violations, and oversee the Multimedia Coordinator Group.  She also is currently a contributor to The Grassroots Journal which focuses on her passion and interest in global development issues, environment, and journalism. Over the last few summers Sydney continued to pursue her self-created and managed initiative called the Pure Project which raises funds for clean water research and awareness initiatives by selling handmade jewelry. She also tested water samples and helped cut phragmites. Sydney feels lucky to spend her summers in the Georgian Bay Area, located on the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ  and Huron-Wendat peoples where her passion for protecting the environment and our waters stemmed from.

Sydney has also received a certification from the McGill Executive Institute by taking a course titled “Towards Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals: From Theory to Practice”, which gave insight on how businesses and educational institutions can utilize and critique the SDGs. Additionally, Sydney’s high school offers an initiative called the Global Leadership Diploma in which she completed a research project. Her topic was clean water scarcity, and tying the issue in together both locally and globally, this continues to be one of her areas of interest. She is very excited to be a part of the Youth Advisory Board!

Christine grew up and  lives on the traditional territory of traditional territory of both the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Nations. Christine is an avid camper and hiker. She spends most days hiking around cootes paradise and along the niagara escarpment, discovering the beautiful bald eagles, bloodroot, and one of her favourite trees- white pines (and so much more!)

Christine started learning about environmental issues while participating in two different environmental specialized high skills majors in high school. From there she obtained a bachelor of science in wildlife biology and conservation from the University of Guelph, and a certificate of advanced teacher training in Approaches to educating for sustainability: water, green infrastructure, and environmental campaigns from York University and Eco Source. Christine is a lifelong learner, attending as many webinars, lectures, workshops and events as possible. From learning wilderness first aid and getting hike leader certified, to talking to people on trails, to attend the ROM’s wildlife photography exhibit, there are so many ways to learn. Continuing to learn new perspectives and make new connections with help Christine connect people to the environment!

Professionally, Christine strives to make all people fall in love with nature as she has, in order to inspire change. She wants everyone to understand the connections we have with the earth, especially on a local scale! Christine loves organizing events, like a high school water conference on World Water Day, delivering public and school presentations, leading guided hikes and “paddles in paradise”. Christine has worked as an historical interpreter in a provincial park, a research assistant for the University of Guelph (which lead to a published paper), and she is currently interpreter and outdoor educator at a Botanical Garden (where you may see her dressed as an elf named Bell Chestnut or a fairy named Willow). Christine works full time as program coordinator for Bay Area Restoration Council running outreach and education events and programs, like marsh cattail plantings. Through this role, many local children know her as the turtle girl!

Haley Friesen is full of contradictions. She highly respects science but is also into the “woo-woo moon stuff”. Hayley is Métis from the Red River, people would describe Haley as an old soul. She’s polite and smiley yet is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Haley embodies care and compassion for others, a profound love for the Earth, and deep interest in and commitment to Indigenous ways of knowing and being. She currently resides on the traditional lands of the Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) and Lekwungen (Songhees) ancestors and families who have lived here for thousands of years. Haley’s formal education is in environmental science but feels she has learned the more important things in life through international travel. She has worked as Junior Policy Advisor with the federal government on projects related to access and affordability of post-secondary education. She has also worked as an Environmental Technologist where she conducted field work related to hazardous materials. Her volunteer experience has included hosting/leading environmental stewardship events and coordinating local farmers markets. Any free time that Haley has is spent practising yoga, hiking local mountains or connecting to the many different communities in which she belongs.

Catalina Parra was born in Muisca territories (Bogota, Colombia); she is Mestiza (has Indigenous, African and European roots). During her teenage years, her family moved to Musqueam, Squamish and Tseleiweituth territories (Vancouver) where she currently lives. She attended Simon Fraser University to complete the BA in Latin American studies with a concentration in economic development. She traveled to Bolivia and worked with Aymara and Quechua communities. The teachings she received, inspired her to complete her capstone thesis on the de-colonial paradigm of development, “Buen Vivir”, or sumaqamaña. Such paradigm presents an alternative to western style of economic development, that is ancestral to the Southern territories, where the land is a living entity (a mother – “Pachamama”), and we are to maintain harmony by practicing, “ayni” (or reciprocity) among other traditional values.

For 4+ years, Catalina has been working as the coordinator of the Indigenous Studies Program at the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia on Musqueam unceded territories. She administers daily operations of the degree and non-degree programs and community-based teaching events for Indigenous Elders from various Indigenous nations across Turtle Island. She has facilitated several blanket exercises (an arts-based education tool for reconciliation) in Spanish and English and has also been invited to support in the coordination of community-based education programs in Nisga’a territories and Hawaii. In 2018, she was invited to participate in a conference for reconciliation with Indigenous and non-Indigenous women, “Gaganoonidiwag: They talk to Each Other, have a conversation – Dia-logos ‘The Word between” held in Muskoka Ontario. In the same year, she was invited to participate in the conference of Latin American Theologians in Mexico City to share about what she has learned, as an immigrant, regarding protocols of hospitality within Nisga’a and Cree nations, from Indigenous Elders and Theologians. The paper for her presentation will be published in 2020.

This is Cairo’s second year on the Youth Advisory Board she lives in beautiful British Columbia in Vancouver, the traditional territory of Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Cairo completed her undergraduate in History at Simon Fraser University and is returning the SFU to study education, she plans to become a grade school teacher. An avid backpacker, Cairo has traveled through several countries in the world, and has big plans on traveling more of her own. If she could have it her own way, Cairo would be on the water all the time, whether it be while paddle-boarding or swimming on the vast ocean and lake bodies throughout her province. As a future social studies and history teacher, Cairo is excited to connect with youth as well as her fellow advisors, hoping to learn and spread information about indigenous practices with water all throughout Canada. Cairo believes that if Canadians are made more knowledgeable about indigenous practices, and are taught how to treat our water sources in a more respectable manner, we will have a much greener future ahead of us.

Taylor lives on Musqueam, Squamish, Sto:lo and Tsleil-Waututh territory. She is a visionary, an artist, an athlete, an educator, a naturalist, an idealist and she holds a vision of peace for the world that entails sustainability, living in harmony with nature and each other, a world where there is balance, truth and integrity. Having been a traveler for quite a few years, Taylor am now homing in on my mission in this lifetime which is to be an example for the youth in creating the worldsheI (and many others) envision. Taylor is pursuing this through education.  She has been teaching English, studies permaculture and landscaping. Taylor has a degree in International Studies and a certificate in Sustainable Community Development where she extensively studied global issues and most notably issues around environmental sustainability and Indigenous communities in this ever-changing world.

Selby is a 4th year student at UBC, studying for her BA of Media Studies.  She grew up and currently resides on the territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh people.  She strives to combine her media degree with a focus on sharing stories of the beautiful environment with the importance of its conservation in hopes of bringing these stories to the public in meaningful and inspiring ways. Selby is committed to exploring how her work with media and beyond can help move us forward in Truth and Reconciliation.

Selby has a strong focus on protecting parks and oceans, having volunteered with organisations such as Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association (CPAWS), Pacific Spirit Park Society, Ocean Legacy Foundation, and extending that into her work where she currently is at Parks Canada on the external relations team.  She is dedicated to keeping these lands and waters clean so that they remain healthy and prosperous places for our current generation and for future ones as well. In her spare time, you can find Selby hiking, backpacking and exploring in any way she can! By engaging with the outdoors, it has given her a deep appreciation and a strong desire to raise awareness about how important it is to protect both our waters and land.

Hayley lives on Secwepemc lands. Hayley is a very motivated and enthusiastic person with over eight years professional experience in the field of hydrogeology, and environment, and over 15 years in volunteering for various organisations, with an array of cultures. She has worked and volunteered in Australia across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Northern Territory, and Western Australia, including regional locations and mine sites. Internationally Hayley has volunteered (informally; self driven) predominantly within indigenous communities across Central and North America. She approaches all opportunities with enthusiasm, respect and work comfortably both independently and in groups. Growing up on a farm in country Victoria (Australia), her volunteering and previous lines of work have given her the experience to comfortably work under sometimes challenging conditions with varying cultures and personalities, and to confidently be able to step outside of my comfort zone. Her volunteering has helped her develop a stronger connection with the environment and people. She feels well-prepared to be a Youth Advisory Board member for the Great Canoe Journey ash she’s volunteered previously with Australian Indigenous Mentor Experience (AIME) as a mentor for indigenous school students (WA, Australia, 2018), volunteered at Garma (NT, Australia, 2016 and 2018), as well as at the Mungo Man Return to Country music festival and ceremonies (NSW and VIC, Australia, 2018). Her recent expedition around the world and immersion into local ancient culture has built a strong desire to proudly immerse herself in local culture, to support people and the land, and to continue to learn.

Alice is from Chicago, territory shared by the Pottawatomie (Anishinaabe) and other nations like the Miami and Illinois, and completed her BA with honors in Environmental Studies with a focus in Biology and minors in Environmental Philosophy and Government at Hamilton College in Upstate NY in Oneida territory. She moved to Vancouver, territory of the of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, to pursue her MSc in natural resource governance at UBC, specifically looking at collaborative decision-making and the perception of legitimacy within the context of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Alice has had the opportunity to work on a number of projects related to different aspects of the environmental field, including slow food events, organizing a ‘Take Back the Tap’ campaign, starting a food co-op, coordinating campus recycling, researching the secondhand economy and lighter living initiatives in Metro Vancouver with One Earth, researching and coordinating collaboration to address textile waste in the Vancouver region with Leverage Lab, delivering environmental educational workshops with Elements Society, and working as a team member for the sharing economy tech startup Quupe.  She has been a vegan for nearly 9 years and strives to live zero-waste. Alice also loves being a part of the communities in Vancouver working on making social and environmental impact, and so you can often find her attending events or volunteering with groups with such goals in mind. When she’s not doing one of those things, you’ll likely find her paddling in a dragon boat or outrigger canoe with the Starbucks Waverunners, skiing, hiking with her friends and family, cooking, or cuddling up with her lovely pup Riley.

Melany was born in Bogota, Colombia and at a young age, her family moved to Guatemala where she spent most of her formative years. She moved to Syilx Territory  (Kelowna, BC) to pursue her B.Sc. in environmental chemistry at UBC Okanagan. Having recently completed her studies, she currently resides on the territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh people (Vancouver, BC).  Growing up in Guatemala where she often volunteered with various Indigenous communities, Melany was inspired by the various community leaders who were standing up to defend their rights, lands and traditions.  Learning about Guatemalan Indigenous ways of knowing and the value of community and respect for the earth deeply shaped her perspective on the world. She witnessed the detrimental impacts of mining on Indigenous territories and developed a passion for environmental and social justice.  She is committed to work towards a more just and sustainable society that values collaboration in response to the various environmental and social challenges we face.

While working for Aboriginal Programs and Services at UBC Okanagan  she had the opportunity to learn about the Syilx ways of knowing. Being an aquaphile, she is happy to be currently working in water quality monitoring and assessment with the BC Ministry of Environment. Melany enjoys meeting new people and learning about different cultures. In her free time she loves being outdoors, dancing, playing sports, reading, making jewelry or exploring on her bike.

Jordan has a passion for freshwater and marine health and how humans connect and interact with these ecosystems. She currently lives on the traditional territory of the WSÁNEĆ (Saanich), Lkwungen (Songhees), Wyomilth (Esquimalt) peoples of the Coast Salish Nation. Jordan loves connecting with people over nature, cool ideas, good food, outdoor activities and science. She completed a B.Sc in Earth Sciences at Dalhousie in Halifax, NS and a M.Sc in Planetary Geology at Western University in London, ON.

Growing up, Jordan spent summers paddling and camping in Georgian Bay and around Northern Ontario while attending and working as a guide at outdoor centres/ summer camps. She lived on the Atlantic coast during university where she first fell in love with the ocean, and is now living on Vancouver Island, learning about a new coast and it’s natural history and traditional culture. She continues to spend as much time in nature and on the water as she can, especially camping, surfing, and rock climbing.

For the last few years Jordan have been working towards aligning her life with her passion for water health and community, mostly through volunteering and youth service. She started a community organization called Zero Waste Forest City while living in London, ON that focused on waste education and plastic reduction through lifestyle changes. It continues to thrive there, helping to make positive change in waste reduction. Through this and other youth service programs, she was introduced to the power of community, diversity, and knowledge sharing and seeks to continue learning and building connections within this subject.

Krista is a environmentalist, intersectional feminist, and graduate of Simon Fraser University. Here, on the traditional territory of Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, she recently completed her BSc in Biology -Ecology and Conservation.

Krista is proud to have worked with Parks Canada’s Marine Protected Areas Establishment team and contribute to the protection of National Marine Conservation Areas. Growing up in the country with the world’s longest coastline, Krista has always been passionate about conserving Canada’s waters and the life they sustain. Her work has taken her to some of Canada’s most beautiful marine and freshwater places, from the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, to the Saguenay-St.Lawrence National Marine Park. This summer she is headed to Pacific Rim National Park Reserve where she will be working on marine monitoring projects with the Resource Conservation team.

Krista believes that compassion for both people and the environment are synonymous. For over three years Krista has also worked at a local transition house. Here, as a front line support worker, Krista provides emotional and crisis support to women and children fleeing violence in her community. She is also a youth mentor and advocate for Intersex rights. In her spare time, you can find Krista backpacking, paddling, or diving in BC’s wilderness, or attempting to learn new skills -like embroidery, or surfing!

Jay live in Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territory on the gorgeous West Coast. He loves exploring BC and Canada. Jay has hiked the West Coast Trail (last summer) and saw how amazing the ocean really is. He is a certified PADI Open Water diver, and always looking for dive buddies! I love snowboarding and snowshoeing as well, exploring the mountains.

Jay currently studying Biological Sciences at SFU, studying ecology as a way to facilitate sustainable development, in Canada and other places around the world. He also works for some environmentally-focused organizations in Vancouver, including the Vancouver Aquarium, Metro Vancouver, and Richmond Nature Park.