Our People

Leslie has lived in the Kootenays almost her whole life, growing up in Castlegar and now residing in Golden where she has been for almost 30 years. She loves the wilderness and spends as much time as she can outdoors; camping, hiking, swimming and cross-country skiing. Leslie has 7 grandchildren and it is important to her that they are able to enjoy the wilderness as much as she does forever.

Ayla Bennett lives with her family in Fernie, BC. She is passionate about conserving and discovering more of our beautiful mountains, free-flowing rivers and wild spaces. Ayla works with environmental non-profit groups including Wildsight, Elk River Alliance and Mainstreams Environmental Society.

Shanoon Bennett lives in beautiful Winlaw, in the Slocan Valley. She teaches a host of programs including Know Your Watershed, as well as Wild Voices for Kids Winter Safety and Survival Skills, Animal Tracks, Habits and Homes, Forest, River, Pond Ecology and Natures Wild Food and Medicine programs.

John was a leader in the 20-year process to create and complete the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy. He has been instrumental in designation of protected areas and parks in the East Kootenay, coordinated environmental appeals against industrial polluters, worked to establish the Southern Rocky Mountain Conservation Area, the Columbia Wetlands and East Columbia Lake Wildlife Management Areas.

Morgan Blakley works at Ecojustice as a public interest environmental lawyer. Morgan grew up in Wilmer and now lives in Vancouver. He is deeply interested in environmental issues generally and particularly in environmental issues in the Kootenays such as keeping Jumbo wild and maintaining the Columbia Valley Wetlands.

Cristina can be found on local trails hugging trees, forest bathing and breathing in the fresh air. She enjoys cross-country skiing in winter and camping lakeside in the summer. She is a rock enthusiast and grew up in Northern Ontario but has been living in Kimberley since 2008. She enjoys the natural beauty, surroundings and lovely people that make this place super-natural. Cristina has an event-planning & marketing background, and has been a part of hundreds of events starting out as a volunteer in her teenage years, to managing and also creating/co-founding events later on. She is an artist at heart and has a deep love of forests/trees and sustainable practices. She believes travelling is the best education to provide perspective and inspiration. It can broaden ones viewpoint to garner appreciation and gratitude for this place and also find solutions or new ways of thinking that can positively impact the world around us. She will be filling in for Andrea Chapman at the Kimberley Cranbrook Branch office until she returns from maternity leave.

Casey and his family live work and play in Fernie in the heart of Canada's beautiful Southern Rockies. Casey managed Wildsight's Southern Rockies Campaign for a decade and is grateful for the opportunity to continue to support progress on conservation and community sustainability through volunteering with Wildsight.

Graduated UVic 1978, BSc Physical & Resource Geography.
Built energy efficient home near Cranbrook in 1983.
Self employed, with a variety of jobs according to the season.
Active member of Rocky Mountain Naturalists, South Star Recreation Society, Kootenay Christmas Tree Association.
I like birding, paddling, making things from ‘scratch’ and figuring out how to improve my community.

Andrea loves everything outdoors, be it a microscopic plant or heartwarming snowfall against a colourful sunset. She brings experience with education, research, and management to the Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook branch, and is excited to be working within the communities she calls home.

Brian has a MSc in Forestry Wildlife and had a career as a Wildlife Biologist for BC Government in Fort St. John followed by 15 years of consulting as an ungulate habitat specialist.  Brian has been involved in conservation biology and wildlife research projects including swans, mountain goats, caribou, moose, elk, deer and grizzly bear.

Jillian & her family happily made Invermere home in 2013. An avid trail runner and lover of the outdoors, she is delighted to live in such a beautiful place for exploring and raising a family. She has a Masters in Architecture and blends her passion for design and advocacy for the environment as Principal of Cochrane Design Studio, where she designs healthy, sustainable spaces and places throughout the Columbia Valley. Jillian is grateful for the opportunity to learn about the Kootenays through Wildsight’s important work

Brian Conrad moved to the Kootenays in the mid 1970’s after living in England, the United States, Mexico and Colombia. The grandeur of the region inspired an intensified consciousness of environmental excitement and concerns. As a teacher at Mt. Baker Secondary School in Cranbrook, Brian joined a team of colleagues and ran an Environmental Awareness Program for Grade 11 students for many years.

Mary Cosman has been a grower-member of Seeds of Diversity Canada since the early 1990s. She was a member of the Prince George Community Garden while living there, and has been a director of Fernie’s Community EcoGarden since moving here in 2005.

Since the late 1970’s, I’ve been active locally, regionally and nationally in environmental and social issues.  Jim Campbell and I were the EKES team that started recycling in Cranbrook. I am actively involved in: Kootenai River Network, Inc. (Montana), Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook Society, EK Network for Humanity, Social Planning Society, Grow It Eat It Task Force, Cranbrook Food Action Committee, the Cranbrook Community Forest Society, and Yasodhara Yoga Cranbrook.

Rachel is a registered professional biologist who developed and currently coordinates Wildsight Golden's Columbia Wetlands Waterbird Survey and Community Invasive Plant Program.  At the top of her class, she graduated with a Master of Science degree in Environment and Management in 2014, and has a Bachelors of Science degree (biology major) from the University of Victoria.  She has worked as a field and conservation biologist with several universities and agencies on multiple projects over the past two decades.

Founder of the Rocky Mountain Education Series, Dawn Deydey brings the experience and understanding of five years of Beyond Recycling coordination and development to the table. As Community Program Coordinator for the Wildsight Elk Valley Branch, her ability to weave environmental education and community action into successful programming that moves our community towards sustainability has been proven repeatedly.

Joan has been volunteering with WIldsight Golden since it’s inception in 1989. She has been the branch president for many years, spearheading and supporting many initiatives and projects Joan finds it a privilege to work with the great people that are part of Wildsight and to live and play in such a wild and wonderful place.

Born and raised in Newfoundland, Bryan joined the Wildsight team in 2017 after working 10 years as a Financial Accountant on The Rock. He likes budgets, spreadsheets, dark coffee, and wild places. A CPA, Bryan is proud to work for the wild.

Robyn is the Executive Director of Wildsight and the campaign lead for Jumbo Wild. Born and raised in Kimberley, BC, Robyn fell in love with the mountains at an early age. Her work is driven by her passion for wilderness and wild places and a strong belief that we can minimize our footprint on the planet. She has been with Wildsight since 2006. Her university studies include a MSc-MA in Global Economics from LSE and the University of Vienna, and a BA in International Development from Dalhousie.

Carrie lives in the wild Blaeberry Valley where she grows food, skis out her backdoor and homeschools her son. She delivers Classroom With Outdoors, Beyond Recycling, Know Your Watershed and Winter Wonder programs. Carrie is trained as an Environmental Protection Technician and has completed an Organic Farming Apprenticeship with Stewards of Irreplaceable Land. She has a passion for nature and loves to share this spark with others.

Melissa Flint has a background in conservation biology, organic farming, permaculture and environmental consulting - and a love for mountain air and exploration. She loves taking people outside and finding connections in the natural world. Melissa's other work includes design, gardening and workshops in permaculture, sustainability and resiliency, through her company Aurora Edible Designs. Melissa teaches our Beyond Recycling, Classroom with Outdoors, Winter Wonder, and Know Your Watershed programs.

Organic farmer, inventor, alternate energy, farming with less fossil fuels, environmentalist is what describes Drew.  Fifteen years in the logging industry opened Drew’s eyes to the environmental impact of clear cut logging. Reducing his environmental footprint are evident in all he does: cycling as transport, inventing his solar tractor, growing/storing/using most of his food, growing and marketing grains and flours to others, and now working on producing energy on the farm through solar and nano-hydro installations.  Wildsight is a community for him to share his passion for environmental sustainability in his daily life choice.

Cam grew up in the Columbia Valley and is thrilled to return and call it home. He has a PhD in Biology and his passion for birds and the environment comes from a life of enjoying the outdoors since he was a child. Living in Windermere, he runs Eagle-Eye Tours, which provides an opportunity for travel to remote and wonderful corners of the world. He has also been involved in several wildlife research projects from leopard frogs to wolverines.

I was born in Marburg, Germany and immigrated to Canada after I obtained my Ph.D. in biology from the Justus-Liebig-Universitaet in Giessen.
I worked for 21 years as a researcher with a forestry company (Alberta-Pacific) in Northern Alberta and was part of a team implementing innovative forest management systems. I am passionate about protecting the environment and Wildsight gives me the opportunity to contribute.

A Golden-native, Brian brings experience in natural resource management to the Wildsight team.

Tesia has been living in Golden for the past year after relocating from the Yukon. She enjoys foraging for forest edibles, studying plants and is pursuing an education in ecology. Tesia is excited to meet more of the vibrant people in Golden at the community weed pulls and is looking forward to some fun, plant-based activities planned and the Get Wild! Youth summer camps. Her dream is to help build a community Native Plant Garden in town. If Tesia could be any plant, she would be a cattail so she could be by the water and listen to the marsh birds sing all day.

I feel fortunate to have lived in the Rocky Mountain Trench for over 30 years and have been able to play and work in my front-yard, the Rocky Mountains and my backyard, the Purcell Mountains. My history with Wildsight is as old as the organization. As a founding member, I have been a proud supporter for many years. I have worked on many campaigns but am most proud of the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy campaign successes.

Born and raised in Alberta, Jill is now a proud Kimberlarian! Jill spent the last 10 years working for Alberta Parks in a variety of different capacities, including interpretation, environmental education, and most recently in inclusion and accessibility. She is passionate about nurturing the natural world around her and fostering environmental stewardship in people of all ages. She loves exploring her new Kootenay stomping grounds by foot, bike and canoe and is thrilled to join the Wildsight family to continue to connect people to natural places.

Lorene joined the team to share the work of Wildsight with the world. Her formative years were spent in Cranbrook where she tromped through the trails, hiked the wild mountains and swam in cold, clear lakes. She is keen to keep these wild spaces for her own children and the generations to come. With a passion for the written word, Lorene presents the voice of Wildsight for all who love this place we choose to call home.

Jessie moved to Invermere in August 2016 from Crawford Bay in the West Kootenays. She now works as a Wildsight Environmental Educator, and at Eagle-Eye Tours. Her favourite spot in the Columbia Valley is her garden, followed closely by Wilmer Wetlands and any number of local hiking trails.

With over 10 years of experience delivering environmental education, including increasing public awareness of aquatic species at risk and leading school kids on interpretive hikes in the great outdoors, Mia is very excited to be part of the Wildsight education team.

Patty Kolesnichenko has worked for over 20 years teaching Outdoor Education to individuals of all ages. Her background includes a Degree in Education with a specialization in Physical Education and Science from York University in Toronto. She has taught at the Boyne River Natural Science School, the Nor West Outdoor Centre in Ontario and started St Patrick High school’s Outdoor Program in Yellowknife. Patty has also run her own business "Wolfsong Adventures" in the Northwest Territories.

Genna is passionate about bringing environmental stewardship to our younger generation in the hopes of passing on that enthusiasm so that they may become the next guardians of the earth. She wants them to pass along that knowledge and wonder of nature to their parents so that it will become a "family love affair". Genna teaches our Beyond Recycling, Classroom with Outdoors, and Winter Wonder programs.

Alannah is an Ontario farm girl now happy to call Kimberley home. After graduating from OCADU with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, it seemed natural to move further west in search of a community with a comfortable juxtaposition between outdoor adventures and artistic opportunity. She is very excited to be the new Kimberley Farmers' Market Coordinator and will probably show you a photo of her puppy or cats unprompted.

Graeme is fascinated by rivers and watersheds, both small and large, wild and urban. Born in Honduras and raised in California, Graeme came to B.C. in 2014 to attend Quest University Canada in Squamish. There, he pursued a self-designed interdisciplinary degree in water resource sciences with a special focus on the Columbia River and the Columbia River Treaty. To complement his academic study with place-based learning, in 2017 he spent six weeks cycling and paddling up the Columbia from sea-to-source while reading, writing, and interviewing along the way. His work on the Columbia River Treaty and related issues has since appeared in English and French in more than 50 publications across Canada and the U.S. As Program Coordinator of the Columbia River Field School, Graeme is inspired and delighted by the opportunity to introduce other young people to the beauty and complexity of this place. Read more about Graeme's work at www.graemeleerowlands.com

As Wildsight's Water Program Manager, Heather as been involved in stewardship efforts in the Columbia Basin for more than a decade. She works with individuals and groups to increase capacity and knowledge to better protect our watersheds. Under this guidance, Wildsight's water programs have won awards from foundations and industry, and have been recognized by the federal government as a best practices example in community based monitoring.

Randal moved to Fernie in the 1990’s and with his wife Lisa raised their family in the Kootenays. Randal is the publisher of Oolichan Books, prior to which he was a museum curator and consultant, working throughout western Canada with museums in human and natural history. He spent much of his life in public service with 15 years as a member of Fernie City Council including six as Mayor and and six as a Director on the Region District of East Kootenay.

Following the path of many transborder grizzlies and wolves, 10 years ago Marcy Mahr and her family dispersed north from Montana, leaping the 49th parallel and immigrating to the Kootenays. Marcy has a M.Sc. in Plant Ecology and her passion for conserving biodiversity has guided her career as an eclectic ecologist. She’s worked on numerous projects in amazing landscapes all over western Canada and the US to advance conservation biology and protect species and ecosystems at risk.

Baiba Morrow has navigated much of her working life as a freelance writer, photographer, and dabbler in documentary film making. In partnership with her husband, Pat Morrow, she has travelled and explored the mountain world, especially the Himalayan region, and found inspiration from ancient cultures. Since moving back to the East Kootenay in 2007, Baiba continues to find joy in her community, the mountains, and her garden.

A passion for the wilderness and a gift for teaching have drawn Monica into the field of environmental education where she has worked both inside and outside the classroom for the past 15 years.

Janelle Park lives with her family in lovely Fernie, BC. She delivers Know Your Watershed, Winter Wonder and Classroom With Outdoors and is also work as a teacher on call in SD5 and administers online learning at the Kootenay Discovery School. Janelle has a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Science from the University of Alberta and aims to combine her passion for teaching with her enthusiasm for being outdoors.

Tanna has volunteered for Wildsight since the beginning of the Creston Valley branch in 1989. As branch president, she has been involved in air quality issues, the initiation of the Community Forest, trail building and environmental education. For the last 5 years, Tanna has chaired the Creston Valley Bird Fest, a celebration of the birds, the art, and the agriculture of the Creston Valley.

Born and raised in the Cranbrook area, Eddie has a deep passion for the outdoor world and the Kootenays. He has a strong interest in land use issues and protecting biodiversity and wild places. Eddie is excited to continue to learn, explore, and protect the globally significant landscape he calls home.

Driven by his love for the outdoors and skiing, Adam moved to Canada from the UK in 2016. He is a qualified CPA, with 5 years experience of working in a international financial institution and currently works as Finance Manager at Panorama Mountain Resort. He became involved with Wildsight after watching the Jumbo Wild documentary prior to moving to Canada and then by chance ending up living in Invermere.

Born in Cranbrook, Dave is a wildlife biologist, educator, wilderness guide, writer and photographer whose work is driven by his passion for wilderness and wild spaces. His work with endangered mountain caribou and badgers, threatened fisher and grizzly, as well as lynx and other species has helped shape his understanding of the Kootenay backcountry and its wildlife, and help shape his efforts to protect what remains.

Once the coordinator for Cranbrook Composts and the Clean Bin project, Nadine now brings her educator background and fresh perspective to the Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook Board of Directors. Passionate about waste reduction and diversion, Nadine is doing her best to reduce her household waste to zero, and blogging all about it!  Check out her work on the Zero Journey Blog.

Victoria is this year's Get Wild! Education Coordinator. She moved to Golden from Vancouver in June 2018, and she is from Grande Prairie, AB. Victoria has been involved in The Golden Women's Center, Wildsight Golden, and she has organized The Forest March, and The Lorax Festival. She sees the importance of educating the adults of the future to connect, and protect nature, and our communities.

Hanna is an avid gardener, a mom to two young boys, and an environmentalist. She loves cooking for her family, finding treasures at thrift stores, and spending time on her skis or bike. She moved from her hometown of Kimberley, BC to Golden ten years ago. She has a BSc in Physical Geography, has worked extensively in the outdoor recreation industry, and also has experience in bookkeeping. Moving forward, she plans to pursue further education and work in the environmental field.

Lars has a BA.&Sc. in physics and a life-long love of data and the stories it tells. His passion is climate solutions: transportation, buildings, energy and waste. Lars loves to turn science into compelling narratives, driven by the love of the wild that we share, and to craft communications strategies that get results. He optimizes Wildsight's capacity by making systems efficient, numbers tell stories and technology sing.

Taoya Schaefer moved to Invermere in 1985, and has been a member of Wildsight since its inception (as the East Kootenay Environmental Society). She is a retired physiotherapist, and along with her husband has raised two sons.  She is passionate about preserving the natural environment and loves all manner of outdoor pursuits, especially ski touring in the winter and hiking, biking, and whitewater kayaking in the summer. 

Jen is a Rossland local who feels blessed to have been raised there. The beauty, lifestyle and the essence of the Kootenays inspire her to be an advocate for our environment. She has a diploma from Selkirk College’s Integrated Environmental Planning program. She is currently teaching the Winter Wonder classes, which she thoroughly enjoys. To her, it is wonderful hearing the children speak up about what the environment means to them and to have some laughs and fun along the way. She loves running, skiing and biking with her family, friends and her dog.

While Mary doesn't enjoy writing her bio, she does love the opportunity to adapt and present some of Wildsight's amazing environmental education school programs (Beyond Recycling, Winter Wonder). She started work in environmental education in the last century as an interpreter for the Friends of Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks, has degrees in Biology and Education, and is currently working on her Masters in Environmental Education and Communication.

Verena Shaw is a very passionate naturalist who loves to get outside into the wild and has been birdwatching for many years. Verena has been involved with various environmental projects with some bird related ones being swallow, bluebird, wood duck nest box monitoring, nightjar and marsh bird surveys, a western screech owl study, and various other bird counts. When coming to the Wings Over the Rockies Bird Festival two years ago she fell deeply in love with this area and the amazing Columbia Wetlands.

Born and raised in rural west central Minnesota, Jim graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Forestry in 1969, married Sandy and headed west. Over the following 30 years he worked various industry and government positions from Prince George and Burns Lake, to Creston and Vernon and back to Creston again. Throughout most of this experience Jim was fortunate to work with people who “saw the forest through the trees.”

Corinna takes part in Golden's water quality monitoring program and this summer she will be coordinating a new Limber Pine project in the Golden area! Corinna grew up in Edmonton Alberta, and for the past decade she has been exploring and living in the majestic Rocky Mountains. Her passion for the environment lead her to Selkirk College in Castlegar. She has decided to call the beautiful Columbia Valley home. In her spare time Corinna enjoys being in the mountains, running, climbing, skiing and going on wilderness backpacking trips.

The Know Your Watershed program in Valemount has given Kim Thorn a welcome opportunity to share program and personal knowledge with the community’s youth, in the strong belief that supporting their understanding of water and watersheds now, will lead to more water-wise adults. Kim has lived for over 35 years in the area and loves her rural life, which brings her regularly into contact with forest and aquatic wildlife.

Drawn west by the mountains, Kim feels most at home amongst the trees. Coming from Calgary, and having grown up mostly in Ottawa, she is very excited to have escaped big city life and finally call Invermere home. With a background in environmental education, Kim brings varied experience in community engagement, program development, and volunteer management. Along with an MA in Environmental Education and Communications, Kim has plenty of enthusiasm for outdoor activities and passion for connecting people with the natural world.

I am retired English and History teacher and have a deep conviction that we need to be committed to stewardship of the web of life that has evolved on this paradise, Earth and Ocean.

Jess is an environmental educator with an Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership Degree. She is passionate about the environment and loves to spend time sharing the wonder and awe of nature with her students. She believes that all people, no matter what age, can learn to appreciate the wilderness around them and learn skills to keep it wild for all to enjoy for the future. Activities such as snowboarding, hiking, paddling, mountain biking and gardening keep her busy around her West Kootenay home.