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.

Rachel is a registered professional biologist who developed and currently coordinates Wildsight Golden’s Columbia Wetlands Waterbird Survey. 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 biologist with several universities and agencies on multiple projects over the past two decades.

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.

Leah spends her time inside playing with spreadsheets and string instruments. She spends her time outside climbing up and down the mountains around Golden, B.C. on either her bike, skis, snowboard or feet. She is happiest when she gets to do any of these activities with the wonderful people that call this valley home. Leah holds a BComm in Finance from UofC and will gladly do your taxes or make you a budget as long as there is no daylight left to play in

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.

As a consulting boreal river ecologist, Annette Luttermann works with Aboriginal communities across Canada primarily investigating the cumulative environmental effects of large hydroelectric developments. Annette holds an interdisciplinary PhD from Dalhousie University where her research focused on the historical effects of dams and impoundments on riparian habitats of the Churchill River in Labrador.

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.

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.