Project
Climate Change Adaptation and Community Planning: Case Studies in British Columbia and Sweden
Themes
• Climate change (adaptation and community-level impacts)
• Community-based management
• Ecosystem processes
Academic Qualifications
MSc, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, SLU, Sweden
MF, Faculty of Forestry, UBC
BSc, Natural Resource Conservation, Global Perspectives Major, UBC
International Baccalaureate, United World College of the American-West, New Mexico, USA
Research Experience
2010: UBC and York University, Alpine Ecology Research in Whistler, Garibaldi Park, Cathedral Lakes Park, and Pink Mountain, BC. Research Field Supervisor and Assistant. Prepared and co-supervised field work in backcountry locations around British Columbia. Field work included alpine plant community diversity and density studies, pollinator surveys, invertebrate sampling and soil sampling. Conducted an independent research project on the effects of climate warming on alpine plant communities by setting up a long term Open Top Chamber experiment under International Tundra Experiment Protocol.
2008: UBC Tundra Ecology Lab Vancouver, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut Undergraduate Research Field Assistant. Responsibilities in the UBC lab included: data entry, database management, and quality control; editing an existing Field Manual for long-term Arctic research; weighing of plant specimens from a 20 year Arctic study; as well as ordering and preparing/shipping field equipment for Arctic fieldwork. Fieldwork at Daring Lake, NWT. Responsible for general vegetative surveys, soil sampling, plot photography (NDVI and digital camera) in long-term low-arctic tundra experimental sites. Fieldwork at Kugluktuk, Nunavut. Set-up a berry and warming experiment and lead a group of Inuit youth (ages 14-19) for three weeks (teaching the basics of vegetative surveys, experimental design, plant identification, and more).
Professional Experience
2010-2011: Independent Contractor/Consultant for Environmental Mitigation and Offsetting Policy Project with the BC Ministry of Environment, Ecosystem Protection and Sustainability Branch, Victoria, BC. Organized and completed First Nations and stakeholder engagement sessions and reports. Supported policy working groups and cross-ministry engagement sessions.
2011: Ecosystem Sustainability Climate Adaptation Specialist, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) Intern at BC Ministry of Environment (including BC Parks). Developed shoreline sensitivity reports for provincial protected areas. Edited peer reviewed climate change adaptation technical paper by BC Ministry of Environment staff.
2009: Internship with The Nature Conservancy, Red Quercus, and the International Park La Amistad, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. International Student Intern. Received a project grant through the Loran Award, Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation. Interviewed, held workshops and meetings with 6 different rural community associations of the Red Quercus community network, in 6 different rural communities in the province of Puntarenas, and districts of Biolley, Potrero Grande, and Brunka. Created a Volunteer Plan, Volunteer Decree of Rules, Volunteer Manual for the associations, Volunteer Manual for volunteers, and various forms (such as health and safety forms, volunteer applications, evaluations). Presented and had documents analyzed by the Park administrator, the Board of Directors of Red Quercus, and The Nature Conservancy representative for the area.
Awards, Grants and Scholarships
2012 NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Research Award, UBC
2011-2013 TRANSFOR-M Dual European-Canadian Masters Program Scholarship
2010-2011 Sherwood Lett UBC Premier Undergraduate Award and UBC Wesbrook Scholar
2007-2011 National Loran Award, Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation
2008-2011 Trek Excellence Scholarship for Continuing Students
2010 H.R. MacMillan Prize in Forestry
2010 NSERC USRA, Supervisor Dr. Chris Lortie, York and Dr. Greg Henry, UBC
2009 Kapoor Singh Siddoo Scholarship in Forest Ecology
Project grant for internship with The Nature Conservancy, Red Quercus, and La Amistad Park
Go Global International Learning Programs Award
John Worrall Tree Enthusiast Prize
2008 NSERC Undergraduate Award, Supervisor Dr. Greg Henry, UBC
Dean of Forestry Scholarship
Oscar Soderman Memorial Scholarship
2007 UBC Leadership Excellence Scholarship
UBC President’s Entrance Scholarship
2005 United World College Scholarship to UWC-USA (BC Provincial Government)