MEET THE PROGRAM LEADS
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Brian is Ian McTaggart Cowan Professor in the School of Environmental Studies. Originally from Nova Scotia, he loves to work in a variety of systems to study biodiversity questions, and is broadly trained as a community ecologist and conservation biologist. His research focuses on biodiversity structure and dynamics, and seeks to link theory and empirical approaches. A current research focus is in exploring long-term human-environment interactions on the Central Coast of British Columbia, out of the Hakai Institute. Another is partnering with collaborators like BC Parks and John Reynolds at SFU to collect and analyze community science biodiversity observations, especially using iNaturalist. Brian doesn’t have an organismal bias to his research, and is comfortable working across the taxonomic spectrum, from insects to plants to birds. He’s proud to have won a Faculty Teaching Excellence award for undergraduate teaching, as well as the UVic REACH Award for graduate student mentorship. He was Director of the School of Environmental Studies from 2019-2023.​​​
I hold the Tom Buell BC Leadership Chair in Conservation and I am also the Chair of COSEWIC - the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Before I joined SFU in 2005 I was a Professor at The University of East Anglia in Norwich, England from 1993-2005. I had first gone to England for a postdoc at Oxford, where I studied life history evolution through phylogenetically-based studies of birds and fishes. I did my PhD at the University of Toronto on sexual selection in tropical freshwater fishes. My MSc at Queen’s University in Ontario focused on mating systems of arctic shorebirds, and my BSc was at the University of Toronto. My career in ecology and conservation has always been inspired by my lifelong obsession with natural history and the outdoors.
Hi everyone, I am the program’s Project Manager! I work at Simon Fraser University as the lab manager for Dr. John Reynolds, where managing this program, along with others, is part of my role. Most of my work happens behind the scenes, helping keep the program running smoothly, but I’m occasionally lucky enough to join the team in the field, where I continue to learn from our highly skilled crew of naturalists. While my background is focused on Pacific salmon and their ecosystems, I’ve always been passionate about the natural world and learning more about the incredible biodiversity here in British Columbia.
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MEET THE 2026 FIELD CREW
Crew Lead / Summer Naturalist
Hi all! I’m an environmental educator, naturalist and mycology enthusiast and am excited to be working with the BC Biodiversity Program again this summer. My work this summer will be focused on making collections of fungi for DNA sequencing though the MycoMap BC project I coordinate. I’ve been very involved with the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society for several years and enjoy teaching intro to mycology courses, running mushroom walks and crawling around on a mossy forest floor. After the summer, I’ll be continuing MycoMap related research on community science + biodiversity as a graduate student at UVic.
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Summer Naturalist
My interest in nature began at an early age through growing up in North Vancouver and annual camping trips with my family. This interest led me to pursue a BSc and subsequent MSc in Geography at the University of Victoria. While I pursued these degrees with a broad interest in ecology, working outdoors in the Okanagan for two summers and volunteering at ecological restoration events around Victoria helped me realize my passion for botany. In pursuit of this passion, I have worked in ecological restoration on Vancouver Island since completing my MSc and am now thrilled to be a part of the 2026 BC Biodiversity Team! My main areas of interest are plants (vascular and non-vascular) and fungi, but I am keen to observe and learn about all forms of life.
Summer Naturalist
I am a keen naturalist and photographer currently based in Vancouver, BC. Arthropods are my main interest, especially spiders and insects; I have thoroughly enjoyed delving into entomology and arachnology in the last few years, and love using iNaturalist to document interesting finds.
In 2025, I was fortunate to join the BC Biodiversity team on a trip, and since then I've been inspired to observe all forms of life! My goal is to be a thorough naturalist, and I love scuba diving, hiking in the mountains, tidepooling, birding, mothing, observing nocturnal animals, and more.
I am so excited to be part of the 2026 team, and to explore more parts of our beautiful province!
Summer Naturalist
I have recently completed an Ecosystem Management Technician diploma at Fleming College in Ontario. Originally from Toronto, my love of the natural world began with the Great Lakes, and has since expanded into a passion for intact ecosystems and biodiversity across Canada. Last year I worked as a technician for the Long Point Basin Land Trust in Southwestern Ontario, participating in species at risk surveys, floristic inventories and various ecological restoration and monitoring projects. For the past 6 years I have spent time in BC with a focus on visiting natural areas to document biodiversity. I am thrilled to be joining the BC Biodiversity program as a summer naturalist, where I am most excited to photograph invertebrates, and continue to learn the province’s stunning array of bryophytes and lichens. I love how iNaturalist connects people and communities with their local biodiversity, expanding our collective understanding of our shared natural heritage.
Summer Naturalist
Hi all, I'm a young naturalist living on the lands of the Lkwungen-speaking (Songhees and Esquimalt) and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples and is of Romanian, Italian, and British descent. I have an undergraduate degree in Biology, and have spent my post-graduation years researching leafhoppers, surveying birds on Vancouver Island, and restoring ecosystems. I spend my time crouching over bugs, boating, birdwatching, and reading pulp sci-fi. This is my first season working on the BC Biodiversity crew.
MEET OUR RESEARCH AFFILIATES
I am an ecologist studying biodiversity and biogeography in the Starzomski Lab at the University of Victoria. My research focuses on the integration and mobilization of species occurrence records for understanding where species are, why they’re there, and what that means for conservation. I am especially interested in how community science data can work with natural history collection data to improve our understanding of species distribution. I am a lifelong naturalist with a passion for insects, birds, reptiles & amphibians, and a growing interest in plants. My current taxonomic obsession is the gall wasps (Cynipoidea).
ALUMNI
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