Current Contracts

Here's what I am working on right now. All projects are short term. If you have a project idea, we should talk!

National Park Project Lead

Research Assistant

Corridor Data Analysis and Recommendations

January 2020 to Present

The Rocky Mountain National Parks in Alberta and British Columbia are iconic landscapes whose management often sets precedent for other parks across the country. Working with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Southern Alberta Chapter, I am defining input into the national park management plans and defining requirements for a visitor management strategy in Canada's oldest National Parks.

March 2020 to Present

The Stoney First Nation is working with Mt. Royal University to define a cultural monitoring program associated with the bison reintroduction in Banff National Park. I have been hired as a research assistant to write a literature review about the use of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in protected areas, and how a cultural monitoring program can influence bison management in Banff National Park.

March 2020

The Three Sisters Mountain Village wildlife corridor was officially designated by the Alberta Government in February. Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative hired me to analyse available remote camera data and make recommendations pertaining to corridor effectiveness. The final report will be presented to the Town of Canmore for us in their municipal planning processes.

Previous Work

As an interdisciplinary researcher, my career has been varied. While the projects below share some of my professional successes, I will be the first to admit that I haven't accomplishment anything alone. I continually rely on a talented and committed network of colleagues. Working with others inspires me to define unique solutions that are applicable in real life and empower people to take action in their daily personal and professional lives. I bring a diverse set of skills and experiences to all of my work. Feel free to contact me to learn more about any of my previous projects. Please check out my full resume.  

Human-Bear Coexistence - Bear Safety and More

Park Planning - Alberta Parks

Community Engagement - ArtsPlace Canmore

2019

I have worked on several projects with Bear Safety and More, an Albera company that advises businesses on how to reduce human-bear conflict. Through this work, I have provided recommendations for commercial operations, including ski hills and cruise ship companies. I also created a human-bear encounter response matrix and monitoring plans for commercial operators to measure project impacts on human-bear conflict risk.

2018

As a Park Planner with Kananaskis Region, I created facility plans that met multiple ecological and social objectives. My plan for the Lower Kananaskis River - Barrier Lake area improved wildlife corridor functionality, improved the visitor experience, and addressed First Nations concerns. Throughout drafting this plan, I worked extensively with stakeholders and First Nations. I also conducted comprehensive ecological spatial analyses and public consultation.

2018

With this small contract, I stepped outside of ecology and parks to work with our local arts centre. I designed a public engagement project to inform arts programming based on community needs. I based my final report on an online survey and focus groups .

Grizzly Bears and Trail Users - PhD research

Influencing Protected Areas Management - CPAWS Southern Alberta

Bear-Viewing Impacts and Management - Masters research and work with BC Parks

2013-2016

My PhD research integrated grizzly bear habitat use data and a trail user survey in Canada's Rocky Mountain National Parks (Banff, Kootenay, Yoho, and Jasper). I used remote camera and bear gps collar data to examine grizzly habitat selection and conducted a comprehensive trail user survey to define visitor expectations regarding management. I defined management recommendations that simultaneously improved grizzly bear habitat security and met trail user expectations. Explore my full thesis.

2009-2013

As the Senior Conservation Planner, I was responsible for leading CPAWS Southern Alberta's conservation program. I designed and implemented campaigns for protected areas, such as the Castle Provincial Parks. I worked with diverse stakeholders to influence and review management plans, aiming to improve management effectiveness within the contexts of legislation and protected area mandates.

2004-2007

My Masters research focused on understanding the impacts of bear-viewing in the K'tzim-a-deen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary in northern BC. I integrated bear behaviour data with visitor perceptions of impact and tour satisfaction. My results directly influenced bear-viewing guidelines for British Columbia and are still reflected in the management plan for the K'tzim-a-deen. This work also involved working closely with the T'simshian First Nation. I also designed and built the park visitor centre. This project had many moving parts. You can explore my thesis, or contact me to learn more.