Fiona is a settler marine ecologist, conservationist, and community leader who attributes her life’s direction to growing up in Howe Sound/Átl’ḵa7tsem. Having spent her childhood flipping rocks to search for crabs on Bowen/Nex̱wlélex̱wem’s beaches, Fiona was thrilled to serve as the Guide’s Project Director from 2018-2021. She is now delighted to participate on the project’s Steering Committee. Fiona is currently a PhD candidate in the Zoology department at the UBC, where she studies how climate change is affecting marine life and communities in the Salish Sea. She also coordinates nearshore restoration in Átl’ḵa7tsem with SeaChange Marine Conservation and sits as an advisory for various other regional marine conservation non-profit organizations. Fiona lives in Gibsons, Ch’ḵw’elhp. 

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Charlene Williams is of Skwxwu7mesh, Nuu-chah-nulth and Snuneymuxw decent. She was raised in, and currently lives and works within her Skwxwu7mesh territory, in the Squamish Valley. She has worked as a Skwxwu7mesh Culture and Language Worker in the Sea to Sky School District #48 for sixteen years and is currently working at Aya7ayulh Chet, a Kindergarten to Grade 6 Indigenous program of choice guided by the principle that all learning is grounded in understanding the connected relationship of Language, Land and Culture. Charlene descends from a family and community with a deep connection and commitment to stewardship and protection of the Xay Temixw, sacred lands of the Skwxwu7mesh peoples. Charlene is a lifelong learner of her Skwxwu7mesh language, culture, and history and strongly believes that we can utilize these important knowledge systems to contribute to healthy communities and ecosystems.

Dr. Isobel Pearsall is the Director of PSF’s Marine Science Program. She co-ordinated the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Salish Sea Marine Survival Project 2014-2019, and is the Manager of the PSF/UBC Strait of Georgia Data Centre. She holds a First class degree in Pure and Applied Biology from Oxford University, a M.Sc. in Ecology from the Department of Biology at Dalhousie University, and a PhD. in Ecology from the Department of Plant Science, UBC. Since 1995, she has worked as a scientist on numerous large-scale ecosystem management and conservation programs for government, non-profit organizations, and private industry. She is an adjunct professor at UBC. 

Courtney Smaha (she/her/elle) grew up in Northern British Columbia, and found a passion for the environment at a young age. This early interest led Courtney to pursue a BA in Environment and Sustainability Geography from the University of British Columbia. This degree steered her into the private sector where she has gained extensive experience in environmental management. Currently, Courtney is pursuing her Master’s degree at Royal Roads University in Environment and Management, where her thesis is focused on Ecosystem-Based Management of Marine Protected Areas in Canada. This experience informs her enthusiastic, mindful, and collaborative approach to the Marine Stewardship Initiative. Experiencing the beautiful Átl’ḵa7tsem area by foot, snowboard, and sea, continues to inspire her daily, in creating a sustainable future for all.

Nikita is deeply passionate in using maps to tell stories of conversations, lives and songs lived out of a place. Her approach to cartography is strategic, holistic and research oriented, her practice is about balancing creativity with practicality. She completed her Bachelor of Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, with a focus on mapping how glaciers and rivers have shaped the landscapes of the South Coast Mountains to the Himalayas. She is skilled in translating questions into geospatial answers with professional experience in ESRI and open-source environments in the environmental, agricultural, renewable energy, and technology sectors. Nikita is delighted to be working with the Howe Sound/Átl’ḵa7tsem Marine Reference Guide to highlight local knowledge and work with like-minded communities to protect this wonderful place. When she’s not making maps she can be found exploring Átl’ḵa7tsem with her skis, bike, snorkel or paintbrush.    

Dr. Andrew Day is the CEO of the BC Parks Foundation. He has a law degree and Ph.D in resource and environmental management. He has developed and led some of the first and most widely endorsed oceans and wild salmon strategies in Canada. He grew up near Howe Sound and his vision and work producing Ocean Watch: Howe Sound Edition formed the origins for the Marine Reference Guide.

Dr. Andrew Day is the CEO of the BC Parks Foundation. He has a law degree and Ph.D in resource and environmental management. He has developed and led some of the first and most widely endorsed oceans and wild salmon strategies in Canada. He grew up near Howe Sound and his vision and work producing Ocean Watch: Howe Sound Edition formed the origins for the Marine Reference Guide.

Darcy is the Principal of the wabe consulting, where she works at the intersection of ecosystem protection, Indigenous rights, and sustainable economic development. She has founded and played leadership roles in non-profit organizations form local to national scales, and provided support and advice as we launched the Howe Sound Marine Reference Guide initiative. Darcy also serves on the Boards of Directors of Coast Opportunity Funds, Ocean Networks Canada, and the BC Parks Foundation. Darcy lives in Vancouver with her family.