PLANNING INTO THE FUTURE.

​In 2011, the SRWS Board of Directors reviewed how the organization meets the mission, shared what they are passionate about, what motivates them to be involved, and how they will continue to be accountable to the SRWS' members, partners and community. Here is the outcome:

2017 STRATEGIC REPORT.

A Strategic Report was completed in 2017 to identify key priorities and directions for the next 5 - 10 years. A copy of the document can be found below:
squamish_river_watershed_society_strategic_report_2017.pdf
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Francesca Knight, President
chessyknight@gmail.com

Ms. Francesca Knight, RPBio has more than 20 years of experience as an Environmental Scientist, with expertise in the fields of environmental impact assessment, aquatic biology, and ecological risk assessment. Knight has managed a variety of environmental projects, including:
    •  long-term and complex amphibian risk assessment
    • numerous aquatic biological monitoring programs for evaluation of adverse impacts to aquatic biota resulting from physical habitat disturbances and/or contaminant discharges
    • land development feasibility studies
    • habitat evaluations for land development / infrastructure project applications
​
Her experience also covers work in environmental policy and development at the local government level. She has served on the emergency response team for the District of Squamish, providing technical support to District Council, community, and senior environmental agency staff during two significant environmental disasters: a sodium hydroxide spill in a highly productive salmonid river, and a Bunker C oil spill in the sensitive Squamish estuary. She has served in the capacity of Senior Habitat Biologist with DFO, out of the Lower Fraser Area office, conducting review of a variety of development projects for compliance with the Fisheries Act, and in accordance with DFO’s Habitat Management Program and operating policies. In particular, Knight has been involved in the evaluation of effects to fish and fish habitat resulting from the operation of independent run-of-river hydroelectric projects. ​​​

Randall Lewis, Vice President
randall_lewis@squamish.net

Randall Lewis was the Environmental Co-coordinator with the Squamish Nation. Lewis helped form the SRWS in 1998 and was President of the Society until 2017, at which time he stepped aside to take on the role as Vice President. He continues to bring his passion for the environment, improvements to salmon, herring, eulachon, and other habitat as well as sharing his extensive knowledge and expertise.

Shelagh Thompson, Treasurer
shelagh.leigh.thompson@gmail.com

Shelagh graduated from SFU School of Resource and Environmental Management in 2009 where she received a Master's Degree in Resource Management (MRM - Planning). Her graduate work focused on tourism and water resource management. She currently is eligible for membership with the Planning Institute of BC (PIBC) and the Canadian Institute of Planning (CIP). At present, Thompson is employed by Swim BC as the Office Manager.  ​​

Jennifer Buchanan, Secretary
ja_buchanan@hotmail.com

Jennifer Buchanan, received a summer internship at SRWS through the BCIT River's Institute after completing her first year in the Ecological Restoration Program at BCIT. She holds a science degree in Microbiology from UBC but decided to pursue ecology after helping a masters student with their fungal ecology research project. She travelled to Peru where she lived and worked on an ecological reserve dedicated to restoring farmlands back to jungle habitat. Buchanan is currently a Project Biologist at InStream Fisheries Research.

Jordan Uittenbogaard, Director
Jordan.Uittenbogaard@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Jordan graduated from UFV in 2009, obtaining a Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. He furthered his education with a diploma in the Fisheries and Wildlife program offered at VIU. Early in his career, Uittenbogaard worked various fisheries contracts through DFO stock assessment, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, and lastly the DFO Salmon Enhancement program. Jordan is currently an Operations Manager for the Tenderfoot Creek Salmon Hatchery in beautiful Squamish, BC.

Chrystal Nahanee, Director
chrystal_nahanee@squamish.net

Chrystal Nahanee is the GIS & Research Officer for the Squamish Nation Project Negotiation and Development team. She has been working in the lands department for the past 15 years for the Squamish Nation. Nahanee has been fortunate to work on high level projects for the Squamish Nation such as the following: Strategic Land Use Plan, Burrard Inlet Culture and Heritage Project, Blackcomb Whistler project, West Barr deactivation, Seymour River Rockslide, Elaho River Rock jam as well as other environmental initiatives. Nahanee was born and raised on the island in Nanaimo BC where she was taught to live off the land by her parents and grandmother. Harvesting food from the Nanaimo Estuary and the Nanaimo River with her parents and three brothers. She has witnessed the decline in resources available in the Nanaimo Estuary and is very concerned with the resources being available for future generations. Nahanee is passionate in preserving and protecting the environment for future generations. She also has volunteered for the Outreach Programs offered by the SRWS on the Mamquam River and in the Squamish Estuary. She is looking forward to working with Squamish River Watershed Society.

Vicki Marlatt, Director
vicki_marlatt@sfu.ca

​Dr. Marlatt has extensive expertise in environmental toxicology, endocrinology, animal physiology, and molecular biology/toxicology in vertebrate and invertebrate models. Through conducting, designing and managing numerous field and lab based animal studies in these areas she is proficient in several techniques at the molecular, organ and whole organism level.  Her current research program continues to focus on environmentally relevant, low-level chronic exposure scenarios to multiple environmental contaminants and their impacts in biota at the molecular and whole organism level.  In addition to maintaining a research program in environmental toxicology, Dr. Marlatt teaches several environmental
toxicology courses (e.g. graduate level mammalian toxicology and endocrine toxicology) at Simon Fraser University in one of the few professional environmental toxicology programs in Canada. Collectively, she has practiced in the field of environmental toxicology and biology for fifteen years within academic, industrial and government settings.