About MeI am a field ecologist. I'm passionate about nature and fascinated by data. When I discovered that I could combine these two loves with science and possibly work to make the world I better place for everyone, I was hooked. My wife and I currently reside in Vancouver British Columbia, where we spend our free time running, climbing, skiing, riding, and admiring the mountains.
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Who I Am |
I grew up splitting my time between Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. This is where I learned a deep love of the land and peoples place in it. After working as an auto mechanic and wildlife technician, I returned to school to try to learn more about science. That journey continues, but along the way I've been able to integrate my professional and academic activities. I've worked with a broad range of people, organizations, and industries all focused on the same goal - using science to improve peoples lives and conserve nature. As I finish my Doctorate at the University of British Columbia I hope to continue working to find innovative solutions to the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
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My History |
In 1995 I returned to school so I could find a job working outside, hopefully where I could ski and chase animals. I was hired first as a coop student by the Research Section of the Wildlife Branch in British Columbia and couldn't believe someone would pay me to do that work. I continued my schooling after finishing a BSc (Honours) at UBC, worked as private contractor and for the Wildlife Conservation Society mostly on research and management issues with fur bearers (wolverine, badger, fisher, etc.). It in the ecology group at UBC where I developed a passion for data. I completed my MSc at the University of Victoria in 2007 working a long-term and large-scale project on Northern Goshawks in the East Kootenays. This work was in direct collaboration with a local forest company (Tembec Inc) and Thompson Rivers University (Kamloops). In 2006, I incorporated High-Country Ltd. and began taking more analysis and management contracts, and hiring staff and interns. I continue to be involved with goshawk research and management, but returned in 2008 to undertake a PhD at UBC. This project was another large-scale, 4-year experiment in the grassland of southern BC that documented trophic cascades elicited by small mammals and songbirds in temperate grasslands. As that project winds down, I am currently looking for and developing new opportunities for projects in the BC/Yukon region. I continue to investigate new tools (DNA, stable isotopes, satellite) to solve old problems (why to lynx and hare cycle).
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