MY WORK
I believe that the protection of nature is deeply intertwined with the protection of human access to nature, and that community-based movements carry the strongest momentum to ensure long-term stewardship.
To this end, I lead and engage with marine spatial planning and restoration projects that embrace local voices, values, and knowledge.
MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING IN THE SALISH SEA
Marine spatial planning involves two main phases: 1) knowledge gathering (e.g. document the ecological, economic, cultural, and social importance of a marine area to marine-life and coastal communities); and 2) knowledge mobilization and implementation to inform decisions and plans about how to protect places and values in the face of future pressures (e.g. climate change). To be successful, marine spatial planning processes must be meaningful, participatory, and accessible to diverse stakeholders (e.g. marine sectors, communities) and rightsholders (e.g. Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments) during both phases.
From 2017-2021, I led two knowledge gathering initiatives in support of marine spatial planning in Howe Sound/Átl’ka7tsem (one of three Squamish Nation place names for this region): the Marine Reference Guide and the Marine Conservation Assessment.
The outcomes from both initiatives include the creation of deliverables (e.g. online interactive maps, reports) that inform decision-making and education, and stronger relationships and collaboration across non-profit organizations, local, First Nations, and federal governments, business and industry, and community groups.
Eelgrass Transplant on
Bowen Island/Nexwlélexwem
Video made by
Bob Turner
Feb 2021
Howe Sound/Átl'ka7tsem Marine Reference Guide - promo video
Video produced by Fiona Beaty & Bridget John
Edited by Kieran Brownie
June 2021
NEARSHORE RESTORATION
Restoration aspires to return communities and ecosystems to healthy and resilient states following their disruption by human activities (e.g. pollution, habitat degradation). Importantly, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer teaches that restoration should be a reciprocal effort that involves the repair of ecological systems and species, as well as human relationships and connections to the land and water. This guiding principle resonates strongly with me, and I seek to carry it through in my marine restoration and conservation endeavours.
From 2018-2021, I led and coordinated nearshore restoration initiatives in Howe Sound/Átl’ka7tsem, including seven eelgrass (Zostera marina) transplants and two subtidal debris removals. This work was part of a broader restoration project throughout the Salish Sea led by SeaChange Marine Conservation Society. Our approach has been to work with communities throughout the restoration process, from site selection to boots on the ground restoration to monitoring and enforcement.
In 2017 I collaborated with engineers, scientists, and lawyers to create a guide for habitat protection that reviews and synthesizes the complex physical, biological, and human systems associated with nearshore restoration.
Eelgrass Transplant on
Bowen Island/Nexwlélexwem
Video made by
Bob Turner
Feb 2021
Eelgrass Transplant on
Bowen Island/Nexwlélexwem
Video made by
Bob Turner
Feb 2021