Alison Watt

Naturalist

Alison is a naturalist, artist, writer and poet. Recently her beautifully painted and exquisitely written book about her time as a seabird researcher on Triangle Island, The Last Island, won a national award for creative nonfiction. Other nonfiction has appeared in Canadian Wildlife and her award-winning poems have been published in national journals and collected in the book Circadia.

Alison trained as a biologist at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia, from which she has a BSc in Biology. She has worked as a coastal seabird researcher, naturalist, professional artist and art teacher, and tour leader on several continents. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. Alison teaches courses in painting and keeping illustrated journals …a handy skill for a trip on Maple Leaf or Swell.

Each year, Alison serves as a volunteer warden at Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park. In 2008-9, Alison and her husband sailed their boat around the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia and back. Alison’s genuine interest in people and their stories, combined with her dedication to teaching natural history (“here, I’ll get you some sea urchin gonads to taste”) make her popular with guests and crew alike.

Education & Certifications

• BSc in Biology, University of British Columbia
• Coastal seabird researcher
• MFA Creative Writing, University of British Columbia

Andy MacKinnon

Naturalist

If you are interested in the plants of the Pacific Northwest coast, chances are you’ve got “Andy’s book”. Co-editor of The Plants of Coastal B.C., Andy is a respected research ecologist who advised governments on old-growth forest research, ecosystem mapping, land use and old-growth issues, and forest conservation. He was also involved in the implementation of the historic land use plan for the Great Bear Rainforest area.

Andy, a registered professional biologist and registered professional forester, is an adjunct professor at the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University. Although Andy is well versed and informative on many aspects of coastal ecology, he is particularly delighted when he encounters guests whose interest extends past the ‘charismatic megafauna’ (such as bears and whales) to some of his deep passions: lichens, mosses and the delightful world of mushrooms and other fungus. He is a popular speaker at the dozens of mushroom festivals in the Pacific Northwest each fall.

Not content to confine his skill set to research and education, Andy is a member of his local village council. He is also a fine songwriter and guitar player. We are certain that his rendition of “The Coho Flash Silver All Over the Bay” was responsible for our stunning catch of a 156-lb halibut at anchor one day in Alaska.

Education & Certifications

• PhD Science, hc, Simon Fraser University Registered Professional Biologist (College of Applied Biology)
• Registered Professional Forester (Association of BC Forest Professionals)

Anthony Mallinson

Naturalist

Anthony grew up on the north shore of Vancouver, where he developed a love for the outdoors. He studied geology and glaciology in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Stockholm, Sweden, and enjoys hiking, climbing, skiing, and kayaking. He has gone on multiple kayak expeditions around the world and now lives in the Kootenays with his wife Lindsay, their dog Denver, and their cat Maui.

Anthony’s passion for the coast began with family boating trips, sailing lessons, and visits to the islands of South Coast BC, particularly Hornby Island. In his mid-twenties, he discovered kayaking, a mode of travel that allowed him to explore remote places under his own power, appreciating both the challenges and the peace it offered. After spending hundreds of days paddling the BC coast, he started guiding out of the Discovery Islands, where the intertidal life at Surge Narrows became a highlight. Guiding gave him the chance to experience intimate encounters with wildlife, from marine mammals and grizzly bears to birds and banana slugs, and to share these experiences with others.

A significant accident in the mountains led Anthony to reassess his career and pivot toward a life spent outdoors, showcasing the places he loves. In 2019, he began working as a multi-day kayak guide with Coast Mountain Expeditions, leading week-long trips into some of the most remote areas of BC’s south coast. His own experiences paddling in the Arctic helped him secure a position in Churchill, where he continues to lead polar bear and northern lights eco-tours. Anthony’s journey with Maple Leaf Adventures began in 2023, where he worked as a naturalist aboard the *Maple Leaf* in the Kitlope.

What Anthony loves most about his job is not just the adventure and wildlife he gets to experience—such as spirit bears, whales, and grizzlies—but the opportunity to share the beauty of the BC coast with people from around the world. The connections formed on board between guests and crew, and the deep immersion in the wild, are powerful and fulfilling. Working on the historic vessels with experienced and knowledgeable crewmates makes his role all the more special.

One standout experience for Anthony was a trip to the Great Bear Rainforest, where his mom joined him. They saw incredible wildlife, including moose, grizzlies, spirit bears, and ten humpback whales bubble net feeding. But what truly stood out was the connection they all formed to the land and the people who had stewarded it for millennia. Traveling through the Kitlope, guided by weather and tides, felt like a spiritual experience, especially as they read the words of Wa’xaid Cecil Paul, who seemed to be paddling alongside them in a Magic Canoe.

A quote Anthony lives by: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.”

Barb Beasley

Naturalist

Barb Beasley is a coastal ecologist with a strong background in animal behaviour and marine and rainforest ecology. Her current research projects include work in the areas of human/wildlife interactions, species at risk, and coastal amphibian populations. She is a very experienced teacher and course designer, primarily for senior university students at the famous Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on Vancouver Island’s west coast, and Quest University. A prime directive for Barb is that her students have a lot of fun learning about the natural world.

She is an avid scuba diver, sea kayaker and hiker and lives in the west-coast town of Ucluelet, on Vancouver Island. Barb also volunteers for many nature non-profits, including sitting on the community science advisory committee for the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and acting as a founding director for the Association of Wetland Stewards for Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds. She is also a monitor of waterfowl, shorebirds and seabirds for Bird Studies Canada.

Education & Certifications

• PhD Behaviour Ecology (Simon Fraser University)
• MSc Zoology (University of Western Ontario)
• BSc Biology (Queen’s University)
• Wilderness First Aid
• Marine Emergency Duties A2 (Transport Canada)
• Marine Radio Operator Certification (Transport Canada)
• St John’s Ambulance First Aid
• PADI Open Water Diver
• Pleasure Craft Operator Card (Transport Canada)

Briony Penn

Naturalist

Professor of Geography, writer, broadcaster, artist and museum designer, Briony’s combination of scientific inquiry, communications skills and artistry have made a difference for the wilderness places of the B.C. coast. As a leader in the B.C. conservation movement, she has helped found and guide organizations including The Land Conservancy of B.C. the Garry Oak Meadows Preservation Society and Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

As a writer and educator, Briony combines a zany sense of humour with a talent for making everything seem interesting (even red tide) and has won awards for her writing, her weekly television show and her achievements in environmental education in general. She and her husband created exhibits for the visitor centre for Gwaii Haanas and many other organizations.

Briony lectures at the University of Victoria on biodiversity, forestry issues, restoration and public education. She has developed research projects, created community mapping projects, and written hundreds of articles and essays. Her books include A Year on the Wild Side (a B.C. natural history favourite), The Kids Book of Canadian Geography, For the Love of Nature: Solutions for Biodiversity, and The Real Thing: The Natural History of Ian McTaggert Cowan.

Education & Certifications

• Ph.D. Geography, Edinburgh University Bachelor of Arts – Geography, University of British Columbia Marine
• Emergency Duties A2 Assistant Bear Guide (Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC)

Deb Cowper

Naturalist

Deb’s passion for the coast began as a child, visiting her grandmother on the South African coast. The incredible variation of coastal environments and the life they nourish fascinated her from a young age. For Deb, every coastal experience is both fascinating and soul-nourishing.

Trained as a marine biologist, Deb spent a lot of time diving, both recreationally and for research. Over time, she realized she was happiest communicating with people about the ocean and its inhabitants, which led her to a career in environmental education. Her path may have been meandering, but it’s been deeply fulfilling.

As a naturalist with Maple Leaf Adventures, Deb loves everything about her job—exploring incredible coastal environments, working on amazing ships with talented crew mates, and connecting with interested guests.

One standout experience for Deb was watching humpback whales bubble net feeding as the ship entered the spiritual realm of the Gardener Canal. The combination of incredible wildlife and awe-inspiring scenery made it an unforgettable moment. Deb lives by the mantra: “Make something positive of every day, and live life to its fullest in appreciation and wonder of Nature’s gifts.”

Emily Grubb

Naturalist

Growing up on the shores of Lake Huron, Emily has always been fascinated with nature and large bodies of water. This passion led her to study Environmental Sciences, where she graduated with a Restoration Ecology Diploma and a BSc in Environmental Sciences. 

For the past decade, Emily has worked as an Environmental Technician on various projects across the west coast and Northern Vancouver Island, the Southern Great Bear Rainforest, the Central Coast, Haida Gwaii, and Northern Alberta. Her work has focused on enumerating wild Pacific salmon, counting adult and juvenile salmon on their migration to and from their freshwater natal streams. 

Following the salmon has revealed to Emily the depth and interconnectedness of the natural world, opening her eyes to the excitement of nature’s complexities and nuances. These moments are what she looks forward to sharing with guests aboard Maple Leaf Adventures.

A quote that resonates with Emily is: “The land knows you, even when you are lost” – Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Ethan Browne

Naturalist

Ethan is a professional wilderness guide from Vancouver, British Columbia. Living on the west coast of Canada in the shadow of the mountains, beside the sea, has left an imprint on him which he wears on his sleeve.

From whale watching on the west coast of Vancouver Island, to managing helicopter operations on small expedition ships, Ethan’s professional life has led him to some of the last true wilderness areas on the planet, including Antarctica, South Georgia, Svalbard, Greenland, the Canadian High Arctic, Hudson Bay & British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest.  While much of his year is spent in the high latitudes of the polar regions, it is the old-growth temperate rainforests of British Columbia that remain his favourite places on Earth.

Sharing wildlife encounters & deepening people’s understanding of ecological relationships are what keep Ethan coming back to this industry.  He looks forward to sharing his own experiences, as well as creating new ones with you.

Gaajiiaawa Linda Tollas

Naturalist

Gaajiiaawa Linda Tollas is of the Skedans Raven clan and lives in Skidegate, Haida Gwaii. Having lived most of her life in Haida Gwaii she’s both a seeker and sharer of ancestral knowledge, spending a fourteen-year tenure educating on Haida culture as a natural Cultural Heritage Interpreter with Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Linda has also provided guided hikes of the forests and evening slide shows to visitors, as well as delivering educational and interactive programs to all schools in Haida Gwaii. 

Linda served as a local educator to university students from across Canada enrolled in the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society (“HGHES”) Semester Program since its inception 5 years ago.  Her enthusiasm for cedar, ethnobotany and Haida culture, and her engaging approach have always made her guided hikes of Spirit Lake a favorite of the Semester Program.

A highlight of her career with Gwaii Haanas was accompanying the Skidegate Haida Immersion Program (“SHIP”) elders as they circumnavigated Moresby Island for their Haida place-naming project. Inspired with SHIP’s work, Linda retired from Gwaii Haanas in 2012, and joined SHIP to learn the Haida language.

Grant MacHutchon

Naturalist

Grant is one of Canada’s leading bear biologists. He has almost 3 decades of experience in wildlife research and management, most of it working with grizzly and black bears. This rare experience, combined with his skill as a naturalist and bear guide, provides Maple Leaf guests with an exceptional learning opportunity. Grant’s areas of expertise include bear and human interaction management, population ecology, and habitat ecology, classification and mapping. Recent projects include mapping important grizzly bear habitats throughout the Great Bear Rainforest for a coast-wide land use planning process and inventories of grizzly bear population size on the east slope of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta.

Grant is also at the forefront of the bear viewing industry, having developed bear management plans and best practices guides for national parks, non-profit organizations and businesses. He is vice president of the Safety in Bear Country Society, which created educational DVDs for humans living around bears, and he trains bear viewing guides for the Commercial Bear Viewing Association of B.C.

Grant was also involved in the landmark studies on coastal grizzly bears in the Khutzeymateen during the 1990s. He is an executive member of many organizations dedicated to human-bear issues, including the Trans-Border Grizzly Bear Project, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the West Kootenay Human-Bear Conflict Working Group and the International Association for Bear Research and Management. His first-hand knowledge – and slide shows – of bear behavior and habitat use illuminates the world of these intelligent, fascinating mammals for Maple Leaf’s guests. He lives with his wife and daughter in British Columbia’s Kootenay Region.

Education & Certifications

• MSc, Wildlife Biology (Simon Fraser University)
• BSc, Zoology (University of Manitoba)
• Registered Professional Biologist (College of Applied Biology)
• Diploma, Renewable Resource Management (Lethbridge College)
• Full Bear Guide (Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC)

Jackie Hildering

Naturalist

Jackie, also known by many as “the Marine Detective”, is a biology teacher, cold-water diver, underwater photographer, humpback whale researcher and a widely recognized marine naturalist and naturalist trainer. After 14 years of teaching and administering international schools in the Netherlands, Jackie’s life changed acutely. In 1999 while on a trip here in BC, Jackie heard her first whale call. Immediately she knew that much of her future focus would be dedicated to life in the ocean.

Today, Jackie aims to make positive change through education. Calling North-eastern Vancouver Island home, Jackie is passionate about whales and their local habitat, the waters that surround her home. Jackie has a diverse skill set, research experience, and knowledge of both marine life and the people of Vancouver Island.

In addition to her work in the field, Jackie is a communications professional and has worked with the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans including its offshore marine mammal surveys, the Save Our Salmon Foundation, and the ‘Namgis KUTERRA project. She is a director of the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS). She shares stories with our guests of the mystery, fragility and wonder of the life hidden in our cold, dark seas. Recent on-camera experience includes being featured on Animal Planet’s “Wild Obsession” series and in the BBC production “New Threat to Canada’s Humpback Whales?”. 

You can follow Jackie’s blog for updates on whales, the ocean, education and just about anything else that has to do with our coastal waters.

Education & Certifications

• 2010 – Vancouver Aquarium’s Murray A. Newman Award for Excellence in Aquatic Conservation
• 2010 – Recognition from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for contribution to the preservation to the enhancement of the salmonid resource of Northern Vancouver Island, BC and helping to ensure a better future for all Canadians
• Marine Emergency Duties A2

John Gladstone

Naturalist, Haida Guide

Bio to come

Education & Certifications

Jolie Shea

Naturalist

Jolie Shea is a naturalist, writer, adventure guide, artist, and educator. People who love exploring the coast by boat know her from her beautiful, emotionally resonant articles in the popular Pacific Yachting magazine.

Jolie grew up on the beaches of central Vancouver Island, and sailing the Salish Sea with her parents. As a young adult, she was a long-time park naturalist for BC Parks, fostering a love for nature in both adults and children. Jolie is a very experienced kayak guide and has guided remote wilderness expeditions in British Columbia and Belize, where she and her husband Greg Shea were hired in the 1990s to scout new routes, including through a dangerous cave system.

She and Greg (a captain for Maple Leaf Adventures) have explored Alaska and British Columbia on their 29-foot sloop, first as a couple and then with their two children and dog, Solandar. Jolie lives with her family on Quadra Island, BC, where she is a teacher and manages a busy household with children, chickens, dog and extensive wild acreage and gardens.

Lori Tosczak

Naturalist

Lori’s passion for the coast began at a young age, inspired by her father, who captained a fishing vessel. Working as a deckhand for many summers, she fell in love with the central coast, the Great Bear Rainforest, and the wildlife she encountered while living on the boat for months at a time. When fishing ended, Lori’s determination to return to these wild places led her to ecotourism.

Lori’s career began on a commercial fishing boat and transitioned to the Marine Debris Removal Initiative, where she discovered her passion for wildlife guiding. Encouraged by this newfound interest, she started as a naturalist with a whale watching company, progressing to Lead Naturalist and eventually to Zodiac captain after extensive training. Joining Maple Leaf Adventures marked one of the happiest years of her life, as her hard work finally paid off.

What Lori loves most about her job is observing wild animals in their natural habitat in some of the most beautiful places in the world. She cherishes the moments of seeing guests smile and cheer at a breaching humpback whale or tear up at their first orca or spirit bear.

Lori’s proudest achievement is being signed off as a Zodiac captain. She dedicated her weekends and free evenings to this goal, and her success opened the door to her role at Maple Leaf Adventures. She feels very fortunate to do what she loves.

Memorable travel experiences for Lori include seeing her first Spirit Bear with Maple Leaf Adventures and witnessing a volcano erupt in Guatemala.

A favorite quote Lori lives by is, “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” – John Steinbeck

Marcus Atkins

Naturalist

Marcus grew up and currently lives in the Okanagan Valley, but he has always been drawn to the ocean. The first chance he got, he moved to Victoria to pursue a degree in ecology. He worked in various research labs studying hydrothermal vent communities, salmon-derived nutrients in old-growth forests, and bear-hair isotope analysis.
 
Marcus’s career began when he was hired at 21 as a bear-viewing guide at a floating lodge, where his passion for bears truly took root. At that time, he was the youngest person ever certified as a bear-viewing guide. He has since progressed to a level 3 CBVA certification and has spent thousands of hours observing black, brown, polar, and spectacled bears. Though most of his work has been in tourism, he also has a background in academic research, including investigating the nocturnal foraging success of brown bears using night-vision goggles. Marcus completed his MSc. studying rattlesnake populations in the Okanagan and worked as a Terrestrial Wildlife Ecologist with the BC Government. Despite his love for the grasslands of the interior, his heart has always been with the central coast.
 
What Marcus loves most about his job is the amount of time and interaction he gets to have with truly wild wildlife. Guiding and interacting with bears involves a subtle art of non-verbal communication, allowing him to get up close to these incredible creatures without causing them stress. Leading groups of grateful tourists through estuaries or salmon spawning grounds and experiencing the silent interaction with wild bears is a magical and spiritual experience for Marcus.
 
A standout experience for Marcus with Maple Leaf Adventures was seeing his first white bear in the spring of 2024. After nearly 10 years of working on the central coast and with bears, this unexpected and magical moment brought him to tears, highlighting the specialness of the encounter to his equally excited guests.
 
Marcus lives by the quote: “Success in life is not measured by a pile of things, but a pile of moments.”  Working with Maple Leaf, he’s sure been stacking up moments of a lifetime.

Marlo Shaw

Expedition Leader and Naturalist

Marlo’s passion for the coast has deep roots in northwest British Columbia. Her great grandfather was a fisherman out of Prince Rupert, her grandfather guided fishing on the Skeena River, and her father worked in forestry. Family hikes filled with natural history facts and tree identification fostered her curiosity. Marlo feels most connected to her heritage and identity when spending time on the coast, especially in the estuaries.

Marlo began her career as a naturalist in 2017, driven by a lifelong curiosity for the wild. With the support of incredible mentors and coworkers, she progressed from a junior bear guide to an experienced expedition leader. She now works in destinations around the world, including Greenland, Australia, the Canadian Arctic, and the west coast of British Columbia. She always looks forward to the “bear season” on this coast, as there’s nowhere she’d rather be.

What Marlo loves most about her job is learning and sharing discoveries with guests. There’s always something new to uncover, and she finds it exciting to bring guests along on that journey.  One of Marlo’s proudest achievements is having her photographs exhibited in Whistler and Terrace, British Columbia.

Her most memorable travel experience was visiting the Kitlope Valley for the first time—a life-changing moment even for someone from the region.

A quote that resonates with Marlo is an Olive Runner poem:

GIVE me the long, straight road before me,  
A clear, cold day with a nipping air,  
Tall, bare trees to run on beside me,  
A heart that is light and free from care.  
Then let me go! —I care not whither  
My feet may lead, for my spirit shall be  
Free as the brook that flows to the river,  
Free as the river that flows to the sea.

Mary Morris

Naturalist

Mary is a coastal marine biologist and ecologist who has always been at home along the shores of the BC and Alaska coastal temperate rainforest. For 20 years she has been part of a massive project to document and classify every inch of the coastline of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska to the Arctic coast. That’s over 100,000 kilometres of coastline! Mary was also involved in the rediscovery (or, perhaps more properly said, the wider culture’s discovery of something already locally known) of an important archaeological feature here: First Nations clam gardens.

She is also a scientific and popular writer and her primary reader Between the Tides (UBC Faculty of Education) was recently translated into Haida for use in the Haida Gwaii school system. Her deep knowledge of marine ecosystems and her enthusiasm and warmth with people make Mary a fascinating person to travel the coast with.

Mary has been exploring the coast since she was a child. She lived for 15 years on Haida Gwaii, where she ran a small nature tour company and travelled extensively in Gwaii Haanas by small boat and kayak. She now lives in Victoria and spends a large portion of each year exploring the coast with her husband on their private boat. As a naturalist, she is a generalist, able to interpret a wide range of habitats and species.

“My passion is being on the water and seeing the shoreline, the intertidal zone and all the interconnections of life there,” she says. “The best thing about being on Maple Leaf trips is being able to share that with others, too.”

Education & Certifications

• Masters of Science in Biology (University of British Columbia)
• Registered Professional Biologist (College of Applied Biology)
• Marine Emergency Duties A2 (Transport Canada)
• Marine First Aid (Transport Canada)
• Bear Guide (Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC)

Mike Jackson

Naturalist

Mike is a naturalist, expedition leader, author, and science teacher. His book, Galapagos: A Natural History, has been a best-selling guide to the Galapagos Islands for nearly 30 years. High school students he’s taken on trips to the famous islands have been delighted by the autograph-signing superstar that their self-effacing teacher is there.

Mike moved to the west coast in 1986 and has since been fascinated by coastal and marine natural history. He taught various subjects including physics, geology, biology, earth science, environmental science, marine science, and astronomy at St. Michaels University School in Victoria, BC. He brings all these talents to his trips with Maple Leaf Adventures, engaging guests with star-gazing evenings, lectures on rainbows, and many other unexpected topics. “I enjoy nature and science and really want to share it with others,” says Mike. “I appreciate the logic of physics, am fascinated by geology and the marine environment, and feel environmental education is very important.”

Mike trained as a biologist at Cambridge University and as an environmental scientist at the University of Calgary before becoming a teacher. In addition to field studies in the Galapagos Islands, Mike also studied birds of prey in Kenya. He is an avid sea kayaker and has paddled most of the way around Vancouver Island. He has led natural history tours in the Galapagos, the Arctic and Antarctic, the Andes and Amazon basin of Ecuador and Peru, as well as Gwaii Haanas, East Africa, and Iceland. Mike lives in Victoria and looks forward to showing you the natural beauty of our coast.

Misty MacDuffee

Naturalist

Coastal biologist Misty MacDuffee was recently asked by eco-clothing store Hemp & Company what put her on the path of sustainability. Here’s what she said: “When I was in grade 6 (way back in about 1974), I learned about how moths in industrial England changed from dominantly white to dominantly black, due to the English landscape being covered in soot. This affected predation by birds on coloured moths. I never forgot the forces of both humans and natural selection.” Her answer encapsulates the marvellous synthesis of wonder, scientific rigour, and engagement in the big questions of our time that Misty brings to her role as a naturalist.

In her day job, Misty is an award-winning scientist and program director for Raincoast Conservation Foundation. She envisions and conducts primary research, about which she publishes academic and popular papers. She works on government and multi-disciplinary NGO committees to develop policies and regulations for our natural world. She advocates for changes such as allocating salmon quotas for the wildlife, who need salmon to survive, and the cessation of the grizzly bear trophy hunt, and she envisions and manages the direction of part of Raincoast’s very well-respected scientific research program.

Misty has become to be known as the “Salmon Goddess” for her passion for wild salmon and also for the expertise she has developed in salmonid ecology. She has an inspiring dedication to advocating for these fantastic fish. Misty has quite a long history with the schooner Maple Leaf and Maple Leaf Adventures. She first worked aboard as a cook and deckhand in the late 1980s, and then, when the Maple Leaf helped Raincoast raise awareness about the Great Bear Rainforest in the 1990s, she was back aboard again as a conservationist and scientist. This history, and her years observing changes on the coast, brings a great perspective to her trips with Maple Leaf guests.

Education & Certifications

• BSc, Biology (University of Victoria)
• Marine Emergency Duties A2 (Transport Canada)

Severn Cullis-Suzuki

Naturalist

Severn Cullis-Suzuki has been studying ecology and society since she was small—from fishing for smelt on the seawall in Vancouver to visiting communities from the coast to the Amazon. Born into an activist family, she started speaking out for intergenerational justice as a child, culminating in a powerful speech at the UN Earth Summit in Rio, which garnered worldwide attention. Severn received a BSc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Yale), and an MSc in Ethnobotany (University of Victoria) for which she studied with Kwakwaka’wakw elders on the Pacific Northwest coast.

She believes strongly in interdisciplinary and intercultural collaboration and continues to speak and write worldwide about it, including as a special advisor to the UN’s Secretary General. She has published several books and hosted several TV series. Severn lives on Haida Gwaii, with her husband and two sons. She is studying the Skidegate dialect of the endangered Haida language with elders. She is an Earth Charter International councillor, and a board member of the David Suzuki Foundation and the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society. She has been trained since the age of 17 by a Haida elder, giving her great insight to share with you. 

Sherry Kirkvold

Naturalist

Sherry is a geographer, naturalist and writer who has worked in national, provincial and regional parks, and as the interpretation specialist for BC Parks.

She has run her own business in the field of interpretation, worked with the Vancouver and Royal British Columbia Museums and, in her 35 years on the west coast, has explored it extensively.

She is the principal author of Carmanah: Artistic Visions of an Ancient Rainforest, the art book that helped raise awareness and eventually protect the Carmanah Valley and editor of Canada’s Raincoast at Risk: Art for an Oil Free Coast, the art book that helped raise awareness of the need to protect the Great Bear Rainforest from tar sands supertankers.

Sherry has instructed on ecotourism and interpretation at several colleges, including the Sooke Adventure Tourism School, Camosun College, and Capilano College.

A great teacher to the young and the not-so-young (will we ever forget how whales hear now that Sherry has had us listen to oven racks?), Sherry has brought several traditions to Maple Leaf, including South African gumboot dancing (optional, of course) and humming to slugs.

Sherry is also a musician and photographer with a passion for travel and leads tours around the world.

Education & Certifications

• BSc, Geography and Environmental Science (University of Calgary)
• Assistant Bear Viewing Guide (Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC)
• Marine Emergency Duties A2 (Transport Canada)
• Additional coursework in Botany (University of Victoria)
• Marine Biology course (Vancouver Aquarium)
• Marine Radio Operator Certificate (Transport Canada)
• PCOC – Pleasure Craft Operator Certificate (Transport Canada)
• Wilderness First Aid (Alert First Aid)

Sophie Vanderbanck

Naturalist

Sophie is a biologist and passionate marine conservationist. Her deep connection to the ocean began in the lagoons of Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, where she grew up.

She studied Natural Resource Conservation at The University of British Columbia and in Haida Gwaii at the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society. During this time, she also worked for Dr. Suzanne Simard as a field assistant, helping set up Dr. Simard’s “Mother Tree Project”.

Growing up in a family that stocked their bookshelf with marine species identification textbooks and snorkeled to collect animals for observation in their fish tanks set the stage for her love of working at the Ucluelet catch-and-release Aquarium. Here, she worked as a naturalist, sharing her passion for marine life, and managed the Ucluelet Aquarium Marine Debris Initiative, collecting microplastic data on local beaches. Sophie now works at Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society in Tofino, and is involved in marine mammal research, education and rescue in her local waters. Some of her projects include offshore pelagic surveys, killer whale monitoring, sea star wasting surveys and eelgrass mapping.  When she’s not doing research, you can find Sophie on a kayak guiding in Clayoquot Sound or The Broken Group Islands, sharing her love for the ocean with others! 

Fiona Hamersley Chambers

Naturalist

Fiona Hamersly Chambers could pick and brew you a wild herb tea while creating a basket using native fibres and weaving techniques, as you, she and a group of Oxford dons discussed carbon sequestration in the Kyoto Protocol. This multi-talented academic, author, instructor, gardener/farmer and ethnobotanist is also an enthusiastic naturalist.

Fiona was born in Vancouver, B.C. She grew up in two First Nations communities here on the coast – the Ditidaht First Nation at Nitnat Lake and the Coast Salish community on Penelakut Island (formerly Kuper Island) – as well as in North Vancouver and the UK. Her love of the outdoors and nature began at an early age while living in the bush in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and travelling extensively with her family, both along the BC coast and abroad.

Fiona has lectured since 1999 at the University of Victoria’s School of Environmental Studies and has degrees from UVic, the University of Calgary (in co-management of forest resources with Métis communities in northern Saskatchewan), and Oxford University (an MSc in Environmental Change and Management).

She is currently at work on her PhD under the direction of renowned ethnobotanist Nancy Turner. Fiona also teaches at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre and Pacific Rim College. Among other academic work, she has co-authored a book chapter for the Smithsonian Institution with Nancy Turner, and a number of field guides: Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada (this with another Maple Leaf naturalist, Andy MacKinnon!), Wild Berries of BC, Wild Berries of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and Wild Berries of Ontario.

Fiona currently lives outside Victoria, B.C. where she owns and operates Metchosin Farm, a small organic plant nursery and seed company. Two rambunctious boys, milk goats, chickens, pigs and the rest of the farm menagerie keep her busy and happy. Her friendly and adventurous spirit guides Maple Leaf Adventure’s guests to discover unexpected wonders in the coast’s natural world.

Education & Certifications

• PhD candidate, Environmental Studies (University of Victoria)
• MA, Environmental Design (University of Calgary)
• MA (University of Oxford)
• BA, French and Environmental Studies (University of Victoria)
• Assistant Bear Viewing Guide (Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC)
• Small Vessel Operator Proficiency (Transport Canada)
• Marine Emergency Duties A3 (Transport Canada)