Specialized + Teamwork

Jeff specializes in restoration ecology, focusing on the fields of vegetation and soil biology. He received his B.Sc. in biology from the University of Victoria (2005), and proceeded to work for five years as a vegetation ecologist with Axys Environmental/Jaques Whitford/Stantec. Over this period, his interests transitioned toward wider ecosystem dynamics and plant-soil interactions, particularly as they relate to restoration ecology. Jeff completed his M.Sc. in Forest Sciences at the University of British Columbia in 2014 and concentrated on the effects of different vegetation treatments on organic matter accumulation in the reclamation soils of the Athabasca Oil Sands, focusing on restoration ecology, and the biogeochemistry of mine-site restoration. Jeff started working at IEG in 2013 and his keenest interests remain in projects that involve innovative methods of monitoring ecosystem function.

Trevor graduated from UBC’s Applied Biology Program with an Honours degree in Applied Plant and Soil Science (2012) and started working at IEG in 2013. His primary area of practice pertains to the ecohydrological relationship between soil properties and ecosystem development in order to better understand target ecosystems and vegetation development in mine reclamation. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Soil Science at UBC supervised by Dr. Andy Black, in which he is developing a model for predicting ecosystem occurrence on reclaimed landforms based on soil water-balance parameters.

Kevan specializes in ethnoecology and landscape ecology. He has 12 years of experience in interdisciplinary research and consulting relating to ethnoecology and cultural research, cumulative effects and land use planning, and ecosystem biomonitoring. Kevan completed a Ph.D. in landscape ethnoecology in 2013 in which he worked with the Tayal Indigenous people of Taiwan to document an ecological and ethnoecological classification for the tribe’s local landscape. Kevan’s current work focuses in the following four areas: (i) assessment of land change impacts on Indigenous land use and culture (e.g., traditional land use and occupancy studies, cultural impact assessments, indigenous knowledge studies), (ii) modelling-based assessments of cumulative effects on traditional land use and ecological indicators, (iii) community engagement related to mine closure planning, and (iv) research on industrial impacts to terrestrial ecosystems and traditional foods. Kevan began working for IEG in 2013 and has worked on projects across Canada and in Taiwan.

Matt is an ecologist interested in using landscape simulation to help organizations understand trade-offs associated with land use options. He began working with IEG in 2018 and has over 20 years of experience working with governments, First Nations, conservation organizations, and the natural resource sector to assess cumulative effects. Matt completed his B.Sc. in environmental science at the University of Guelph in 1997 and in 2000 finished his M.Sc. at the University of Alberta in conservation biology. He also specializes in conservation planning for the maintenance of ecological integrity, focusing on boreal ecosystems. Matt's work has explored land use issues in central, western, and northern Canada, as well as South America.

Thomas is an applied human ecologist and geographer, interested in how collaborative, community-led approaches influence resource management and policy development and contribute to sustainable communities. Thomas has eight years of experience working in the field of environmental resource management (cultural impact assessments, water vulnerability assessments, and First Nation source water protection planning) and completed his Ph.D. in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University (2015). Thomas' research assesses human environmental interactions and their implications to society, focusing on resource management and environmental change. Thomas works in partnership with Aboriginal communities, governments and industry, contributing his knowledge of social science theory, methodology, and environmental resource management. Thomas has worked throughout Canada and in China and began working at IEG in 2015.

Anna is a financial manager with a Diploma in business administration (accounting/computing specialty) and 27 years of business experience, 16 of which were spent running her own bookkeeping company in Victoria, British Columbia. Anna has extensive experience in managing finances for small businesses in a diversity of industries as well as a firm grasp of accounting principles and an understanding of the tasks involved in running a business. Anna's past work experience includes working with the Canada Revenue Agency, with various accountants, and at Scotiabank as well as running two businesses of her own. In January 2012, Anna began working with IEG after having been self-employed for many years, and is now happy to be working with a company of people who uphold values of integrity, respect and environmental awareness.

Megan’s background is water resource management and engagement of industry and communities. Megan completed her Bachelor of Social Science at University of Ottawa in International Development (2012) and an M.Sc. in Integrated Water Resources Management (2013) at McGill University. Megan has 7 years of combined experience in water resource management, community engagement, shared value business models and participatory facilitation. Megan has worked at the municipal and federal levels as well as with local and international NGOs on water issues such as improving drinking water, and tracking and analysis of advisories for small drinking water systems in small vulnerable communities in Canada. Megan worked in Malawi for a local business that worked directly with the Malawi Ministry of Water on strengthening their water service delivery programs in rural communities. She also co-led a consulting company in Zambia which supported local and international businesses to engage local communities with their business models to increase social and economic returns. Megan has worked in Canada, Zambia and Malawi, Tanzania, India and Australia and began working with IEG in 2019.

Melissa is a soil scientist whose interests lie in soil classification, soil quality assessment, and geographic information systems (GIS). She completed a B.Sc. in the faculty of Land and Food Systems (formerly Agricultural Sciences, 2006) and a M.Sc. in soil science (2010) at the University of British Columbia. Over the past five years Melissa has worked in both the private and public sectors on many soils-related studies in Western Canada. She has also been involved in several local and nation-wide mapping projects, including updating Canada's national soil map, The Soil Landscapes of Canada. Melissa started working for IEG in 2013.

Valerie is a terrestrial ecologist with a background in landscape ecology and forestry. She received a B.Sc. in Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation from the University of Greifswald, Germany (2014) and studied the impact of mining on the growth of Scots pine in the Norwegian Arctic. She completed her M.Sc. in Forest Ecology at the University of Alberta (2016) where she concentrated on white spruce growth in mixedwood forests in central Alberta. Valerie started working for IEG in October 2017 where she focuses on the reclamation of disturbed areas and the creation and reestablishment of functional ecosystems.

Katie is a terrestrial ecologist and soil scientist with 10 years of operational and research experience in the mining industry. Following completion of a B.Sc. in Global Resource Systems at the University of British Columbia in 2011, she spent five years working in the Environmental Department at the Mount Polley Mine, B.C. In 2020, Katie finished her Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia where she researched mine reclamation methods for improving recovery of the soil food web, and studied how belowground ecosystem recovery can relate to improved revegetation outcomes. Katie joined IEG in 2020 and her main areas of interest include the importance of belowground ecosystems in ecological restoration, translating research into practice, and integrating terrestrial ecosystem reclamation into broader mine closure objectives.

Natalie has worked in the field of ecology for over 14 years. She received a B.Sc. in biology from Queen's University (2001) and a M.Sc. in biology (focus on small mammals and invasive species) from the University of British Columbia (2010). Natalie has led and participated in numerous vegetation and wildlife research and monitoring projects with government agencies, the private sector and universities in the United States, Canada and Africa. Natalie's work with IEG since 2011 has focused on applied science projects that address social-environmental issues and includes technical reviews on the environmental effects of industrial projects, researching the effects of air pollution and fugitive dust on ecosystem health, and reclamation monitoring. Natalie's work with IEG has involved the engagement of Aboriginal stakeholders in research, regulatory and planning initiatives.

Meghan is an ecologist and soil scientist with a background in plant-soil interactions. She has over 12 years of experience in the field of ecology. She received a B.Sc. in Biology from Queen's University (2009), and a M.Sc. in Forest Sciences from the University of British Columbia (2015). Meghan became interested in terrestrial ecosystem ecology while studying tundra ecosystems in the Northwest Territories during her undergraduate degree. After completing her B.Sc., she gained valuable experience in both the forestry and mine reclamation industries while working as a tree planter for four years in northern Alberta. During her M.Sc. she studied carbon stabilization and soil structure development at reclaimed oil sands sites. Meghan started working at IEG in 2015 and has focused her work on developing methods to assess reclamation performance in mining and addressing how to restore complex ecosystem processes to areas that have been impacted by human land use.

Ben is a GIS Analyst & Ecologist at IEG. He received a B.Sc. in Geography and Environmental Studies, with a concentration in Geomatics from the University of Victoria (2020), and a diploma in Environmental Technology (2017) from Camosun College. He brings a versatile skillset for solving spatial data related problems which he obtained during his undergraduate degree and while working as a Research Technician at the Kluane Lake Research Station, and as a GIS Technician at the BC Ministry of Agriculture. He is most interested in using GIS as a tool to manage and communicate spatial data in meaningful ways.

Max is an ecologist with a background in conservation biology and plant physiology. He received a B.Sc. in both Biology and Geography from the University of Oregon (2012), and a M.Sc. in Conservation and Biodiversity from the University of Exeter (2015). His graduate thesis focused on the effects of climate change on species’ range limits. Following graduate school, he stayed in research, studying adaptation to heat and drought in trees at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Since joining IEG in 2018, Max has primarily worked on the development of software that enables prediction of soil moisture regimes and ecosystem occurrence on reclaimed landforms. He is most interested in the design and reestablishment of functional, dynamic ecosystems following human disturbance.

Clint's formal education includes a B.Sc. in biology (general studies, 1977), a M.Sc. in biology (vegetation science, 1987) and a Ph.D. in geography (biogeography/landscape ecology, 1996). Clint has worked for 31 years in the environmental planning and research sectors within British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. He started working with IEG in 2013. His experience includes forestry and mining reclamation-related research; operational mine reclamation planning, implementation and monitoring; baseline biophysical and environmental impact assessments; ecological land classification; range inventories; wildlife habitat suitability mapping; and biodiversity/habitat fragmentation assessments. Clint also teaches courses in ecological restoration (mine reclamation and restoration case studies) for the University of Victoria and courses in Science and Mathematical Literacy and Controversies in Science for Mount Royal University. In the past, he has taught courses in physical geography (University of Calgary and University of Lethbridge) and environmental science (University of Lethbridge). Clint is a registered professional biologist in Alberta (P.Biol.) and British Columbia (R.P.Bio.) and is a certified ecological restoration practitioner (CERP) with the Society for Ecological Restoration.

Megan is a social scientist with a background in ethnoecology and ethnobotany. She received a B.A. in Anthropology and Environmental Studies (2015) and a Diploma in Restoration of Natural Systems (2018) from the University of Victoria, where she gained training and experience in applied ethnoecological research. Over the past five years, Megan has worked in the academic, not-for-profit, and public sectors primarily in water law, policy, and governance research. She has also been involved with several ecocultural restoration and monitoring projects in BC. Megan joined IEG in 2019, where she supports land use and cultural research with indigenous communities, governments, and industry, including literature reviews, traditional land use studies, cultural impact assessments, and community-based monitoring projects. She has worked in British Columbia and Alberta.

Justin is a soil scientist and forest ecologist at IEG, which he co-founded in 2010. In 1992, Justin completed his B.A. at McGill University in anthropology, and in 1998 he completed a M.Sc. in soil science at the University of British Columbia. Justin has over 25 years of experience in applied terrestrial ecology, and primarily focuses his practice on three fields: reclamation of surface-mining disturbances, including design, implementation, assessment, review and regulatory inspection of reclamation and reclamation-research programs; assessment of the cumulative effects of human activities on ecosystems; and, assessment of environmental effects of industry (e.g., air pollution) on terrestrial ecosystems. Justin has worked throughout Canada, and in Alaska, South America, and South Asia.

Angelika began working as IEG’s bookkeeper and administrative assistant in 2019, bringing with her diverse experience from various industries including retail, hospitality, construction and creative writing. She discovered her passion for numbers and accounting in 2010, at the Northern Lights College in Fort St. John, BC.

She subsequently worked for numerous years as a bookkeeper/administrator for small businesses.

Angelika is excited to continue learning and growing within IEG and contributing to the wonderful cause of helping the planet heal.

Telsa is an ecologist with a background in plant pathology and entomology. She received a B.Sc. in Biology (2014) from the University of Victoria, and a M.Sc. in biology (2018) from the University of Lethbridge. Prior to joining IEG she spent four years conducting research at the federal level, where she studied the combined impacts of herbivory and soil-borne pathogens on plant development for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and bark beetle ecology with the Canadian Forest Service. Telsa is most interested in the impact of multiple ecosystem stressors on the development and functionality of plant communities. Telsa started working for IEG in June 2019, where she focuses on the reclamation and revegetation of ecosystems disturbed by resource extraction.