MEET THE TEAM.
The staff at EKISC are an enthusiastic team who strive to address the threats of invasive species with diligence, passion, and creativity. We are located through-out the East Kootenays in home-based offices; when necessary, joining forces at our office location in Cranbrook, BC. Together, we bring diverse expertise and experience in natural science, policy, economics, administration, communications, and education.
EKISC also benefits from the talents of summer students who join the team during our busy summer months, and from contractors who join the EKISC operations team in managing established infestations.
KATIE REID
Program Director
Katie brings to EKISC a love of the outdoors, extensive knowledge of Invasive Species, and a degree in Natural Resource Management. She joined EKISC in 2013 as the Field Operations Coordinator. Originally from Kamloops, the East Kootenays is a perfect fit for Katie's career and home life.
GABRIELA HALAS
Program Assistant
Gabriela grew up in northern Alberta and completed her BA in Human Geography at Simon Fraser University in 2006. She worked for many years in nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation centers, eventually moving to Alaska to work on wildlife research projects for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. She completed her MSc in Natural Resource Management at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in 2015. She then worked as a Subsistence Resource Specialist at the Division of Subsistence for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, before returning to Canada in late 2019. She is thrilled to be in the East Kootenay's expanding her knowledge of plants; as well as learning about the region's economic, environmental, and social issues.
MEGAN MACPHEE
Education + Communications Manager
Megan is a passionate environmentalist, with extensive knowledge of our natural world, and great admiration for our recreational one. She is creatively inspired by our landscapes and loves photography, bringing data to life and enviro-communications. This passion comes from a decade of working in the field, including work with parks, fisheries, birds of prey, invasive plants, forestry, geology and recreational tourism, paired with a Recreation Fish and Wildlife Technical Diploma and Bachelors of GIS educational background. She plans to safeguard our wild spaces and favorite places with community outreach, engagement + education.
EMMA STRIVIG DE GROOT
Field Operations Manager
Emma has channeled her love of nature into a career in conservation. She has worked on numerous projects across the world, from the pacific islands of Hawaii to the grasslands of southern Saskatchewan. She moved back to the mountains in 2020 and has focused her energy on learning about, and exploring, the ecosystems of the East Kootenays.
NICOLA HERMAN
Field Operations Coordinator
Nicola is passionate about conservation and has a special interest in plant ecology. Having called the East Kootenay home for most of her life, she has found endless opportunities to learn and care for the land. She has a background in different aspects of invasive plant management in the region including research, monitoring, and treatment. Her foundational skills come from a technical diploma in Integrated Environmental Planning and an honours degree in Natural Resource Science.