Randy is a leading provincial expert in whitebark and limber pine and has worked on related conservation and restoration projects throughout British Columbia. He has developed whitebark pine recovery plans, implemented planting programs, established permanent monitoring plots, designed prescribed burns and treatments for whitebark pine restoration, and conducted numerous research studies. Randy also has considerable experience with industrial and small-scale native plant restoration and reclamation, including hydroelectric reservoirs. In addition, he has managed and implemented varied ecosystem mapping projects over his career as an ecologist. Randy holds a Masters degree in Forest Science as well as a Bachelors degree in Natural Resources Conservation from UBC and is a registered Professional Biologist.

Jodie Krakowski has served on the board as Vice President since 2015 and will continue to do so. She is an independent consultant who has been involved with 5-needle pines since the late 1990s. As co-chair of the provincial whitebark and limber pine recovery team, she collaborates to implement the provincial recovery plans throughout their Alberta ranges. In her prior role as a provincial gene conservation specialist for Alberta, she worked on gene conservation of native forest species, and applied forest genetics projects and policy. She spent most of her career gallivanting around the forests of beautiful BC as a consultant, terrestrial ecologist, forester, and research scientist with UBC and with the BC Forest Service. If you’re looking for her, she might be out exploring in the mountains.

Joanne is newly-retired! She holds a BSc and MSc from the University of Victoria, and is a Registered Professional biologist. Her extensive work career involved the management and protection of fish, wildlife and habitat values with a focus in recent years on whitebark pine, caribou, mountain goat and grizzly bear. Joanne grew up in the Fort St. James area, and for years has been a keen advocate for the management of both whitebark pine and Douglas-fir at the northern limit of their distribution in North America. She volunteers as an Important Bird Area caretaker, Christmas Bird Count compiler, and sled dog race organiser. Being retired, she will now have more time to devote to whitebark pine recovery, birding, canoeing and poking around in the bush.

Currently with the Bulkley Valley Research Centre, Alana completed her PhD at the University of Northern BC in 2017, focusing on understanding the northern range limit of whitebark pine, and what that means for range shifts under climate change. She completed her MSc in summer 2010 at the University of Alberta, working on whitebark pine ecology and resilience at the NW edge of its range. Originally from Ottawa, Alana fell in love with the west and put her roots down in Smithers, a beautiful and vibrant community in the NW. When not behind a computer, she loves exploring the outdoors in and around her hometown.

Michael Murray is a forest pathologist for the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development in Nelson, BC. Michael is a Board Director of both the USA and Canadian Boards of Directors for the WPEF. He received his Ph.D in whitebark pine fire ecology-forest health from the University of Idaho, an M.S degree in natural resources from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California and is a Professional Agrologist. Michael’s interest include whitebark pine dynamics and long term monitoring, climate driven tree declines, and ameliorating forest root diseases. Michael broadcasts cosmic country, kung fusion, freak folk and more on his weekly radio show and continues his quest to muster pleasing sounds on pedal steel guitar.

Natalie is the Ecology Team Leader in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks. She works on forest health, ecosystem monitoring and restoration and supports the Parks Canada fire management program. Natalie received a master’s degree in Zoology at UBC studying the impacts of hikers and a warming climate on American pika as well as a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Conservation from the UBC Faculty of Forestry. She is also a Registered Professional Biologist. Along with her colleagues in the mountain national parks, Natalie coordinates whitebark pine recovery efforts and monitors long term health transects. She is interested in the conservation of ecosystems and their natural processes and can be found recreating in in the mountains in her spare time. On the occasional Wednesday, Natalie can be found making Stafl’s Waffles.

Robin Gutsell has been a Biologist with the Government of Alberta since 1999, working in the province’s Species at Risk program. Robin co-leads recovery of whitebark and limber pine for Alberta, working with many fantastic partners to implement recovery actions for both species. The rest of the time, she specializes in the status assessment of wild species and engages in other odd jobs for the program. Robin holds a Master of Science degree in biology (behavioural ecology, great blue herons) from Simon Fraser University, and a Bachelor of Science (zoology) from University of Guelph. In her spare time, she hikes, camps, canoes, cross-country skis and
gardens whenever she can with her husband, daughter and Norwegian moose dog (elkhound).

Sherri Ellwell is an ecosystems biologist with the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development in the Omineca Region. She works on the management and protection of fish, wildlife and habitat values, including the management of the regional Conservations Lands program and Whitebark pine health monitoring and recovery efforts. Prior to working for the provincial government, she completed a master’s degree at Simon Fraser University, studying plant-pollinator interactions, and spent 10 years in natural resource consulting working on vegetation ecology projects. She enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, and canoeing throughout the Omineca in her spare time.

Norm Bilodeau is a (mostly) retired professional forester (RPF) with over 35 years forest management experience in a variety of roles. The last 13 years as a manager of fish, wildlife, and water resources. His career has focused on applying and promoting ecosystem management principles to resource development. We can’t wait to have Norm’s expertise on the board. His outside interests include travelling, spending time in the desert, birding, cycling, and hiking.

Kathryn Young grew up swimming and canoeing in the lakes of Northern Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia and works for Lillooet Regional Invasive Species Society as the Assistant to the Executive Director. Kathryn loves to photograph nature, especially flowers and mountain-scapes. She runs a small business and also sits on the Board of the Lillooet Naturalists Society. Passionate about environmental conservation and restoration, in her free time, she picks banjo, sings in a chorus, hikes, backcountry skis, and plays with her Australian Shepherd, Lupin.