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.

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.

During the summer months, Jeremy dedicates his time to working among the pines in the majestic landscapes of Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks, where he works for Parks Canada’s Fire & Vegetation Team. In the winter, Jeremy is immersed in academic pursuits. He completed an undergraduate degree in Natural Resource Conservation at the University of British Columbia in 2017 and is currently pursuing a Master of Science (MSc) degree at the same institution. His research focuses on investigating the role of fire in whitebark pine regeneration and growth release.

Hailing from the picturesque town of Canmore, Alberta, Jeremy‘s upbringing instilled in him a deep-rooted passion for the great outdoors. As he splits his time between Revelstoke and Vancouver, British Columbia, Jeremy continues to channel his enthusiasm for the natural world into both his professional endeavors and personal life.

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).

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.

Karli Graham is a Registered Professional Forest Technologist with over six years of experience in environmental monitoring, regulatory compliance, and sustainable forest management. Based in Fernie, Karli brings her passion for conservation and commitment to ecosystem health to the board as we tackle the ongoing efforts to recover Whitebark and Limber Pine populations. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Technology in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and enjoys exploring whitebark and limber pine habitats through hiking and biking.

David Walker brings over 50 years of experience serving on boards of various non-profit organizations and has a strong background in agriculture and ecological restoration. With a Ph.D. focused on the genetics of native grasses, his work has been dedicated to developing genotypes for ecological restoration. David has been involved in the Canadian Land Reclamation Association, Alberta Society of Professional Biologists, and Alberta Erosion Control Association, among others. Since 2016, he has been actively engaged in the Whitebark Pine Census at Lake Louise Ski Area, contributing to the monitoring of this critical species.

Lindy Lin is the Senior Project Manager of the Natural Resource Department with the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA), based at the snɬuxʷqnm (Castlegar) office in the Syilx (Okanagan) Nation’s eastern territory.

Originally from the mountainous county of Nantou, Taiwan, Lindy moved to Vancouver, BC, in 2005. Drawn to British Columbia’s diverse landscapes, she decided to move to the West Kootenay region in 2020 to pursue her passion for nature conservation. She is a graduate of Selkirk College’s Recreation, Fish and Wildlife Technology Program.

A plant nerd, Lindy has experience working with both native and invasive plant species, focusing on rare species recovery, ecological restoration, and conservation projects from the Okanagan to the West Kootenays. Whitebark pine is a culturally important species for the Syilx Nation and many other Indigenous Nations in BC. This year her team began whitebark pine conservation field work alongside WPEFC. In all her work, Lindy integrates Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) teachings from Syilx Elders and Knowledge Keepers with scientific approaches. She hopes to bring a unique perspective to the board and contribute to ongoing whitebark and limber pine conservation efforts.

Corinna Strauss has been involved in Whitebark Pine conservation for over eight years, working with Randy Moody and his team across the BC Interior. She holds a diploma in Integrated Environmental Planning from Selkirk College and is a Registered Professional Biology Technologist (RPBioTech) with the College of Applied Biologists.

Corinna has worked on Whitebark Pine projects in various roles, from seed collection and cone caging to surveying, planting, and monitoring. She enjoys the fieldwork involved in conservation and values being part of a team dedicated to restoring this keystone species. Much of Corinna’s free time is spent in and around the mountains and wild places she loves. In these high alpine zones, she often comes across incredible Whitebark Pine stands — a constant reminder of the importance of this work. She enjoys sharing these special places with her team and continuing to contribute to the conservation of these remarkable trees and their ecosystems.

In addition to her conservation work, Corinna is an experienced hiking, backpacking, and climbing guide and the owner of Get Outside Adventures, a business dedicated to connecting people with nature through guided outdoor experiences. She is passionate about protecting wild places, advancing environmental education, and supporting the ongoing restoration of Whitebark Pine habitats with the Kimberley-based team.

Connor is an assistant professor in the department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary. He teaches plant physiology and plant pathology. His lab studies plant-microbe interactions across a range of contexts including forests, farms, and grasslands. One current focus of the lab is to identify and characterize the genes required by pathogens to infect their plant hosts. The lab uses a variety of tools such as histology, genetics, molecular biology, and bioinformatics. Always up for a challenge, the lab studies white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), pulse root rot (Aphanomyces eutieches), verticillium stripe (Verticillium longisporum), and clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae). He grew up in the Fraser Valley of BC before moving to Trinidad, Toronto, Chapel Hill, and eventually Cochrane, AB. He has two big dogs and two small boys and loves to summit peaks south on Highway 40 in Kananaskis.