Indigenous Ecology Lab
Start date:
Undergraduate Degree: B.Sc. in Environmental Science, University of British Columbia
Graduate Degree: Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management, University of British Columbia
Invasive Species, GIS/Remote Sensing, Indigenous Food Systems, Ecological Restoration, Plant Taxonomy
As a life-long lover of all things nature, I’ve always had a strong desire to observe and learn about the natural world. Eventually, plants caught my eye, and I developed a passion for studying invasive plant species. Growing up in Metro Vancouver, I was no stranger to swaths of invasive English Ivy, Himalayan Blackberry, and the like. After years of what felt like very ineffective (albeit fun) invasive species removals, I encountered Dr. Grenz and her extensive work in invasion biology. Believing that one day I would pursue academic research, I joined the Indigenous Ecology Lab and was given a unique opportunity to study invasive plant dynamics while doing practical research that would help real people. I am excited to bring both my GIS and botanical backgrounds to a post-wildfire recovery research project.
Gardening, Cooking, Birding and Botanizing, Languages
My research will use drone-based remotely sensed LiDAR, RGB imagery, and multispectral data to assess spatial patterns of invasive and culturally important plants in the post-burn landscape of the McKay Creek wildfire in the St’át’imc Nation territory. To facilitate quicker recovery of the devastated Indigenous food systems and mule deer winter range habitat, I will test the efficacy of modern remote sensing technology and new deep learning methods to detect and map key vectors and sources of spread for both desired and invasive plants. My project aims to characterize these spatial patterns and predict future plant movements to inform restoration priorities for the local communities’ land stewardship efforts.