Meet the HAT Team

Our team is based on the traditional and unceded territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ, SC’IȺNEW, and T'Sou-ke Nations, lək̓ʷəŋən peoples (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations) and the many other Coast Salish peoples who have lived in relationship with and stewarded these lands since time immemorial and continue to live in relationship with the land today. We are a driven team of individuals who are passionate about protecting, preserving, and restoring the incredible ecosystems in our region.

  • Previously, Kevin spent nearly 18 years at Ducks Unlimited Canada, where he managed the National Boreal Program, focusing on Indigenous-led conservation. His tenure previously included roles as Senior Remote Sensing Analyst. Kevin holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Cornell University. His career is marked by significant contributions to conservation, sustainable development, and environmental management.

  • Julianna is of Hungarian, German, Ukrainian, and Polish descent and grew up on the territories of the Snuneymuxw Nation. She began her post-secondary studies at the University of Calgary before moving to lək̓ʷəŋən territory, where she completed a BSc in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria. She has since completed the Species at Risk course through Natural Resources Training Group. Julianna first became involved with HAT in 2022 working as the Office Administrator, and she was excited to pursue her passion by stepping into the role of Wildlife Stewardship Coordinator in 2023. In her free time, Julianna loves spending her time exploring beaches and forests with her dog and practicing yoga.

  • Jamison is of South Indian, German, and Scottish Ancestry born and raised on the Ancestral Lands of the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations, and the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. He comes to HAT with a full-bodied commitment to Land Back and a continued curiosity for the ways upholding Indigenous sovereignty can show up in their community-based work. Jamison’s multi-racial background and experience in anti-oppression education and communications informs the ways he connects across cultural intersections. Jamison is also a passionate birdwatcher, and one of the founding members of Special Bird Service Society (SBS) where he works with his brother Trenton to help make nature more accessible to bodies of colour and folks who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. 

  • Paige is of Icelandic and Irish descent raised near Showe’luqun (Shawnigan Lake) in Quw’utsun territory. In 2011, Paige first became involved with HAT through a turtle. Since then she was hooked, joining HAT as the Conservation Intern in 2012. After holding various roles at HAT, Paige settled into the Stewardship Coordinator role in 2015. Now Paige manages HAT’s growing Stewardship programs. In her spare time, Paige can be found in her garden or coordinating talks as co-chair of the Native Plant Study Group.

  • Emily is of Italian and Irish descent and was born and raised on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as well as the traditional territory of the Wendat and Haudenosaunee peoples. She holds an honours BA in English from Laurier University, a diploma in Ecosystem Management from Fleming College, and a professional specialization certificate in Ecological Restoration from UVic. Emily is thrilled to share her passion for land stewardship as part of the HAT team.

  • Shania is of French, Scottish, and Métis descent and grew up on the territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples. She has a BA in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria and has been working in the environmental non-profit world since 2019, particularly in communications, capacity building, and organizational resilience.  In her spare time, you can find her looking at birds, doing a crossword, or getting crafty with some yarn.

  • Vanessa is of primarily German and Scottish ancestry and grew up on the territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). She moved to lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories in 2015 to study Environmental Studies, Sociology, and Restoration of Natural Systems at the University of Victoria. Vanessa began working with HAT on the restoration crew in 2022 and is now the Habitat Restoration Coordinator.

  • An advocate for Indigenous-led stewardship, an artist with a background in law, ecology, and geo-political commentary, as well as being passionate about photography, canoe guiding, and cricket. Originally from the traditional and ancestral lands of the W̱SÁNEĆ communities and the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples on Vancouver Island, Trenton is the founder of the Special Bird Service Society (SBS), International Swift Stewardship Society (ISS) & the Nest Network. SBS is a community-focused organization dedicated to making nature more accessible for the Global Majority and 2SLGBTQ+ communities across the Salish Coast. Through birding-centered education, recreation, and habitat restoration initiatives, SBS fosters connection, inclusivity, and environmental stewardship.

  • As a Project & Program Manager in International Development, Peter has over 30 years of experience in strategic leadership, project development, and business advancement roles within the culture, heritage and conservation sectors. Peter has 6 years of Executive Director experience with the Bateman Foundation, and joined HAT in 2022 as the SC’IȺNEW Tribal Park (formerly Mary Hill) Project Manager.

  • Gavin is of Scottish, Irish, and Songhees First Nations heritage, and was born and raised in the Comox Valley on the traditional territory of the K’omoks First Nation. In 2022, Gavin relocated to Victoria to embark on his academic journey, and he is currently pursuing a degree in Geography with a minor in Geographic Information Technology at the University of Victoria. Gavin's aspiration is to work closely with the Songhees Nation, deepening his understanding of his culture and the traditional ways of life. Through working with HAT, Gavin aims to contribute to the restoration and preservation of the vital ecosystems on the traditional land and waters of the Songhees Nations. In his spare time, he enjoys surfing at Sombrio and Jordan River, finding new places to hike on the island, and biking around Oak Bay.

  • Katie Blake is of British and German descent and grew up in Wabanaki Territory in the eastern US. Katie Blake is a conservation professional with more than 20 years' experience in the land conservation sector. Her experience spans a range of leadership, fundraising, governance and program roles, with specialized expertise in conservation-based private land transactions. As the former Executive Director of HAT, Katie is thrilled to return to HAT as a Senior Land Advisor to advance HAT's Land Protection Program, and to help build on HAT's support of Indigenous-led conservation.

  • ÍY SȻÁĆEL HÁLE  

    ÍY ȻENS ENÁ TÁĆELṈONET SIÁM HÁLE 

    ĆOȻES SEN SE ṮEṮUṮE OL NE SḰÁL SENĆOŦEN SḰÁL ÁȽE 

    SNEMIŦIYE ŦE NE SNÁ ĆSE LÁ,E SEN  EṮ W̱SÁNEĆ I ȽIW̱ I,ÍYMET NENIṈENE LOṮ ṈENE SXELIȾIYE OPEN IȻS DX̱EN SĆELÁṈEN I TEŦTÁŦESTEN LIW̱ SĆELÁṈEN I Kenneth ĆESE SĆELÁṈEN. ȻENTOL NE STOLES QUANTUM ĆSE LÁ,E E TŦE ÁLEṈENS SȾÁUTW̱. NE TÁN HÍELWET Karen Sampson ĆSE LÁ,E ET W̱JOȽEȽP I NE MÁN Darren James ĆSE LÁ,E EṮ BOḰEĆEN. ĆÁĆI OL SEN ȻENTOL NE XEUES SĆÁ E TIÁ SĆELÁṈEN ȻENTOL NE XEUES SĆÁLEĆES ET METULIYE H.A.T (Habitat Acquisition Trust) ÁȽE E ȽÁ,E W̱SÁNEĆ I LEKWUNGEN ĆÁĆI SX̱ENÁNS ET KȽO,ELENEȻ I SJISEṈs I TELETOŦELṈEW̱... DADÁSET SEN TŦE SḰÁL I OṈESTOW̱ TŦE SNÁ E TŦE SPÁKENS I ÍY SDÁLṈEW̱ E TŦE ŚIŚEJ MEQ EX̱IN E TŦE XAXE TEṈEW̱ I OṈEST TŦE SĆÁ ȻENTOL NE SĆÁLEĆEs.  

    Hello Good Day Everyone 

    My ancestral name is SNEMIŦIYE and I am from Saanich residing on Tsartlip, I am a mother of 3 beautiful children, my oldest is Kaiea, middle child Joshua Thaddeus and my youngest is Kenneth with my partner Joshua Wilson Sr who is from Tsawout. My Maternal side is Karen Sampson from Tsartlip and my Paternal side is Darren James from Pauquachin First Nation. Part of my knowledge is Language Revitalization education at the University of Victoria. I also work at Satinflower Nurseries.  

    What I wish to bring to HAT is plant knowledge and plant uses while working on the lands of WSÁNEĆ and Songhees territory to willingly create some resources with Indigenous talks and walks throughout local parks, utilizing my SENĆOŦEN abilities and skills in specializing and giving the Indigenous prospectives with working on Garry oak, Cedar and Douglas-fir ecosystems within the Vancouver lower-island region. 

  • Madisen is of mixed Ghanaian and English ancestry and was raised on the traditional lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Metis, Dene, and Nakota Sioux, in Central Alberta. Her Black/mixed race and queer identities are key in her understanding of the ecological and social relationships around her, informing the connections she sees in the world. She moved to the unceded territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples to complete her BSc in Biology and Environmental Studies double major at UVic. She is joining the HAT team as the Wildlife Stewardship Intern for the summer of 2026 with enthusiasm for community-based conservation and expanding her understanding of Indigenous sovereignty within and around these worlds. 

  • Neal is a settler of Irish and French descent, who grew up in K'ómoks territory. He completed a BSc, double majoring in Geography and Environmental Studies, at the University of Victoria in the fall of 2024. Neal first became involved with HAT in the summer of 2023, working on the restoration field crew. In his current role, he is responsible for monitoring HAT's diverse and beautiful covenants across southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. In his spare time, Neal is an avid skateboarder and enjoys biking around the city with his friends.

HAT’s Field Crew

  • Jules is of Italian ancestry and grew up on the shared territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Huron-Wendat and the Haudenosaunee. She now lives and works on lək̓ʷəŋən territory, home to the Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt Nations, and W̱SÁNEĆ territory, home to the Tsartlip, Tsawout, W̱SÍ,ḴEM/Tseycum, Pauquachin, and Malahat Nations. 

    With a background in both fine arts (BFA, Emily Carr University of Art and Design) and ecological restoration (Restoration of Natural Systems Certificate, University of Victoria, expected Spring 2027), Jules applies an interdisciplinary perspective that informs her approach to environmental stewardship. She is committed to fostering respectful relationships with the land and all living kin, and is continually exploring ways to support ecological care and community well-being.

  • Hunter grew up in K'ómox, Homalco, Wei Wai Kum, and We Wai Kai territory, and is of mixed-European ancestry. He completed his BSc in Natural Resource Protection at VIU in 2023 and is working towards obtaining a Restoration of Natural Systems certificate from UVic. In recent years, he has worked with a variety of environmental / stewardship organizations, increasing his knowledge and understanding of local ecology, and fueling an ever-growing interest in Garry oak and associated ecosystems. He is excited to join the HAT Team in 2026 as a Habitat Restoration Technician. In his spare time, you can find Hunter surfing, running, hiking, searching for rare and uncommon plants, advocating for sensitive ecosystems, and creating environmental content on social media.

  • Chelsea is of  Philippino and mixed-European ancestry, and was born and raised on K'ómoks territory. She moved to lək̓ʷəŋən territory to attend UVic, where she completed a Geography degree and an Ecological Restoration Professional Specialization Certificate. Chelsea has worked various provincial park/plant nursery/farm jobs on the island and in Australia before landing on the HAT restoration field crew in 2023. She finds a lot of joy in working outdoors and loves applying her skills to meaningful stewardship and restoration. In her spare time, Chelsea might be found hiking, reading, or coercing knowledgeable friends into teaching her about birds, bugs, and native plants.

  • Maya grew up on the traditional territories of the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal) and is of Irish, Scottish and German ancestry. With a background in International Studies and NGO work, it was several years of farming that ignited her interest in land-based work. Having almost completed the Restoration of Natural Systems diploma at UVic, she first took a contract as a Field Restoration Technician with HAT in the fall of 2023 and is overjoyed to be back on the team. When not restoring habitat with her friends, you can probably find Maya out for a hike, looking for new plant friends, putting on her dancing shoes, or chasing live music.

Program Support

  • Goblin

  • Korra

  • Banksy

  • Hugo