Invasive Species Technicians
Ellen Carpenter
Ellen is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba. After spending 6 years living in Canmore, she moved to Nelson to attend the Recreation, Fish and Wildlife program at Selkirk College. With a growing knowledge and fascination for everything wild, Ellen is excited for the opportunity to make a positive impact with CKISS while exploring the Kootenays and gaining valuable skills in the field.
James Schafers
Originally hailing from Vancouver Island, James has spent the last 4 years living in the West Kootenays. He studied Recreation, Fish and Wildlife at Selkirk College, where he learned about the impacts invasive species have on our local ecosystems. After learning to put plants in the ground while tree planting, he figures it’s time to learn how to pull them out of the ground. He is eager to learn more about invasive species management, and how they exist within our landscape. His interests lie in ecological restoration, and he hopes to pursue his RP Bio in the future.
Molly Tilden
Molly is originally from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, traditional territory of the Yellowknives Dene. However, Molly has spent most of the past ten years exploring the natural beauty of British Columbia. She recently graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley with a Bachelor of Science and a major in biology and ecology of organisms. Her professional background includes working with an array of invasive organisms including bull frogs in the Fraser valley, opossums in New Zealand, and a multitude of invasive plants through-out the lower mainland. With her new role at CKISS, Molly is excited to dive deeper into the world of plants and learn more about the ways in which invasive species management can protect and preserve our wild spaces.
Eric Waldie
My name is Eric Waldie! I come from Castlegar, and have lived most of my life in the Kootenays. In 2018 I attended Selkirk College’s Integrated Environmental Planning program, which gave me a deep appreciation for the land here, and with it a strong desire to protect and restore that land. I spend most of my time hiking, reading about history, and trying to decide whether a tree is a western white pine or grand fir.
Samantha Boucher
Sam grew up in the Fraser Valley but has spent the past 10 years travelling around Canada and the US in between tree planting contracts exploring the diverse ecosystems and pockets of small eclectic communities. She recently finished her first year of the Integrated Environmental Planning program at Selkirk College with the focus of transitioning out of Treeplanting into studying ecosystems, waterways, and riparian restoration techniques. CKISS is the first step to moving forward to environmental monitoring and having a positive impact on our changing climate.
Education Assistant
Jonathan Proctor
Jonathan – commonly referred to as Joj – grew up in England and moved to Canada in 2016 to pursue his love of snowboarding and general outdoor adventuring. Jonathan has a keen interest in education and is applying for the WKRTEP in Nelson this September. He is looking forward to the summer with CKISS spreading the word about invasive species and working in environmental education. Outside of work hours expect to find Joj out exploring the forests and alpine wilderness of the Kootenays with his faithful adventure buddy Hank – a high energy pointer.