About SCBC
About SCBC
Vision
British Columbians understand, enjoy, and sustain healthy ecosystems through stewardship.
Mission
Our mission is to strengthen ecological stewardship in BC by providing educational, technical and capacity programs and resources to organizations, governments, the private sector and the general public through collaborative partnerships.
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Principles
The following principles guide the operations and initiatives of the Stewardship Centre for BC:
- Information is credible, knowledge-based, accessible and responsive to the needs of stewards in BC.
- Programs are partner-based, inclusive and non-partisan.
- Initiatives respect the interests and rights of all participants.
- Operations are conducted in an effective, efficient and accountable manner.
History
After over a decade of producing technical resources, SCBC was incorporated as a non-profit society in 2006 and held its first AGM in February 2007.
Since then, we have developed tools, workshops, courses and programs on ecosystems, habitats and species at risk to help sustain our natural landscapes and watersheds and educate the public on stewardship practices.
These tools, including training and planning resources, are designed for landowners, land use professionals, the development community, local governments and conservation organizations. The Stewardship Series is one of SCBC’s cornerstone initiatives. It is a peer-reviewed, science‐based series of 19 guides for environmental stewards, including local governments.
Strategic Plan
Click the image above to download SCBC’s Strategic Plan 2021-2025.Annual reports
To learn more about our work and achievements, please see our annual reports on the Resources page or the Latest News.
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Stewardship Centre Support Team
Sarah Primeau (She/Her), Executive Director
Sarah joins the SCBC as Executive Director with over 18 years of experience as a landscape architect, ecologist, and in various roles within the non-profit environmental stewardship sector. She is skilled in connecting the dots across disciplines to find creative solutions to complex ecological challenges. Her master’s degrees in Ecology and Landscape Architecture also enable her to translate ecological knowledge into action. Sarah most recently worked in the private sector as a landscape architect and ecologist, focused on shoreline-related projects that integrated ecological restoration, adaptation to climate change, and opportunities for environmental stewardship. She has expertise in nature-based coastal solutions, ecologically-sensitive neighborhood planning, green rainwater infrastructure, flood-adaptive design, and watershed stewardship.
Sarah works from the unceded territories of the Snaw-Naw-As, Qualicum, and K’ómoks First Nations, and within the Kw’a’luxw watershed. She is grateful to the Indigenous Nations of the region as the original and ongoing stewards of the land and water, and she is committed to listening to and honouring their priorities through the work of the Stewardship Centre.
Sarah can be reached at sarah@stewardshipcentrebc.ca
DG Blair (She/Her/Elle), Technical Advisor
DG has been an Executive Director with the Stewardship Centre for BC for nearly 15 years. She excelled in leadership and project management for delivering key projects, including Green Shores, Cats and Birds, and Greenspace for All. After her retirement in 2024, she will serve as a Technical Advisor for programs and projects.
With deep experience in science-based best management practices for land and water, DG has developed, applied, and proliferated SCBC’s Green Shores program across Canada. She has co-authored numerous publications on Green Shores. In addition, she works with partners in government, industry and non-governmental organizations at the community, regional, provincial and national levels from her island home on the traditional territories of the Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh), Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm), Tsleil-Waututh (Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh), and Sechelt (Shíshálh) First Nations. She can be reached at dg@stewardshipcentrebc.ca.
Kelly Loch (She/Her), Green Shores Projects Manager
Kelly is a Registered Professional Forester with an M.Sc. in Forest Science (Hydrology) from the University of Alberta. She tracks all Green Shores project implementation phases, from initial enquiries to certification. She is also a member of the Resilient Coasts For Salmon Project team. This five-year project is a collaboration between the Stewardship Centre and the Pacific Salmon Foundation. It includes community outreach and engagement, Green Shores training, establishing demonstration sites, and shoreline mapping to build public awareness and community capacity to adopt nature-based solutions.
Kelly is a Green Shores Approved Professional, having completed Green Shores training Levels One, Two and Three. She is also a Green Shores for Homes (GSH) Verifier, A Green Shores Level One and Level Two Instructor, and, as a Green Shores Local Government Working Group member, has expertise in Green Shores Policy and Regulatory Tools for Local Government.
Kelly acknowledges with gratitude that she lives and works on the traditional territory of the Quw’utsun First Nation. She works full-time from her office in Cobble Hill and can be reached at kelly@stewardshipcentrebc.ca.
Lonnie Prouse, Finance and Operations Manager
Lonnie got involved with SCBC in 2003 as a volunteer and became a board member in 2005.
After many years, Lonnie changed hats and became SCBC’s Financial Manager, overseeing all financial matters, including grant writing, budgeting, and financial reporting.
Andrea McDonald, Green Shores Project Manager, Lower Mainland
Andrea is passionate about nature-based solutions, sustainable communities, and supporting Indigenous self-determination and reconciliation. With prior experience in 2021 as a Green Shores implementation and engagement intern, Andrea rejoined the SCBC team in 2023 as a Project Manager for Green Shores in the Greater Vancouver area, with over two years of experience in sustainability and UNDRIP-focused projects with the Fraser Basin Council, a background in Environmental Sciences, and a Master’s degree in Resource and Environmental Management from Simon Fraser University.
Andrea works from her home office on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation and can be reached at andrea@stewardshipcentrebc.ca.
Anna Skurikhina (She/Her), Cats and Birds Project Lead and Acting Communications Manager
Anna is an aspiring wildlife biologist with nearly a decade of experience in wildlife conservation, research and monitoring. Her career path has meandered from working with reptiles, amphibians, and rodents to birds and bats. Anna is passionate about the natural world and community-based learning. She believes that while individual efforts can make a difference, working together is key to long-term, sustainable and positive changes. She is based in Kelowna of the Okanagan Valley, on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan people. You can reach Anna at anna@stewardshipcentrebc.ca.
Ariadne Boutsakis (She/Her), Project Coordinator for Cats and Birds and Greenspace for All
Ariadne is a dedicated sustainability professional based in Vancouver, BC. Her deep love of nature and commitment to protecting the environment led her to study Sustainable Business at Simon Fraser University, where she learned the value of ecosystem services, nature-based and community-based solutions, and corporate responsibility, earning her BBA. Ariadne supports SCBC’s mission to strengthen ecological stewardship across Canada through education, action, and applying nature-based solutions.
Ariadne gratefully acknowledges that she is an uninvited guest on the unceded, traditional, and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Ariadne can be reached at ariadne@stewardshipcentrebc.ca.
Brittany Compagna (She/Her), Cats and Birds Outreach Assistant
Brittany is a dedicated advocate for wildlife and environmental conservation with a strong background in Zoology. Drawing from experience as a Cats and Birds Outreach Assistant with the Stewardship Centre for BC, Brittany specializes in engaging communities and governments on ecological issues. With a passion for helping animals and preserving nature, Brittany leverages both professional expertise and personal experiences, such as leading family-friendly outdoor projects, to inspire action. Brittany enjoys creating meaningful connections between people and wildlife, fostering a shared commitment to sustainable ecosystems.
Board Members
Suzanne Earle (She/Her), Chair
Suzanne is a passionate biologist interested in conservation and stewardship. A member of SCBC’s Board of Directors since December 2020, she is thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful team. Suzanne has over 15 years of experience in applied biology, including aquatic species at risk, fish and fish habitat protection, environmental consulting, and fisheries research. Suzanne enjoys hiking, camping, snowboarding, paddling, and exploring the outdoors whenever possible.
Suzanne can be reached at suzanne.earle@portvancouver.com. She is grateful to live, work, and play on the land of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Tracy Bond, Secretary/ Treasurer
Tracy is a consultant who works with Baker Creek Enhancement Society, the Ministry of Environment and the Quesnel Air Quality Roundtable, initiating, developing, and managing Environmental Education and Stewardship and Restoration Services programs. She also owns and operates Achieve Advertising, a promotional products business.Tracy loves nature, animals, and creative pursuits. Tracy spends most of her time off with her dogs or horses, exploring the beautiful Cariboo Chilcotin. Tracy is an active member of the Quesnel Chamber of Commerce (Vice Chair).
Morgan Tidd (She/Her)
Morgan Tidd is a professional geoscientist with over 16 years of experience. She specializes in coastal and fluvial geomorphology, oceanography, and sediment transport, and much of her work considers the impacts of climate change. She holds a master’s degree in environmental science coastal geomorphology from the University of Toronto Scarborough, where her thesis focused on sediment transport trends offshore of Frenchman’s Bay, Ontario. She is an enthusiastic supporter of SCBC’s Green Shores program. Morgan can be reached at morgan.tidd@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Jack Satzewich (He/Him)
Jack is a Project Manager with Ostrom Climate Solutions (Canada) Inc., and is responsible for managing, developing, and verifying carbon offset projects in Canada and the United States. Jack has been involved in forest carbon offset project development in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Oregon for First Nations and private landholders applying voluntary and compliance market protocols. Jack has experience working with municipal, provincial, federal and private sector partners advancing nature-based solutions to climate change. He holds a BA in geography and a Master of Resource Management degree from Simon Fraser University. Jack enjoys hiking, camping, skiing, playing hockey and reading. Jack can be reached at jack.satzewich@ostromclimate.com
Jamai Schile (She/Her)
As a planning professional for the Regional District of Nanaimo, Jamai works with diverse populations to plan for and create sustainable and resilient communities. Jamai has expertise in growth management, risk-based planning, and project management. She is currently leading an update to the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Regional Growth Strategy and is the project lead on the RDN’s Sea Level Rise and Climate Adaptation Program.
Jamai can be reached at jschile@rdn.bc.ca.
Clarissa (Clare) Arsenault (She/Her)
Clare, as a Licensed Professional Planner, has 7 years of progressive experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating environment and climate change plans, programs, and policies. She is a systems thinker, specializing in climate-informed community planning and capacity building, with a focus on nature-positive solutions. In her current role with Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change, Clare is designing and delivering tools and resources to support Nova Scotians in accessing funding aligned with their climate change priorities. When she is not at work, you can find Clare in the backcountry, in the garden, behind the potter’s wheel, or curled up with a knitting project.
Gretchen Harlow (She/Her)
Trained as a community journalist, Gretchen spent 30+ years advising and organizing environmental and alternative energy programs and projects for the provincial and federal governments. Gretchen assisted in the development of the Stewardship Centre as a member of the Stewardship Technical Committee and continues her support of the organization and its aims as a member at large.
Niall McPherson (He/Him)
Niall has been working in civil and environmental engineering for over seven years in the Lower Mainland. Niall has managed and coordinated environmental remediation projects in the Lower Mainland, on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. Niall currently works for the City of Vancouver in Green Infrastructure. He also volunteers in bull kelp restoration on the Sunshine Coast with Vital Kelp Co.
Niall holds a B.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering and a B.Ed. in Education. He is a huge proponent of the Green Shores program, currently working towards his Green Shores Level 3 Professional Proficiency. In his spare time, he enjoys being in nature with his family, freediving, mountain biking and backcountry skiing.
Niall acknowledges that he is a colonial settler on the lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
