You’re invited to our AGM!
Please join us by Zoom on October 1st from 12:00 to 1:00 pm for our Annual General Meeting, featuring two fantastic guest speakers highlighting their recent work in the realm of nature-based shoreline solutions. Click here to register.
Keynote speakers:
Octavio Alonso Cruz Coto is the marine manager for Pauquachin First Nation and a doctoral student in Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria (anticipated graduation 2029). Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, his mixed ancestry, including Timote-Cuica, Lebanese, Spanish, and British roots, shapes his responsibilities as a settler guest working alongside Indigenous Nations on southern Vancouver Island. Since 2020, he has served as Marine Manager with Pauquachin First Nation, where his work emphasizes reciprocity, sovereignty, and applied climate adaptation. His doctoral research examines Indigenous-led marine stewardship, focusing on shellfish restoration and the impacts of colonial governance on food systems. Central to this work is Pauquachin’s climate resiliency initiative, which integrates shoreline softening, bioengineering, and sea garden construction to address severe foreshore erosion, storm surge risk, and food insecurity. By weaving Indigenous knowledge with ecological science, Octavio supports Pauquachin’s long-term goals of restoring marine ecosystems, revitalizing cultural practices, and advancing Indigenous governance in climate and erosion control contexts.
Dr. Enda Murphy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Enda has almost two decades of applied research and consultancy experience involving application of numerical and physical modelling techniques to address coastal and estuarine management challenges. His research and teaching interests are towards an improved understanding and more sustainable management of coastal hazard risk through transdisciplinary, whole system approaches and innovative nature-based solutions. Enda was a chapter co-lead for the International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management, and chief editor of Nature-based infrastructure for coastal flood and erosion risk management: a Canadian design guide.
The full meeting package will be sent out to registrants closer to the event date, and will showcase all the work we’ve been doing this year!
