BC Nature Board
President: Nancy Flood
I am theoretically retired as a biology professor from Thompson Rivers University, but I regularly get lured back to teach, edit, or supervise students doing research projects. Although I’ve only been on the board of BC Nature for the last 3 years, I’m a long-time member, through participation in the Kamloops Naturalist Club—of which I’ve been president for 7 years. I’m also active in various other environmental groups, including Transition Kamloops. My main academic interest is birds—especially orioles, several species of which I have studied in Canada, the US and Mexico. My husband Tom (also a retired biology prof and a better naturalist than me) and I have 2 wonderful children and a 3-year old granddaughter, who is already a keen birder!
Vice President: Harold Sellers
Harold Sellers is retired, following several careers, including air navigation electronics specialist, executive director of Hike Ontario and of the Oak Ridges Trail Association (Ontario), coordinator for the Trans Canada Trail in BC, and lastly, plant manager for the North Okanagan Valley Gleaners Society. He lives in Vernon, where he is the president of the North Okanagan Naturalists’ Club (NONC) and also edits their newsletter, amongst other tasks. Harold serves on the boards of quite a few nature, trails, and non-profit organizations. He became BC Nature vice-president in May of 2023.
Past President: Alan Burger
I am is a retired wildlife biologist and university prof, now living in Logan Lake. Research on ecology and seabirds, especially the threatened Marbled Murrelet, was my primary career focus. I’ve been on the BC Nature Board since 2012, and was President 2016-2019 and 2021-2023. I’ve been on the BC Nature Board since 2012, and was President 2016-2019. Wildlife viewing and photography, birding, hiking and kayaking are my main outdoor interests. My personal website is http://www.aburger.ca/
Treasurer: Natasha Chand
At BC Nature, Natasha Chand, CPA, CA, serves as the Volunteer Treasurer, leveraging her extensive experience to uphold the organization’s financial health and fiscal integrity. Committed to promoting financial transparency and accountability, quality management, and financial performance, Natasha plays a critical role in supporting the Society’s mission to advance BC Nature’s conservation initiatives and programs while celebrating BC’s natural heritage. Natasha works in Public Practice, bringing over 13 years of extensive experience specializing in the provision of audit and assurance services, accounting and tax advisory services and financial management to privately-held entities across a diverse group of industries.
As an avid outdoor enthusiast, Natasha finds inspiration in nature and is dedicated to preserving it for future generations.
Secretary: Susan Thorne: Sue was the president of Kitimat Valley Naturalists and held many other roles on the executive of the club. Having moved to the Victoria region in March 2023, she is now a member of VNHS and RPBO and takes part in some of their activities. She continues to be an advocate for the environment and often attends webinars and talks to learn more about preserving wetland areas, estuaries, and old growth forests in BC. She is a retired elementary school teacher and loved to encourage the young ones to enjoy nature, and to help look after it. Her favourite activities now are with the grandchildren and instilling in them the love of birds and other species. Birding, scanning family photos and organizing them, plus traveling near and far.
Secretary Alternate : Alanna Mackenzie:
Alanna is the Secretary Alternate at BC Nature. She is also a lawyer and writer, and has a keen interest in nature conservation. Alanna joined BC Nature in 2020 and thereafter worked with the Conservation Committee on several projects relating to endangered species protections and bear-human conflict. She has a background in environmental history and graduated law school with a specialization in environmental and natural resource law. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, artistic pursuits, and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Director at Large: Olga Lansdrop
Olga is a wildlife biologist in Victoria, BC, with an academic background in birds and a passion for field work. She has experience working for environmental non-profits and recently joined the Resolutions Committee with BC Nature.
Director at Large: Ben van Drimmelen
Ben is a retired biologist/forester/lawyer living in Victoria who volunteers with various environmentally-concerned non-government organizations such as the Land Trust Alliance of BC, the Habitat Acquisition Trust (a land trust based in Victoria). He has previously volunteered with the Victoria Natural History Society, the Sea Change Conservation Society and the Mary Lake Sanctuary. Ben is also on the BC Nature’s Conservation Committee.
Conservation Chair: Peter Ballin
Peter’s academic background focussed on the behavioural ecology of fishes (A.B., U of California, Berkeley; M.Sc., UBC) and led him to a career teaching biology at Vancouver Community College and science education at UBC, with occasional research stints studying fishes. He served as head of the science department at VCC, where he also developed a continuing education natural history program. He has been a facilitator for Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation Education since 1995. He retired from VCC in 2006 to further direct his attention to environmental education and conservation, which includes volunteering at the Vancouver Aquarium as well as BC Nature. Currently he studies conservation biology of western painted turtles, as an adjunct faculty at Thompson Rivers University. Peter and his wife Shirley enjoy travelling and hiking and kayaking.
Kootenay Regional Coordinator: Stewart Wilson
Stewart is a retired elementary teacher, who made the environment the focus of his grade three curriculum. He fostered and developed his students’ awareness and sense of environmental stewardship by taking them on nature outings each week throughout the year, most often to a nearby wetland, Elizabeth Lake. He is an active member of the Rocky Mountain Naturalists and represents the clubs in the Kootenays as their BCN Regional Coordinator. He is also on the Education Committee and the Climate sub-committee. Since taking up birding shortly after he retired, Stewart has developed a greater appreciation and understanding of nature and the environment, whether birding locally in the Cranbrook area; or Kelowna, Calgary, and Red Deer, when visiting grandchildren.
Lower Mainland Regional Coordinator : Viktorija Juciūtė
Nature and conservation have always held a soft spot in my heart and through a winded path I ended up pursuing a degree in Biology and volunteering with various conservation non-profit organizations. I joined BC Nature in 2023 to fill the immense shoes of Sheila, the previous Lower Mainland region coordinator. Through my work with BC Nature I hope to support and foster conservation-oriented communities across the Lower Mainland. Between work and volunteering you can find me running around East Vancouver, participating in local activities from community-led events to community center programs, or at home, playing with my cat. If you see me during the BC Nature AGM, feel free to chat to me about EDI, access, education, community building, conservation issues, board games or learning French!
Northern BC Regional Coordinator : Walter Thorne
Walter is a retired grade 6 teacher who enjoyed nature activities and outings with his class. He continues his interest and love of nature by focusing more on birding in his retirement.
Walter is the Northern Regional Coordinator, he coordinates meetings with the eight northern clubs between Haida Gwaii and Dawson Creek. Walter looks forward to a northerner taking over this position. With his move to Vancouver Island, he now volunteers with the RPBO and is a member of VNHS.
Birding is his passion and every day he is either walking, biking, and maybe canoeing, listening and looking for birds. Along with birding, photography is on his interest list as is researching, reading and writing on history, especially about the Kitimat area.
Vancouver Island Regional Coordinator: Brian Wilkes
I’m a Victoria, BC based biologist and environmental consultant, now semi-retired. I’ve worked on numerous water and watershed related projects in Canada and in several international settings. I have a special interest in policy and governance arrangements to improve water, watershed management and issues related to sustainability.
I’ve been interested in natural history since I was a youngster, and was a keen birder when I was a teenager. I belonged to Toronto nature clubs growing up, the Nanaimo Naturalists when we lived there, and the Bulkley Valley Naturalists when we lived in Smithers. I worked many summers as an interpretive naturalist in Ontario parks as I was going to university.
Thompson Okanagan Regional Coordinator: Gary Hunt
Gary is a member of the Kamloops Naturalist Club He is retired from Thompson Rivers University where he taught for 25 years. Gary’s academic background is in mycology in forested ecosystems with an interest in the biology and ecology of wild mushrooms.
Education Chair: Margaret Cuthbert
The birds and all the wild creatures in these places reinvigorated and inspired her passion for nature. The environmental conservation bug bit in the mid 1990’s. Margaret’s involvement with the White Rock and Surrey Naturalists Conservation Committee and the Little Campbell Watershed Society, led to initiating the Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society (FOSB) in 2001. After becoming Important Bird Area Caretaker for the Fraser delta, Marg then got involved with BC Nature representing FOSB and then nominated to Education Chair in 2013 and Award Chair in 2017. She hasn’t stopped working for conservation except to be grandma and follow her bliss travelling to new landscapes and see wild creatures, especially the birds!