PROJECTS
Masters Thesis Project: Indigenous Multi-level Governance for Blue Carbon Ecosystems
I’ve just completed my Masters thesis is in partnership with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation at the University of Victoria’s School of Environmental Studies. This collaborative research explored Indigenous governance based solutions for eelgrass, a blue carbon ecosystem, within Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks. You can read my thesis here!
Environmental conservation and management, including protected areas, governance is consistently cited as one of the major issues in effectively achieving policy measures. This applies to the current regulatory and policy landscape in British Columbia (BC) for blue carbon ecosystems, which are comprised of seagrasses and salt marshes in BC. Despite their profound ecological productivity and cultural importance to coastal First Nations, they are among the most rapidly disappearing environments on the planet; less than 10% of blue carbon ecosystems are protected in BC. This is directly caused by industrial activities and externalities like pollution, colonial urban development, as well as absence of strong state coastal regulations and policies. These causes are partially a result of ineffective state governance and the state oppression and violation of Indigenous law and governance through settler colonialism. To address this, I intend for my thesis to contribute to advancing Indigenous governance for blue carbon ecosystems in British Columbia as part of the broader Coastal Marine Strategy that is currently being developed by the provincial Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.
PAST PROJECTS
Love For BC: Destination BC Instagram Series
SURFRIDER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
From 2016 to 2020 I organized, curated and hosting the Surfrider Short Film Festival. Like anything, this festival grew from a raw idea and the kindling of a few conversations: to bring outdoor films into the rainforest, to bring awareness to environmental issues at the edge of the sea. We thought: what does inspiration look like? To us, it was bringing people together under the gaze of the starry sky, between the glow of hanging lights, huddled in blankets with warm libations, and with the purpose to provoke action on the earth’s most pressing issues. From this early concept, the Surfrider Short Film Fest was born in the autumn of 2016 in Tofino, BC, with the mission of showcasing local and international short films that highlight diverse efforts to celebrate and protect the ocean, beaches, waves. We also spotlight surf films from near and far that tell unique stories around people’s connections to the sea. Often, films have a surf and an environmental or social message woven together, underscoring the importance of intersectionality in surfing and in the environmental movement.
Stay tuned for the 2023 festival and get in touch if you’re looking for a host for your environmental film festival!
Sustainability Masterclass with the Salty Souls Club
You can view and take the Masterclass on Salty Souls Club, which provides a foundational understanding of the environmental movement and essential insights to consider as we walk down the path of change makers on a planet at the edge. This Masterclass moves us beyond “shallow environmentalism” to an intersectional and regenerative environmentalism that addresses the roots of hard pressing issues.
