Archaeology & Historical Ecology in Burrard Inlet

I am an archaeologist, historical ecologist, and ecological modeler. I am a queer cis-woman settler scientist with a passion for conservation, community engagement, public outreach, and education.

My PhD research is in service to Tsleil-Waututh Nation: my project is designed based on the needs and questions of the community. I am using Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) to create a pre-contact (1792 CE) food web and baseline ecosystem model of Burrard Inlet, BC. I am using archaeological material, including shellfish and fish remains, along with historical and archival data.

I will also be working with Tsleil-Waututh community members and administrative staff to look at a Traditional Use Study (TUS), monitoring and conservation data, interviews with community knowledge keepers, and other existing data sources. The model will be connected to more recent models to show how Burrard Inlet and surrounding areas have changed over time, and the implications of these changes on present and future projects.

Our project is part of a collaborative partnership with University of British Columbia, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Mitacs, and Kerr Wood Leidal.

To see a StoryMap of some of the work I’ve been involved in over the past two years, click here.

I live, work, and study as a guest on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.