Meet the Staff Team of Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary
Cara Gibson
Executive Director
I have a BSc (Biology, Univ. of Toronto) and a Master’s and PhD (Entomology, Univ. of Arizona). I taught in higher education for over 20 years and my background spans biodiversity monitoring, science research and management, instructional design, fundraising, community organizing and scientific illustration. I joined the Nature Sanctuary as a Board member in 2019 and stepped into this role in 2020. I am honoured to be helping to protect the Nature Sanctuary's rare and threatened species, steward and restore its ecosystems, and grow its communities of practice and education.
Julia Dawson
Coordinator of Volunteers and Events
I have been a volunteer management professional for over 10 years. Working at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, I am privileged to combine my skills in developing an engaged and vital volunteer resource with a love of nature. I joined the Nature Sanctuary team in 2017 and I am inspired daily as people thrive and connect with each other and the environment through volunteerism.
Kirsten Grove-White
Administrative Assistant
I have recently joined the Nature Sanctuary Team, bringing a background of customer relations and retail management with me. I grew up just a short walk away from the Nature Sanctuary, and have many fond memories with my family on its grounds. Away from work, I enjoy creating art with preserved flowers and experimenting in the kitchen with locally-foraged botanicals.
Kalene Lillico
Program Naturalist
My background is in a variety of different nature education fields ranging from insects to whales. My strongest motivation as a naturalist is to give people from all walks of life the tools to build positive connections with the natural world. My most gratifying moments are when I can help change a perspective on a misunderstood species.
Erica Van Dyk
Program Naturalist
I joined the Naturalist team in 2017 to combine my two biggest passions – people and nature! From teaching ecological restoration to working on organic farms to organizing Girl Guide camps, I have a diverse history of connecting others to the wonders of our natural environment. When I am not at work, you can find me cycling around the city, working in my garden, playing disc golf, or camping along the west coast.
Jay Rastogi
Site Manager
I studied Natural Resources Management and Environmental Studies at the University of Guelph and worked at the University Arboretum. After graduation, I mentored in sustainable forestry practices with renowned ecoforester Merv Wilkinson. Over the past 15 years I have shared these teachings and principles with thousands of students and adults during tours and workshops.
My family background includes farming and forestry, in Ontario, and wandering the foothills of the Himalayas, where I lived until I was 12 years old.
My interests include nature observation, studying landscape ecology and promoting sustainable land stewardship and self-sufficiency. I am especially fond of growing food and foraging for wild plants and mushrooms.
Ben Milligan
Assistant Site Manager
I am a graduate of the Camosun College Environmental Technology Program and have training and work experience in the trades. My goal in doing site work at the Sanctuary is to help preserve and restore habitat for the many rare and amazing plant and animal species that inhabit our region. I began working for the Sanctuary in June 2019 as a summer student, and have been working here full time since December of that year.