Meet Our Staff
Meet the Staff Team of Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary
Cara Gibson
Executive Director
Cara has a BSc (Biology, Honours, Univ. of Toronto) and a Master’s and PhD (Entomology, Univ. of Arizona). She taught in higher education for over 20 years and her background spans biodiversity monitoring, science research and management, instructional design, fundraising, community organizing and scientific illustration.
Cara joined the Nature Sanctuary as a Board member in 2019 and stepped into the Executive Director role in 2020. She is 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.
Elaine Parker
Operations Manager
Elaine has worked in the non-profit sector for over 15 years with a focus on education and science organizations. Joining the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary as Operations Manager in summer 2024, Elaine focuses on Human Resources, Financial and other Administrative work.
She has recently moved to Victoria from Nanaimo where she was Executive Director at Nanaimo Science. Elaine holds a BSc in Psychology and BA in English, and completed graduate studies in math and second language acquisition.
Elaine enjoys cooking, puzzles, and traveling with her family.
Jay Rastogi
Site Director
Jay studied Natural Resources Management and Environmental Studies at the University of Guelph and worked at the University Arboretum. After graduation, he mentored in sustainable forestry practices with renowned ecoforester Merv Wilkinson. Over the past 15 years he has shared these teachings and principles with thousands of students and adults during tours and workshops.
His family background includes farming and forestry, in Ontario, and wandering the foothills of the Himalayas, where he lived until he was 12 years old. Jay joined Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary in April 2013.
His interests include nature observation, studying landscape ecology and promoting sustainable land stewardship and self-sufficiency. He is especially fond of growing food and foraging for wild plants and mushrooms.
Tara Todesco
Manager of Volunteer Programs
Tara has a master’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Victoria, with a specialization in environmental education and community-engaged research and learning. She has extensive experience in developing, coordinating and evaluating environmental and community education programs throughout Greater Victoria.
Tara managed the Land Conservancy of British Columbia’s Volunteer Development Program, where she grew her love of working with and supporting volunteers and community-led stewardship. Tara joined the Swan Lake Team in summer 2023 and continues to grow and nourish our incredible volunteer community.
In her free time, Tara loves to garden, especially with native plants, and to cook, hike and bike with her family
Kristen Banasch
Environmental Monitoring Assistant
Kristen has returned to Swan Lake this summer to continue her work monitoring local species. She holds a BSc in Earth and Ocean Sciences from UVic and has conducted water quality fieldwork throughout southern Vancouver Island.
Kristen is always eager to deepen her understanding of native species and ecological systems. She is an enthusiastic gardener and loves to attract biodiversity to her yard through pollinator friendly plants.
Liv Levert
Communications and Visitor Services Assistant
Liv is a recent graduate from the University of Victoria with a BA in Geography and Environmental Studies. With a background in ecology, geomorphology, and GIS, she is passionate about local community engagement with nature and inspiring stewardship.
Liv grew up on unceded Ohlone land, also known as the San Francisco Bay Area, and has been living on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples since 2018. In her free time, she likes making art with friends, going to local concerts, and long walks.
Deanie Harding
Community Science Assistant
Deanie is a recent graduate from the University of Victoria, with a degree in Geography and Environmental Studies, a path stemming from her love for the outdoors. Outside of work, her hobbies include biking, skiing, and rock climbing.
As a Community Science Assistant, Deanie works with the Adopt a Patch groups from Pacific Christian School and Reynolds Secondary School, working on restoring sites around the Nature Sanctuary. Additionally, she is working to advance the Christmas Hill Letters to Nature Campaign, which helps to promote more stewardship and connection to the land.
Maya Meraw
Nature Education Assessment Assistant
Maya is a recent graduate from Queen's University with a BASC in Bio-Mechanical Engineering and a BA in Environmental Studies. Her background in outdoor & environmental education, and tree planting in Northern B.C. has fostered a passion for stewardship and community education. She is excited to work with the Swan Lake team to re-introduce education programs.
Maya grew up in the Algonquin Highlands. In her free time she enjoys painting, gardening, rock climbing, and camping.
James Schafers
Biology Assistant
James is a graduate of the Recreation, Fish and Wildlife diploma at Selkirk College. He has experience managing invasive species and is excited to be contributing to local restoration projects in his hometown of Victoria!
Nolan Wood
Biology Assistant
Nolan is a recent graduate from UVic with a bachelor’s in biology and environmental studies. His training and passion has been in entomology and ecological restoration. For the past 2 years, he’s been leading the UVic Restoration Club’s Garry Oak Ecosystem committee where they’ve increased camas and decreased invasives! You’ll likely find Nolan in one of the many parks in Victoria looking for bugs and plants!
