Meet the Staff Team of Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary
Cara Gibson
Executive Director
I have a BSc (Biology, Honours, 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
Community Coordinator
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
My background is in customer relations and retail management. 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.
Melissa Mouat
Community Relations Assistant
My background is in communications and editing. Prior to moving to Victoria, I lived in the UK, where I worked for a London-based non-profit as the Communications Officer. I have a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge. I’m looking forward to promoting all the wonderful work that is being done at the nature sanctuary!
When I’m not at Swan Lake, I can usually be found working on my novel or exploring Vancouver Island’s fabulous hiking trails.
Kelsey Tam
Administrative Assistant
My professional background is in customer service and office administration, and I studied Social Sciences and Business at the University of Victoria. I volunteered at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary from 2017-2018 doing event and office support, and I am now happily employed here as of 2022. I am excited to connect with local artists and continue to grow our merchandise program at the gift store with products that reflect our core values. My interests include trying to find new ways to get out and explore nature while respecting the varieties of critters and their natural habitat. In my free time you will probably find me reading a book with a cup of tea!
Sarafina Lewis-Henderson
Research & Education Coordinator
I studied Wildlife Biology and Conservation at the University of Guelph. My background includes Community Outreach instruction with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, and research with the Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures. The latter project works to build resiliency in Labrador through bridging Indigenous, local, and science knowledge systems. My involvement in research projects has encompassed a wide variety of biological areas, including the population dynamics and species range of the elusive and vulnerable American eel (Anguilla rostrata) in Newfoundland and Labrador to the phenology and diversity patterns of riparian insects in southwestern Ontario.
I am thrilled to bring my passion for conservation, teaching and community-led stewardship to the Nature Sanctuary as a Research and Education Coordinator!
Madi Haller
Community Educator
My background is in environmental studies and nature interpretation/education. I was fortunate to study at the University of Waterloo as well as abroad in Australia and Haida Gwaii, BC. I enjoy many aspects of ecology, especially field work, community science, education, fungi and artistic expressions of the environment! I value connecting people to nature through the exchange of knowledge and passion. I see this exchange as an excellent pathway to sustaining the earth’s ecology via creating awareness of the extravagant beauties and sophistications of the natural world.
Outside of ecology I enjoy dabbling in art, podcasts, playing guitar, board games, camping, foraging and cooking!
Jay Rastogi
Site Director
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
Nature Sanctuary Maintenance Worker
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.
Cassandra Buunk
Nature Sanctuary Site Assistant
I recently graduated with an MA in Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria. My masters was part of the Mountain Legacy Project, a repeat-photography project in the Rocky Mountains, and focussed on the Kenow wildfire in Waterton Lakes National Park. I previously studied Ecosystem Restoration at Niagara College in Ontario and worked at a native plant nursery and ecological restoration consulting company. I am passionate about nature conservation and the ways it can support the well-being of humans and non-humans alike. When I am not working, you can find me in my art studio creating art that reflects my love for nature. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to help care for the nature sanctuary as a Site Assistant!