Meet the Team

Meet the Team
Meet the Team

Welcome to the crew!

Just like plants in the spring, our team keeps on growing. Our newest recruits are BC locals who are keen to adventure and are always looking to learn about new plants–introductions below!

Rebecca Merenyi

Field Crew Lead Hand

Where are you from?

I grew up in North Vancouver and I am now living in Whistler.

What is the story behind your photo?

This picture was taken in the Kootenays near Nelson BC, where I lived for two years while I was at college! Sadly the pup in the pic, Bruce, is not mine but I hope to adopt my own dog sometime soon.

What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?

After relaxing and organizing my life a bit, I’m always keen for some sort of adventure! It could be as big as a 20km hike and camp in the backcountry, or as simple as a paddle on Green Lake.

If you were a plant, what would you be and why?

I think I would be a red huckleberry bush (Vaccinium parvifolium) because I’m sweet, love the forest, and am fun to have on hikes!

What are you most looking forward to while working with SSISC this summer?

Despite only being here for a short time, the Sea to Sky already feels like home – I feel excited and proud to work towards keeping my home ecosystems happy and healthy!

If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 items would you bring with you?

A cooler full of food and drinks, a book, and a satellite phone so I could call a helicopter when I was ready to head back to civilization (in a week or two).
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Paige-Heavyside-photo-scaled.

Paige Heavyside

Field Crew Member

Where are you from?

I am from Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver.

What is the story behind your photo?

This is me, and my family dog, Fargo, sitting in one of my favourite viewpoints of Howe Sound. I’d been away in the Arctic for more than a year when this photo was taken, and I remember being really happy to be home.

What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?

I love starting my days enjoying a slow cup of coffee, before heading out for a hike, bike, or ski. The best days are always finished with some creative time in the kitchen cooking for friends.

If you were a plant, what would you be and why?

Tough questions! But I think I have to go with Silene acaulis, or moss campion. I’ve always been inspired by arctic/alpine plants, and their ability to grow in seemingly impossible locations. Cushion species, like moss campion, have the ability to manipulate the microenvironment around them and help other plant species thrive. I think that’s pretty nice!

What are you most looking forward to while working with SSISC this summer?

I’m so happy to be outside, with like-minded people, practicing my identification skills! I know I’ll learn lots this summer, and I love growing my brain.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 items would you bring with you?

Water (this seems like an obvious answer), a fishing net, and a plant ID book of course!

Kai Friele

Field Crew Member

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Squamish!

What is the story behind your photo?

This photo was taken on top of Mount Sedgwick during a three-day traverse of the Southern Tantalus Range. We underestimated the time it would take us to complete the traverse, which made for a long day to keep on schedule. I am perched looking back at the short distance we have come and the long way we still have to go while appreciating the stunning view of the Tantalus range and Howe Sound.

What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?

I love the thrill and freedom of exploring wild rivers, so whitewater kayaking with friends and family is definitely my favorite way to spend a day off.

If you were a plant, what would you be and why?

I like to think that I would be a Cedar tree in another life because I feel like I would get along well with fellow cedar tree friends and I appreciate the ecosystems they inhabit.

 What are you most looking forward to while working with SSISC this summer?

I am very excited to reciprocate to Squamish’s natural environment through invasive species management and in doing so I am stoked to further my understanding of the area I grew up in. I am also very excited to spend my summer working outside!

If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 items would you bring with you?

I would most definitely bring a sea kayak, a map, and lots of water to get unstranded and begin exploring!

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