I introduce myself by using the environmentally concerned citizen stance guided by a geologist engineer side – considerable operational experience pertaining to Geological Survey & Exploration, production Drilling and Mining operations; senior geologist assignments in Canada and International, consulting for both the Oil & Gas sector, and the mining industry – in AB, BC, and overseas. While still engaged with the industry, I am better and better at advocating for environmental issues and solutions – as the MEP program has imprinted new perspective I can employ. I volunteer in a director capacity for the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance attempting to mitigate stringent water and deforestation issues in the Okanagan.
Currently advancing in aviation with Commercial Pilot Licence, and RPAS skills – I have a keen interest to apply accumulated knowledge in the field of UAV-based environmental monitoring and remote sensing. Specializing in Aerial Reconnaissance and Ecosystem Integrity Mapping (recipient of a recent BC Aviation Council Award), I’ve completed over 12 regional aerial surveys flown last year over the traditional territories of the Syilx people in the Okanagan Region, conducting primary original research in Watershed Complexity – hoping that my contributions will help the local communities to understand and mitigate climate change related hazards. Various impacts of climate change affect my day-to-day life, from intensified meteorological phenomena like atmospheric rivers and dry lightning storms, to floods and droughts, or months of smoke and large area wildfires, superimposed to a sensitive region affected by massive clear-cut deforestation – all of which have social, economic, and environmental impacts stretching beyond our level of comfort and safety