Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT)

Matthew Evans is a Restoration Practitioner whose work is based around restoring and renewing degraded Garry Oak Ecosystems in Lekwungan Territory. Growing up Matthew was always enthralled with the natural world and decided to turn that passion into conservation work. He went to Camosun College for Environmental Technology and has completed his BSc in Geography. His work mainly focuses on protecting and restoring habitats where rare and endangered plants are located. He considers it a privilege to do this restoration work and be afforded the opportunity to build relationships with both the people who work alongside him and with the land itself. While his focus is mainly on plants, his love for wildlife extends to all biotic aspects of the natural world. In his spare time he enjoys nature photography, bird watching and exploring new areas.  

Matt Fairbarns is a conservation biologist and for many years his work has focused on the study and management of rare plants and plant communities in Garry Oak ecosystems, coastal sand dunes, and alpine areas of British Columbia.  He is also investigating incipient evolution amongst a small group of plants that occur as disjuncts on southeast Vancouver Island, far from their main ranges to the south.  These days, he seems to spend much of his time working with great crews and many wonderful volunteers to restore degraded ecosystems in the Garry Oak world.  He has been a member of GOERT since 2002 and is trying to do his bit to encourage younger members who are breathing new life into what his older cohort started more than 20 years ago.

Rhia’s love of plants began early in life and blossomed into a passion for native edible and medical plants. Self taught at first, her interests expanded and she completed a BSc in Forest Biology and the Restoration of Natural Systems Diploma at the University of Victoria in 2019. She has been working in restoration since 2016. She currently lives and works in Lekwungan Territory doing restoration in the Coastal Douglas Fir and Garry oak associated ecosystems. She hopes to have a native plant nursery one day.

Jan is a landscape ecologist who has worked with Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service and the BC Conservation Data Centre, Ministry of Environment. She provides scientific support to facilitate and encourage sustainable, ecosystem-based land use decisions. She works with federal, provincial, regional, and local government staff as well as non-government organizations and individuals, often in multi-agency partnership projects. She has been a member of the GOERT Conservation Planning and Site Protection RIG since its inception.

Says Jan: “It’s been very rewarding to be part of a multi-agency initiative that is focused on conserving of one of our most endangered ecosystems. By providing the scientific context and rationale for protection of Garry oak ecosystems to land users and decision makers, the RIG is promoting and achieving tangible conservation results on the ground.” Jan was presented with a coveted Acorn Award at GOERT's AGM 2011.

Jon Osborne is a restoration practitioner and biologist based in Victoria BC, working primarily in Coastal Douglas Fir and Garry Oak and associated ecosystems around Southern Vancouver Island. While his work centres around mitigating the negative impacts that humans have on a variety of different species, most of his activities focus on the recovery of populations of rare and endangered plants through the removal of alien invasive species, where he manages federally funded programs to protect species at risk of extinction. He is passionate about fostering environmental stewardship through invasive species removal and restoration opportunities, which not only heal ecosystems and protect biodiversity, but also connect people to nature, each other, and their communities. He has a BSc in Biology from the University of Victoria.

Mike works for the BC Provincial government, Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship as an Ecosystems Biologist. He is a Registered Professional Biologist and has spent the last 20 years of his career focused on reducing impacts to terrestrial ecosystems through environmental assessment and management. Mike leads projects for the Ministry on conservation and stewardship of Garry oak ecosystems across Vancouver Island. He is very happy to be serving as a Director for the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team where he gets to promote the importance of these ecosystems to biodiversity and to both settlers and First Nations. Outside of work you will find him cycling, hiking or sea kayaking. In 2011 Mike and his wife embarked on a 15,000 kilometer bike trip, pedalling from Edmonton, Canada to Ushuaia, Argentina. They finished the trip in 2014 humbled by the people and places they got to visit, but also realizing how lucky they are to live on Vancouver Island.