Wild Bird Trust of BC is a forward-thinking conservation organisation with strong community partnerships, and a growing and diversifying membership.
HOUSE POSTS by TSLEIL-WAUTUTH CARVER SKOKAYLEM ZACHARY GEORGE AT THE CORRIGAN NATURE HOUSE
(PHOTO BY LIANNE PAYNE)
The Wild Bird Trust of BC (WBT) is a non-profit society that manages Maplewood Flats in North Vancouver. We acknowledge that Maplewood Flats is situated within the traditional and unceded territory of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN).
Adjacent to Maplewood Flats is the Tsleil-Waututh Nation community and village site. The mudflats provided food security for the TWN and were managed for fish, shellfish, waterfowl, and other resources. Prior to settler contact and industrialization, the region featured contiguous mudflats across Burrard Inlet.Â
This richness of historic and current TWN presence and cultural practices is little known in the broader community.
Wild Bird Trust of BC is working to reflect and acknowledge TWN culture and to collaboratively develop opportunities for TWN members to participate in the stewardship of Maplewood Flats. After 27 years, the Wild Bird Trust of BC (WBT) is emerging as a forward-thinking conservation organisation committed to reconciliation and habitat restoration in Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet.
Since Maplewood Flats was designated as a conservation area in 1993, the site has been managed by the Wild Bird Trust (WBT), a non-profit charitable organization. The establishment of Maplewood Flats as a conservation area protected the land from development and preserving it for bird and wildlife use, but may have furthered the exclusion of the Tsleil-Waututh community.
Motion adopted by the WBT Board of Directors
Habitat and Cultural Use Plan
Reports
Board of Directors
Irwin Oostindie
President
Ashly Frances Van Steele​
Vice President
Ashly Frances Van Steele is an Indigenous policy and intergovernmental affairs analyst.
Maureen Thomas
Treasurer
Les George
Secretary
policy@wildbirdtrust.org
Les George is Cultural Guide and Skipper for Takaya Tours.
Toby Barazzuol
Director-at-Large
Kevin M. Bell
Director-at-Large
Taylor Boisjoli
director-at-large
Megan Curren
director-at-large
Thomas Flower
director-at-large
Jonas Jones
director-at-large
Jonas Jones, TsuKwalton, and is an artist.
John Preissl
director-at-large
Carleen Thomas
director-at-large
Karen Thomas
director-at-large
Maureen Thomas
DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE
Senaqwila Wyss
director-at-large
Staff
Irwin Oostindie
Planning director
planning@wildbirdtrust.org
Lianne Payne
operations manager
operations@wildbirdtrust.org
Alejandro Paredes-Borjas
Site & restoration manager
sitemanager@wildbirdtrust.org
Colin Chang
Finance Manager
finance@wildbirdtrust.org
Senaqwila Wyss
Programs coordinator
programs@wildbirdtrust.org
Erin Kendall
nursery growth Manager
nursery@wildbirdtrust.org
Melissa West-Morrison
Plant Nursery Coordinator
nursery@wildbirdtrust.org
Cease Wyss
resident ethnobotanist & plant nursery social enterprise consultant
HM Caffin
Communications manager
communications@wildbirdtrust.org
Kristen Munk
Communications coordinator
commscoordinator@wildbirdtrust.org
Catherine Friesen
Writer/Editor
wingspan@wildbirdtrust.org
Samuel MacTavish
Plant Nursery Horticulturalist
nursery@wildbirdtrust.org
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