Lea Elliott

Experience

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  University of British Columbia, Centre for Applied Conservation Biology

  Jan 1994 - Jan 1997

  Research Assistant

  Researched the effects of forestry on birds, amphibians and plants through a variety of projects.Favourite memories: Early mornings spent searching for woodpecker nests, afternoons spent measuring plants and evenings spent calling for owls. Ah, the life of a field biologist.

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  Fraser Basin Council, UBC, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, City of Vancouver

  Jan 1996 - Jan 2004

  Consultant

  Research, education and promotion of sustainable fisheries, agricultural watershed management, bird conservation, water-wise gardening and habitat mapping.Favourite memories: Sharing with City of Vancouver residents how to grow a garden that uses water wisely 15 years before Vancouver ever hit stage 2 water restrictions.

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  University of British Columbia, Agricultural Sciences

  Jan 2002 - Jan 2003

  Teaching Assistant

  Facilitated discussion and learning of undergraduate students in agroecological principles, critical thinking, team work, feedback and presentation skills.Favourite memories: Being in a roomful of 18 year-olds excited about B.C. apple farming and pastured-raised beef before the 100 mile diet was conceived of.

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  City of Richmond

  Jan 2004 - Jan 2011

  Environmental Coordinator

  At the City of Richmond, I implemented a wide variety of greener practices, legislation, and policies which required a significant breadth of environmental knowledge, an understanding of how municipalities work, as well as knowledge of municipal, regional, provincial and federal environmental legislation and responsibilities. Some of the projects I completed were:* Created a Richmond specific approach to the Riparian Areas Regulation that effectively protected fish habitat, met the legislation and was easy for landowners to implement.* Wrote the city’s first Pesticide Use Control Bylaw.* Initiated a system to help the City’s dyke manager manage dyke infrastructure for safety, beauty, and birds.* Conserved the last 15 acres of the Northeast Bog Forest held in private ownership. * Wove ecological principles into the City Centre Area Plan - a first for Richmond.* Delivered a barn owl habitat compensation project.* Ensured Olympic Oval development protected and enhanced the Fraser River and an adjacent watercourse.* Supported snow geese management. * Worked with a variety of property owners and businesses to address pollution issues.* Provided plumbing inspectors educational leaflets and support to prevent restaurant grease from clogging the region’s liquid waste system. 收起

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  Naturehood

  Jan 2012 - Jan 2020

  Principal

  Catalyze more sustainable practices through strategic solutions development, policy analysis, writing, workshops, and public speaking:* Give story rich and inspiring talks on what nature can teach us about sustainability. * Deliver workshops to teachers to provide the skills they need to inspire 3000+ students to care about the environment and be hopeful sustainability leaders.* Mentor fellow professionals to integrate holistic environmental change into their work.* Researched, wrote, and published the book Work Like Nature: Sustainability lessons from ecosystems for your job or businesses. * Sourced, investigated, and interviewed green innovators. * Moderated panel discussion on government collaboration in the face of diverging policy perspectives.* Wrote sustainability articles for the Centre for Civic Governance, the Institute of Public Administration Canada, Vancouver Economic Commission –Thriving Vancouver, and the New Brewer.* Hosted talks for emerging sustainability business leaders on running a values-based business, getting your idea off the ground, and the benefits of collaboration. 收起

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  Scientist in Residence

  Jan 2012 - Jan 2020

  Scientist

  I work with Vancouver teachers to give them the tools and ideas they need - in the classroom and in the garden - to inspire the next generation of green innovators.Together, we’ve grown the ecological literacy skills of 350+ students.Each year brings new stories of students discovering the wonder of nature. One of my favourites was watching a class of ten-year-olds as they peered at mason bees emerging from brown cocoons. We heard munching, a hole appeared, antenna unfurled and a cute, fuzzy face peered out. The students took sharp intakes of breath, and I heard "wow cool" over and over. 收起

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  Metro Vancouver

  Feb 2019 - now

  Senior Policy Analyst

  • Collaborating with my colleagues and the community to protect and enhance the ecological health and ecosystem services of Iona Island and the Fraser River estuary. • Interpret and integrate environmental legislation, regional policies, ecological data, and best management practices into processes, plans, policies, and projects.• Draw on a wide breadth of environmental knowledge, including local ecosystems, ecological processes, nature-based solutions, habitat restoration, and resource recovery.• Evaluate consultants, keep consultant-led projects on track, and provide input to improve reporting, recommendations and designs.• Initiated a multi-disciplinary team to investigate the use of reclaimed water.• Lead the evaluation of an effluent heat recovery project consultant supported multi-disciplinary team.• Convey the value of projects to colleagues, senior staff, and the community.• Build consensus and find common ground between a variety of staff and community needs and objectives.• Identify the most strategic path to move projects forward in a complex environment.• Communicate effectively in writing, during casual interactions, at meetings, and with formal presentations. 收起