The Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative team draws upon years of experience in wildlife and landscape planning. As a coalition of groups we are fortunate to be able to call upon local contacts and knowledge within the communities throughout the Coast and Cascades region. The core team are listed below, but we by no means work alone.

Meet the Team

Johnny Mikes- Coast to Cascades Field Coordinator: has done extensive backcountry trips in many of the more remote corners of the Coast to Cascades region. For over 30 years, Johnny guided tours in a number of Canada's premier northern wilderness areas which provided the privilege of encountering several hundred grizzly bears. On-the-ground knowledge and a passion for wild places and wild animals led him to be involved in the creation of several new parks and participation in land use planning processes in Sea-to-Sky and northern BC. Whistler has been his home for the past 18 years.

Joe Scott- International Programs Director: has been on Conservation Northwest (CNW) staff since 1998. Joe has managed CNW’s British Columbia and grizzly bear programs for the entirety of his tenure. His work with BC colleagues to protect transboundary at-risk species and habitat led to the Mountain Caribou Project, a coalition effort that helped protect more than 5 million acres of mountain caribou habitat in the Inland Temperate Rainforest. Joe leads CNW’s grizzly bear recovery work and represents CNW on the the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative. As part of C2C project Joe represents CNW/C2C on the Joint Nations Grizzly Bear Initiative which is a multi-Nation, indigenous led effort to conserve and restore grizzly bears and their habitat in SW British Columbia.

Jolene Patrick- Community Co-existence & Education: is from N’Quatqua of the St’át’imc Nation. Always passionate about protecting and respecting Wildlife and Wild spaces, inspired her to complete a Bachelors Degree in Animal Biology. In August 2016, Jolene joined the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative in the role of Conflict Prevention and Education. Jolene is promoting proactive Conservation efforts by honouring the connections between St’át’imc and ta St̓alhálama (the Grizzly Bear).

Erica Van Loon- Communications: has grown up on her family farm in the Pemberton Valley, and has always had a passion for the intersections between nature and agriculture. Upon seeing numerous Grizzly Bears flow through the upper Pemberton Meadows over the years, they quickly became her favourite species! While completing her MSc, Erica had the chance to focus her Thesis research on the relationship between grizzly bear food security and Indigenous food sovereignty in the Lil'wat Nation. She is thrilled to be a part of the Coast to Cascades team to promote awareness on coexistence with this incredible species.