New Squamish WildSafeBC Community Coordinator hired

WildSafeBC and the District of Squamish are pleased to welcome Vanessa Isnardy as the new WildSafeBC Community Coordinator for Squamish.  Funded by the Ministry of Environment and the District of Squamish, WildSafeBC is owned and delivered by the B.C. Conservation in order to to reduce human-wildlife conflict through education, innovation and cooperation.  An early adopter of the program, Squamish was the second community in B.C. to receive Bear Smart Community status.

“Wildlife continues to be an important topic in our community throughout the year,” says District of Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman. “We live in a beautiful, natural environment and are blessed with incredible local wildlife that we need to understand, live with and protect.”

Isnardy is a recent graduate from BCIT's Ecological Restoration Bachelor of Science program and also holds a degree in Environmental and Wildlife Management (formerly Applied Ecology) from Vanier College.  She has lived in the Sea to Sky Corridor since 1993 and has a passion for natural history and photography. 

"I am very proud of Squamish for making such a commitment to reducing human-wildlife conflicts, and am so impressed with the work of my predecessors,” Isnardy says. “The WildSafeBC team is a great fit for me and I strongly identify with their motto ‘keeping wildlife wild and communities safe’.  I look forward to working with the community to reduce human-wildlife conflicts while also having some fun sharing cool facts and stories about nature and wildlife."

Isnardy will work closely with the District of Squamish and the Conservation Officer Service to reduce conflicts with wildlife through education programs, training sessions and outreach at various events. These efforts are part of a larger collaborative team approach that also involves the RCMP, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, B.C. Parks, Carney’s Waste Systems and the Squamish Nation. Isnardy can be reached by email at or phone at 604.815.5066. 

For more information visit WildSafeBC and our website.

June 7, 2016