Stephanie Leonard

Elder's Bio

Elder Heather Poitras, a member of the Sawridge First Nation (Treaty 8), is currently serving as an Elder for her Nation. Elder Heather grew up by the Kehewin Cree Nation (Treaty 6). Proud of both her First Nation and Métis culture, she has dedicated her 25+ year federal career to Indigenous awareness and culture. 

As the Elder-In-Residence at the Northern Forestry Centre (NRCAN) in Edmonton, she also played an instrumental role in the establishment of the We Walk Together Forward – Indigenous Learning Centre at the Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, Alberta.

Elder Heather Poitras, a descendant of Big Bear, comes from a long line of leaders. Her chapan (Cree for great-grandfather) J.F. Dion, one of the founders of the Métis Nation of Alberta, ensured that the Métis in Alberta had land base. The only province to do so.  

Elder Heather strives to ensure that her people, the original people of this country, are included in every aspect of society. She has been dedicated to creating awareness of Canada’s true history, to help with the healing process of reconciliation, and to improve relationships.

Northern Forestry Centre

Sarah's Bio

Sarah Nason’s family comes from a European settler background. Sarah has lived on Treaty 6 in Edmonton most of her life. She grew up loving nature, animals, horse-riding, and wandering around the city’s river valley trying to take good photos of ducks with my grainy camcorder.

After a Bachelors and Masters in Biology, Sarah wanted to reincorporate her artistic side. She now specializes in science communication: helping to bring research to a wider audience through creative means like drawing, illustration, infographics, storytelling, social media, and videos. At the Northern Forestry Centre Sarah is working to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge alongside science to help achieve a more holistic understanding of Canada’s forests.

Northern Forestry Centre

Michael's Bio

Michael Wagner is a Registered Professional Forester and Forest Hydrologist with the Government of Alberta - Ministry of Forestry and Parks. He has over 20 years of experience in research hydrology, forestry, and land and watershed management issues. The position he has with the Forestry Division is focused on developing policy and decision support tools related to sustainable forest management and cumulative effects for addressing water and watershed management issues across Alberta’s forested regions.

Alberta Ministry of Forestry, Parks & Tourism

Alta's Bio

Starting work at a lab that included an enviro-analytical division, Alta quickly developed a focused interest in emissions and the regulations that constantly evolve, improving transparency in disclosures and encouraging reductions.

After nearly a decade of almost-exclusive focus on regulatory, voluntary, and project-based reduction GHG quantification, Alta has explored a broader scope of environmental practices. Over the last six years, she has gained exposure to many interesting frameworks that guide responsible environmental stewardship during energy production, across the life cycle. 

ConocoPhillips Canada