Contact Us

Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN)
PO Box 46, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0

Laura Jackman
Network Manager
Email: laura@cbeen.org

Laura was born and raised in the Kootenays and currently lives in Rossland, BC on the unceded tmxʷúlaʔxʷ and traditional territories of the Sinixt peoples. Lands and Waters that were also cared for by the Syilx, Secwépemc and Ktunaxa Peoples. She is a teacher in the Kootenay Columbia School District with over 13 years of experience.

Laura has been working to transform a small restored wetland and community garden space into an outdoor classroom near her school. Since 2020, she has been teaching full time in this space by providing the prep relief for her school. Laura is the membership chair of the Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA) and has recently begun instructing for the West Kootenay Teacher Education Program.

Laura is passionate about ecological and social justice education. She believes that teaching outdoors breaks down barriers and naturally allows for a more holistic pedagogy to emerge. Her practice centers the Land as the best teacher and the concept that we need to foster relationships with the more-than-human throughout a child’s developmental journey so that we can ensure they stay accountable to those relationships.

Claire Peyton
Program Coordinator
Email: education@cbeen.org

Claire lives near Silverton, B.C. in the unceded territories of the Ktunaxa Nation, Secwepemc Nation, Sinixt Nation, and the Syilx Okanagan Nation.

Claire is an Environmental Scientist and Registered Professional Agrologist and brings over 14 years’ experience in water and land stewardship and management. She has extensive experience building and leading environmental education and conservation projects as well as managing multi-agency stakeholder teams with participants from First Nations, all levels of Government, post-secondary institutions, non-profit and private sectors. Claire creates impact though facilitating collaborative action to forward conservation priorities. Wetlands are one of Claire’s key interest areas and she has worked with several First Nations on a number of wetland restoration and conservation projects in the Kootenays.

Claire is a founding member of the Columbia Basin Regional Advisory Committee, co- founder of the Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society, and the co-founder for the Armstrong Wetlands Association. She also spent several years on the Board of Directors with the Nelson and District Rod and Gun Club as well as volunteered as member of the Technical Review Committee for the Regional District of Central Kootenay Local Conservation Trust Fund (which she helped to establish through the Kootenay Conservation Program’s referendum campaigns).

When off the clock Claire loves to hang with family and friends, garden, paddleboard, hike, cook, fish, ski, and walk in the forest.

Mia King
Program Manager
Email: wildvoices@cbeen.org

Mia lives in Revelstoke, on the traditional lands of the Sinixt, the Ktunaxa, the Secwepemc, and the Syilx.

Once Mia realized she could combine her passion for nature (developed while growing up on a farm, through environmental studies, and a lot of hiking/biking/camping), with her enjoyment of teaching (realized when she moved to Japan for a couple of years to teach English as a second language), she has since been involved with environmental education in many different forms. Whether creating informational signs on aquatic species at risk or leading a group of school-aged students through the forest on an interpretive hike, Mia enjoys helping people learn and connect with their local environment.

With over 10 years as a community environmental educator and program manager, Mia is proud to be part of the CBEEN team and loves to help facilitate the delivery of environmental education in the Columbia Basin via the Wild Voices program.

Duncan Whittick
Executive Director
Email: info@cbeen.org

Duncan is based out of Invermere in the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc (Shuswap). He has been CBEEN’s Executive Director since 2011, and enjoys connecting the dots between people and organizations, looking for pathways to positive systemic change, and finding ways we can all work better, together.

Duncan is also on the board for the BC Classrooms to Communities (C2C) Network Society, and is the Co-coordinator for the Kootenay-Boundary Environmental Education (KBEE) Initiative. He was also recently the Communications Coordinator for both the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) and the Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP). In 2018 he was the recipient of the Canadian Environmental Education ‘Outstanding Individual in an Organization’ Award.

Prior to working in the Columbia Basin, Duncan enjoyed working as a park interpreter and environmental educator for a variety of organizations including Cypress Hills Inter-provincial Park, Dinosaur Provincial Park, the National Trust for Scotland and the Jane Goodall Institute. He holds a degree in Communications & Culture, and a diploma in Environmental Science.

Jade Berrill
Director of Learning
Email: jade@outdoorlearning.com

Jade lives in Revelstoke, on the traditional lands of the Sinixt, a place also cared for over time and space by the Ktunaxa, the Secwepemc and Okanagan Syilx First Nations.

Born in the UK, after obtaining her BSc 1st Class HONS in Physical Geography, Jade spent several years travelling the world, skiing, mountain biking and teaching science and outdoor education at various schools. Five years ago she found and made beautiful BC her permanent home.

Alongside her CBEEN role Jade runs a youth educational business, Stoked on Science. As a qualified ACMG Rock Climbing instructor she hosts youth rock climbing and outdoor skills camps, is a Level 1 Professional Mountain Bike Instructor and also runs science workshops and field trips for K-12 in schools. Jade writes scientific articles for numerous publications and educational programs for various institutions.

Jade is a passionate educator and communicator of science. Building on a love for bringing people together as a mechanism for growth and forward thinking, this role encompasses organizing events to develop the best opportunities for professional development, networking and educational outreach – engaging students, teachers and decision makers alike.

Jenna Jasek
Director of Indigenous Learning
Email: Jenna@outdoorlearning.com

An Indigenous Advisor with us for many years, Jenna helped to launch The Outdoor Learning School & Store, and co-created the 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning initiative.

Jenna is on a learning expedition which involves her culture, traditional teachings, languages and Knowledge of nature. She believes Indigenous perspectives connect effortlessly with outdoor, hands-on and place-based learning. Her goal is to provide learners of all ages opportunities to explore, learn and immerse themselves in the outdoors and outdoor education alongside Indigenous perspectives and Knowledge.

Jenna lives at the headwaters of the Columbia River which runs through and is the unceded territories of her ancestors, the Secwépemc and Ktunaxa people.

Katie Wells
Financial Management
Email: finance@cbeen.org

Katie is based out of Invermere in the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc (Shuswap).

After graduating from Engineering at UBC, Katie worked in pulp and paper and then management with Procter & Gamble. Moving back to BC in 1993 she co-founded Basecamp Enterprises (Rigging for Rescue) and Basecamp Innovations Ltd (Rescue Equipment design). When Rigging for Rescue was sold to a US team in 2002, she started her own consulting practice and was later the CEO of KRIC while considering her next move.

Over the past 15+ years, Katie has found a niche using her multidisciplinary entrepreneurial skillset with her P.Eng. and her specialties in business, finance and systems to help entrepreneurs and non-profits move their goals and dreams forward. Her firm, Turning Point Business Advisory Services Inc., is based out of Invermere where Katie has lived for the past 27 years. She enjoys family, being outside and tiny house living.

Ava MacLean

Communications Manager
Email: ava@outdoorlearning.com

Upon completing a degree in Professional Communications at Royal Roads University in 2016, Ava dedicated her life to improving the health of our planet and those living on it. It was at this time that she moved to Clear Sky Meditation and Study Foundation on the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa Nation (Fort Steele, B.C.), where she lives and volunteers as their Marketing and Community Manager.

With a career that spans Somatic coaching, IT Management and hosting rock stars, professional athletes and global brands in events ranging from six participants to 1.8 billion viewers, Ava brings dynamic experience to her work.

Developing both her first marketing plan and environmental conservation strategy at age 12, Ava is continuously falling in love with nature and finds joy in inspiring others to do the same.

outdoor-learning-store-team-jennifer-swan

Jennifer Swan
Outdoor Learning Store Manager
Email: jennifer@outdoorlearning.com

Jennifer has a BA in History from the University of Victoria and a Diploma in Environmental Planning from Selkirk College. Living, recreating, working, and raising a family in rural British Columbia has led to a deep appreciation for the natural world, and whilst she was self-employed for most of my career, working at the Outdoor Learning Store allows her to combine my skills in business operations with her belief that environmental education is central to creating healthy, sustainable communities.

While Jennifer has lived, studied. and worked in other regions of Canada, as well as in Europe and the United States, the Columbia Valley always felt like home, and in November 2022, she relocated back to Invermere.

Kate Atkinson

Orders Manager
Email: kate@outdoorlearning.com

Kate Atkinson is originally from Riverview, New Brunswick. She earned her degree in Outdoor Rec. at NBCC, St Andrews, and chose the Rocky Mountains as her home with skis in one hand a paintbrush in the other. While Kate’s career has taken her from snowy mountain tops and dropping cliffs to a position with less altitude, Kate’s love of the mountains and daily adventures with her two kids have inspired her art and continued love of the Columbia Valley, while still keeping her on her toes! She loves bringing her outdoor recreation background, combined with her creativity, to the Outdoor Learning Store, helping to inspire and support learners and educators alike.

Jen Baker

Resources Coordinator
Email: jen@outdoorlearning.com

Jen grew up among the rolling prairies of Manitoba, spending more time outdoors than in. Her love of animals and appreciation for nature led her to pursue a career as a wildlife technician. Eventually, searching for grizzly bear “rub trees” in the foothills of Alberta gave way to raising two little cubs of her own. For now, wildlife work has given way to wild life living, and Jen aims to ensure her kids love the outdoors as much as she does.

In addition to camping, hiking, and snowboarding, Jen spends her time writing children’s stories about different wildlife conservation topics. She is excited to be part of the Outdoor Learning Store Team; developing & publishing amazing resources, bringing outdoor learning goodies in the door, and getting orders out the door and into the hands of educators!

Katy Scotland
Resource Supporter
Email: katy@outdoorlearning.com

Katy grew up in small-town Ontario, and spent summers in the Rocky Mountains between her years at Nipissing University, where she earned a BA in History. When she graduated from University, she decided to spend one more year exploring the magic of the mountains, and then decided that this place was truly home! In addition to supporting the Outdoor Learning Store, recently she started working at the Invermere Public Library. She has found it incredible to find a job where she learns something new every day! In her free time, you can find her on the water in the summer, kayaking, or camping somewhere at one of the many stunning lakes in the area. In the winter, she likes to spend time snowshoeing or curled up with a great book by the fire!