Committed to the conservation, enhancement and stewardship of habitat across Newfoundland and Labrador

After acquiring an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree with specialization in history from the University of Ottawa, Zachary started in the environmental industry as a Red-Seal Certified Landscape Horticulturalist. His passion for conservation and stewardship, however, could not be ignored and after pursuing a Fish and Wildlife technician diploma from the College of the North Atlantic, Zach’s career in stewardship took shape. From the rocky tablelands of Newfoundland’s west coast to the sandy shores of Nova Scotia, Zach has practiced conservation across Newfoundland and throughout Atlantic Canada for a myriad of species including Species at Risk Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon, Piping plover, and Newfoundland marten. With his wife and young son, Zach has rooted himself on the Rock and is dedicated to helping the leaders in this province in their conservation efforts.

Growing up in St. John’s, NL, Karleena knew that she wanted to work in environmental conservation, protecting the beautiful island that she called home. She completed her Marine Environmental Technology Diploma through the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Newfoundland and Labrador, and followed that up with her Bachelor of Technology Degree through Memorial University. Since graduating, Karleena has worked with various environmental organizations in a variety of positions, and volunteers in her free time with Girl Guides of Canada. Karleena's background in environmental outreach and education led her to her role as Outreach Coordinator for SAM, working on developing educational content related to wildlife and habitat conservation and stewardship. In her free time she loves to hike the beautiful trails in our province, and going camping is one of her favourite pastimes.

Growing up in the Town of Meadows on the West Coast of Newfoundland, Ashley has spent a lot of her childhood enjoying outdoor activities like snowshoeing, camping, fishing, and hiking. This experience and her interest in science led her to complete a Bachelor of Science majoring in Environmental Biology at the MUN Grenfell Campus. When she completed her degree, she decided she wanted to go back to school to pursue a career in conservation. In 2020 she started the Master of Environmental Science program at MUN, completing it in 2022. Over the summer of 2021 she worked as a co-op student with the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) where she gained work experience with bird monitoring within the province. In her free time besides enjoying the great outdoors, Ashley enjoys watching documentaries, spending time with her pets and painting wildflowers and landscapes.

Originally from Ontario, Sam grew up spending time with her family in Northern Ontario hiking, fishing and boating. After moving to Ottawa to complete an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology and Geology, Sam spent her summers conducting fish community assessments in the Great Lakes, which led to an interest in fieldwork and marine ecosystems. She worked with various environmental organizations before returning to school for her Master of Science in Fisheries Science and Technology, this time at the Marine Institute of Memorial University. Here, she has been lucky to discover Newfoundland's uniqueness and natural spaces and has been exploring as much as possible. In her free time, Sam loves hiking the east coast trail with her dog Nelson, reading, and travelling.