Our Story, Our Board
Canada has too many non-profits organizations, yet too few institutions that are respected and considered to be non-partisan by all Canadians coast-to-coast-to-coast.
The non-profit Ghost Bear Institute was founded in 2018 exclusively to be the incubator of Nature Labs with the hopes that the project eventually can live within an existing non-partisan institution. We continue to look for a home for the project that all Canadians can support. In building Nature Labs, we have purposefully avoided sponsorships and grants that might create a real or perceived bias in the eyes of one school district or another. And we have built both the organization and our content around extensive research and community consultation, inclusive of diverse politics, cultures, geography, age and expertise.Our ability to realize our dream in launching Nature Labs is thanks to our unwavering community of supporters on Patreon and our dedicated board of directors. We are grateful to Nikon and the University of Calgary's Werklund School of Education for their support at the outset of this project. And, simply put, Nature Labs wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible open-mindedness, kindness and help of BC Parks. North America’s third largest park system enabled us to anchor our stories in the iconic Mount Robson Provincial Park and, specifically, Becs Hoskins, Elliott Ingles and Natasha Ewing moved mountains to help us overcome obstacles again and again and again. They have our endless gratitude.
In launching Nature Labs, we haven’t reached the end of our journey, but the start of what we hope will be a long, incredible adventure.Our Board
Board Members
Warren Lake
Educator - ChairWarren Lake has lived his entire life in Calgary on Treaty 7 land and considers himself to be a Biology teacher always in transition: he is searching for ways to reconnect high school teenagers to the natural world. He started his career in 1995 with the Canadian Rockies School Division teaching at Canmore Collegiate High School for 18 years. His focus was to find ways to help students find a passion for the study of biological science in his Biology 20 and Biology 30 classes.
During his time in Canmore, Warren looked to pursue ocean studies by taking groups of interested students on 9-day Marine Biology trips to Bamfield Marine Science Station on the Pacific Ocean on Vancouver Island. In 2013, Warren pursued an opportunity to help open a new high school in Calgary, Robert Thirsk High School, and continues to teach here to the present. The enticement was to envision and create a Natural Science program that would reignite the awe, wonder and excitement of nature in high school students and show them the future these reconnections can create. The program has grown to encompass opportunities for Grades 10-12 and continues to evolve as students participate in the experiences offered.
Warren Lake continues to take students to Bamfield every 2 years and has now established a trip to Kluane Lake Research Station in the Yukon with the Arctic Institute of North America to highlight northern science, indigenous knowledge and adventure travel. The journey to shine a light on unique and important ecosystems will continue to be a challenge that shifts and flows with the topics that abound in environmental education and in the need to build a greater sense of nature literacy in high school students.
Daniel Benaich
Engineering StudentDaniel Benaich is a Mechanical Engineering and Society student at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario. As a high school student, he volunteered with Nature Labs for two summers, and is now proud to serve on the board! In his free time he enjoys reading fiction, hiking and biking through Hamilton's trail network, and creative writing.
Charles Alexandre Plaisir
Educator, Film Maker, Scientist - Vice ChairCurrently project coordinator for environmental non-profit organization Blue Massawippi, I have been spending the last bit of time designing and implementing water quality surveys, invasive species control projects and communications initiatives through photography and film on and around lake Massawippi. Prior to my return to Quebec, I spent some time teaching biology and environmental science in a New Hampshire boarding school while completing a masters degree in education out of University of Pennsylvania. I was interested in the best methods to instill scientific creativity in grade 12 environmental science students. Being fairly creative in a diversity of things, I always valued the questions and perspectives that were more "outside the box" than what textbooks and teachers might share with us. Exploring open-ended questions with my students had me become a student all over again, something I will forever be grateful for. I also happen to be a kangaroo expert, should you wonder what my graduate studies were about! My passions lie in science communication, filmmaking and storytelling. Aside from science, a lot of my time is still spent on the ice as a hockey player and hockey coach in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Natasha Ewing
Community Liaison Officer, BC ParksNatasha loves exploring the natural world and learning about the mysteries of nature as she goes. With a bachelor's degree in biology and ocean science, Natasha spent many years understanding the deep sea, and educating youth about the intricacies of the big'ol blue. Working for Ocean Networks Canada, Natasha initiated the Ship to Shore program, coordinated Ocean Science Symposium for high school students for five years, and spent countless hours in classrooms across Canada presenting to students. Her love for outreach and education deepened and inspired her to pursue a Masters in Environmental Education and Communications through Royal Roads University. After graduation her focus on deep sea education broadened into the many diverse and incredible ecosystems British Columbia has to offer as she took on the role of BC Parks' Community Liaison Officer for Northern B.C. in 2018. Exploring the north and collaborating with community members, First Nation partners, and outdoor enthusiasts ignited an even deeper passion for the environment. From coordinating Learn to be Nature events and developing community hiking kits, to creating unique interpretative signage and collaborating the incredible folks at Nature Labs, Natasha has thoroughly enjoyed her work connecting the dots between community members and B.C.'s wild spaces. In her free time she is adventuring with her equally curious pup, Cuervo, taking her camera for walks, volunteering, or sailing the rugged north coast with her partner Dan. Join in on Natasha's nature explorations by visiting her instagram page.
Amanda Gierling
Finance & Accounting Specialist - Treasurer/SecretaryAmanda Gierling is a Chartered Professional Accountant, who works at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. Previously, Amanda spent four years at Ernst & Young LLP while studying for her accounting designation, where she gained extensive experience serving clients in the not-for-profit sector, and spent nearly a decade working at Travelers Canada, a leading property and casualty insurer. Amanda brings invaluable financial expertise to the role of Treasurer on the Ghost Bear Institute’s board, helping support the growth of Nature Labs.
As a mother, Amanda understands the need for a modern curriculum that takes advantage of current technologies and fosters a respect for nature in a way that is fun and relatable for the next generation of students. Amanda earned her undergraduate degree in management and organizational studies from Western University in London, Ontario. She currently lives in Toronto with her family.Logan Petlak
EducatorI am Logan Petlak (he/him)! I’m an educator born, raised, and teaching on Treaty 4 territory in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. I am a 4th-generation settler of predominantly Eastern-European-descent who has, like my ancestors, benefited greatly from the destructive colonial practices that affected and continue to affect this territory and its peoples. I am privileged to have lived on this land for over thirty years and am fortunate to educate and learn alongside students on this land for over a decade. I currently teach senior science, math and health courses and have also served as a learning consultant supporting teachers and students with diverse curricula in urban and rural contexts. I am in the doctoral program through the University of Regina studying how science educators teach about critical thinking and “political” subject matter in the prairie context. I spend most of my free time with my partner, our children, and our cats and enjoy playing hockey and board and video-gaming when I can.
Nature Labs Champions
Kerrie Blaise
Environmental Lawyer & Public Policy Analyst - Former ChairKerrie Blaise is lawyer and advocate based in Ontario, Canada, passionately dedicated to environmental and public interest law. After years of volunteering with many environmental non-profits, including the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition; obtaining a Masters of Science from the University Edinburgh, where she studied the marine impacts of offshore oil development; and graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2016, Kerrie is honoured to join the Ghost Bear Institute as its Chair.
Kerrie continues to work in the non-profit sector, representing clients and community groups seeking to uphold the government’s commitments on environmental protection. She frequently appears before tribunals, at conferences and in consultations with government officials on issues spanning nuclear reactor safety and environmental protection, international trade agreements, natural resource use and endangered species.Libby Garg
Entrepreneur & Business Leader - Former Vice ChairLibby Garg is from BC’s Okanagan Band, and grew up in BC’s rural Shuswap and Okanagan Valleys. She credits her work ethic, as well as deep love and admiration for animals and nature, to growing up on a working dairy farm.
Libby Garg holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Economics, as well as a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia. In 2010, while still in law school, Libby was the co-founder and the managing partner of the private investment partnership DGH Capital. Most notably, Libby led the strategy that invested in Facebook prior to its IPO, as well as Privateer Holdings. Libby left the practice of law in 2016 to return to entrepreneurial pursuits in opening her first quick service restaurant, Freshii. Her location is one of the top performing stores measured by sales. Building on her expertise in the quick service restaurant industry, Libby founded WorkSolute, a payroll company that services industries with high employee turnover, and hourly waged based employees. WorkSolute won the Ignite Business Competition in 2016, which provided initial start up capital. Relying primarily on organic growth, the company is now forecasted to pay approximately 1200 employees per pay period this year alone. Libby sits on multiple boards in both her business and personal communities – and believes that the world would be a better place if more people were like animals. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Toronto with her husband and their dog Jack, a rescued pug-russell.Mehernosh Pestonji
Educator & Experiential Learning Designer - Former SecretaryMehernosh Pestonji was born in India and came to Canada in 1972 as a landed immigrant. Those first formative years growing up in a developing county, as well as his subsequent visits to India, Cambodia, Tanzania and other far-flung corners of the world, sparked his life-long passion for social justice, environmental issues and community development.
This passion has infused Nosh’s teaching and related professional pursuits during a diverse, three decade-long career in public and independent schools, including teaching exchanges in England and Thailand. He has taught in elementary and secondary schools, and is a co-founder of T.E.A.M. Project Milliken, an award-winning project-based alternate education program for at-risk youth. In 2002, Nosh moved to the independent school system, as a Geography teacher, later taking on the role of Director of Outreach and developed a dynamic and diverse Outreach Program. Whether introducing elementary students to the wonders of Mayan civilizations, leading urban teenagers in back-country canoeing expeditions, exploring contemporary world issues with Grade 12 students, or leading Learning Service Expeditions around the world, Nosh has worked to help students expand their environment and the world view. He is a strong believer that helping rising leaders gain new and different perspectives is at the heart of personal transformation and fundamental to creating a more thoughtful society. It’s also proven to be one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of his life’s journey.