I am a broadly trained project manager and research scientist, working on a PhD in Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University with Dr. Leithen M'Gonigle. I also currently co-own and co-manage my late father's metal fabrication business, Machen Manufacturing Ltd. I'm a field biologist at heart, a perpetually amateur naturalist, and a passionate bumbler (like a birder but for bumble bees, for the uninitiated). I specialize in bumble bee community ecology and conservation, and have worked extensively with most of the ~40 bumble bee species that reside in Canada. I mimic my beloved study organism in my day-to-day life as well - just bumbling along, a bit clumsy, but working hard to be a good team player.

 

I have two degrees at the University of Calgary working with Dr. Ralph Cartar on bumble bee wing wear (BSc) and how clearcut logging affects wildflower reproduction (MSc). I was the pollinator field research coordinator from 2015-16 for the initiation of a large-scale beneficial insects monitoring program in southern Alberta led by Dr. Paul Galpern, and led Wildlife Preservation Canada's pollinator conservation program from 2016-18, implementing hands-on recovery projects for bumble bee species at risk in Ontario and Alberta. I was the founding president of the Native Bee Society of BC in 2019, serving on the board for 3 years and now a member and honorary educational associate.

 

I'm passionate about native bees & native plants, communication & leadership, mental health support, and social justice. In my free time I enjoy hanging out with my dog Koda, crocheting, hiking, gardening, listening to podcasts, chasing, photographing, and identifying bumble bees, and watching baseball.