MEET OUR TEAM

Erin Knock

President

Erin is originally from Nova Scotia and has lived in Champlain Heights since 2016. She is a scientist by trade, focused on human cellular biology but with a special place in her heart for plant biology and ecosystems. Her science career has taken her all over Canada and to the UK, working in Montreal, Toronto and Cambridge, England before moving to Vancouver. Erin is currently the Associate Director of Neural Biology at STEMCELL Technologies, where she leads a team making tools for life science and stem cell research. She became involved in Free the Fern due to the interest of her two children, Liam and Connor, in stewardship events at Everett Crowley Park. Liam in particular has a passion for learning about native and invasive species and is always up for pulling up ivy! Now you can find Erin and her family walking their dog Riker in the park and helping out with weed pulls and planting along the trails.

Joshua Ralph

Treasurer

Joshua is a media and community-engaged eco-artist. He’s worked across Southwest BC, developing and delivering programming on rendering invasive plants, harvested from local restoration sites, to useable art-making materials. Joshua’s practice aims to serve as a bridge between ecology and art, providing environmentally sustainable and accessible art supplies to his fellow community members. He can often be seen biking around Richmond and looking at birds.

Barbara Lane

Secretary

Barbara Lane moved to Vancouver in 2021 after living in Alberta for many years.  A retired corporate librarian, she has a long history of volunteering with a variety of organizations.  She became involved with Free the Fern in 2022, regularly volunteering at the monthly invasive pulls on the Red Alder trail near her home.  She likes learning about the local ecosystem and especially loves planting native plants.

Robin Poirier-Vasic

Director at Large

Robin Poirier-Vasic has lived all over Canada, including Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario, before moving to British Columbia in 1998. She has been a resident in Champlain Heights since 2015.  In 2021, after meeting Grace Nombrado while walking the trails, Robin became involved with Free the Fern.  She has enjoyed learning about native plants and loves to give back to the Champlain Heights Community.  Now you can find Robin on many weekends pulling invasive species with other Free the Fern directors and volunteers.

Connie Harvey

Director at Large

Connie, a longtime resident of Fraserview, found Free The Fern through volunteering at Everett Crowley Park, eventually becoming a member of the Everett Crowley Park Committee, and the ECP Stewardship Subcommittee. Her love of nature and the opportunity to steward the Champlain Heights trail system led to her becoming a volunteer and eventual board member of this wonderful organization. 

Joe Boyd

Director at Large

Joe Boyd has lived in Champlain Heights for 25 years. He enjoys exploring the natural world around him, by foot and by bike, and has been involved with environmental stewardship initiatives in Everett Crowley Park and the Still Creek and Guichon Creek watersheds. Joe is an active community volunteer. He serves on the board of Free the Fern Stewardship Society as a Director at Large and on the board of Still Moon Arts Society as a Treasurer. Joe recently retired from working at BCIT, where he was Chair of the Bicycling Committee and a member of the Green Team Executive. Joe has a special skill for turning invasive English ivy into beautiful handwoven baskets. In 2022, he began teaching weaving with ivy workshops for the public, and his ivy basket lanterns were displayed at both the Moon Fest (Still Moon Arts Society) and Light up the Night in Champlain Heights (Free the Fern).

Damian Assadi

Everett Crowley Park Liaison

Damian Assadi is a life-long resident of Champlain Heights. His love for plant ecology began as a child playing in the neighborhood’s urban forests. Damian is now a Forestry undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia, studying Natural Resources Conservation and learning how we can live in reciprocity with nature. His passion for park stewardship began in 2019, and he has since contributed over 1300 volunteer hours with organizations like the Invasive Species Council of BC and Stanley Park Ecology Society. He is the Chair of the Everett Crowley Park Committee and a Board Director for the Champlain Heights Community Association. Damian joined Free the Fern in early 2021 to support local stewardship, and has secured two community service grants for these efforts. As a witness of Free the Fern’s roots, he can proudly attest to how the Red Alder Trail has been transformed because of the community. When Damian isn’t wrangling invasive plants, he draws, paints, and also writes heartfelt guitar love songs about trees.

Marge Wylie

Elder in Residence

Marge is a member of the Tl’azt’en Nation, or “people by the edge of the bay”, and an offspring of Chief Qua.  She is from the First Nations community situated in north-central British Columbia and was raised in Tache, BC, Canada. She is a survivor of the Lejac residential school. Marge frequently visits the Douglas Fir Teaching Garden as part of her healing journey. She also generously shares her bannock & jam at Free the Fern community events.

Community Volunteers

Since our founding in January 2021, Free the Fern has had many community volunteers help with invasive pulls, planting or event set-up/clean-up.

We are so grateful to everyone who helps make Free the Fern possible!