MEET OUR TEAM
STAFF
Grace Nombrado
Executive Director
Grace Nombrado is founder and Executive Director of Free the Fern Stewardship Society. Since January 2021, Grace has helped run 117 events, including invasive removals, plantings, walks, art workshops, and festivals. Over the past 4 years, she has recruited 1,433 event volunteers. These volunteers have helped remove 246.3 m3 of invasive plants and replanted 4,503 native plants. Over the years, Grace has worked on a number of planting projects, including creating: the Douglas Fir Teaching Garden, a Community Food Forest, and a Pollinator Garden along the trail. Grace is dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion within her organization, and believes strongly that nature is for everyone! In addition to working for Free the Fern, Grace is also Communication Coordinator for the Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver, educating the public about invasive species. Outside of work, Grace enjoys nature photography, thrift shopping, and weaving baskets out of invasive ivy.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
In August 2022, Free the Fern Stewardship Society officially incorporated as a nonprofit. We have a talented and diverse board of directors. Directors commit to a minimum of a one year term, to help with event planning, fundraising, invasive removal and more! See below to learn more about our 2025-2026 directors.
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.
Veronika Kurz
Treasurer
Veronika Kurz is a filmmaker and fibre artist originally from Northern BC who cares deeply about community and the places people call home. With a background in visual storytelling, she brings a creative and collaborative approach to her work. In 2025, Veronika began volunteering with Free the Fern and quickly fell in love with the Champlain Heights area and the work being done to protect it. Beyond the trails, Veronika is involved in local civic organizing and outreach, creating opportunities for people to connect, learn from one another, and collaborate on initiatives that strengthen their neighbourhood. She believes that community thrives when people feel seen, included, and empowered to contribute.
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.
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.
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.
OTHER VOLUNTEERS
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!