I'm an Assistant Professor with the Biology Department & the School of Climate Change & Adaptation at UPEI.  I studied a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University, a certificate in Environmental Management at the University of Toronto, a Master of Science in Conservation Biology at the University of Queensland with the Mayfield Lab in Brisbane, Australia, and a Ph.D. in Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pavia in Italy (Part of a Marie Curie Initial Training Network - ITN) while based at the beautiful MUSE in Trentino.  I was a postdoctoral researcher at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) with the Biodiversity Synthesis and Physiological Diversity groups in Leipzig for 6 1/2 years before moving to UPEI in 2024. I am an Editor at Conservation Letters and Botany, the Journal. I am on the Editorial Board at the Journal of Vegetation Science.

Dardy is a research assistant at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and a MSc student in Environmental Science at UPEI. He is conducting his research under the supervision of Dr. McKenzie-Gopsill (weed scientist at AAFC) and Dr. Ladouceur. His study focuses on evaluating various cover crop termination methods preceding direct-seeded soybean (Glycine max L.) production with reduced soil disturbance in the agroecological context of Atlantic Canada. Dardy's research is funded by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and the Atlantic Grains Council.

Quinton is a multi-disciplinary wilderness expedition leader with over 15 years’ experience on 5 continents. He began his Master of Island Studies program at UPEI in January 2024 and is currently in the field researching grizzly bears in British Columbia. Quinton’s research project aims to analyze how an existing bear management plan in a world-renowned bear tourism area in British Columbia functions regarding wildlife conservation, environmental preservation and socio-economic development. This project is comprised of observations of human-human and human-wildlife interactions in the cove in 2025 and a robust interview process with involved stakeholders in the region.

Daniel has a Bachelor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies from UPEI and is a local legend in Environmental Education and knowledge. He began his Master of Environmental Sciences program at UPEI in September 2025, which will examine forest biodiversity across a variety of woodland habitats and states on Epekwitk (PEI).  Daniels research is funded by the PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund (WCF) and NSERC Discovery.

Parker graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology with a specialization in applied ecology and conservation from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2025.  He began his Master of Environmental Sciences program at UPEI in September 2025. He has worked with Nature Conservancy Canada, monitoring ecological communities and species at risk through fieldwork across Newfoundland. For his MSc at UPEI, Parker is studying the effects of riparian forest disturbance and restoration on biodiversity and indicators across ecosystem boundaries. Parker's research is funded by NSERC Discovery.

Avery completed his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management in 2022 at the University of New Brunswick. Since then, he has been working with Parks Canada in various capacities here on Prince Edward Island. In January 2026, Avery began his graduate studies aimed at furthering the understanding of soil salinity regimes in relation to Gulf of St Lawrence Aster population restoration. Avery's research is funded by PEI National Park, Parks Canada, and his project works with the Parks Canada Team, Emma and Christian Lacroix.

Annalena graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology from UPEI in 2026. As part of her Honours thesis, she has worked in the lab in the summer of 2025 and 2026, leading research on scale-dependent tree diversity across different forest states (old growth, disturbed, restored) on Prince Edward Island. Annalena has also been heavily involved in our terrestrial orchid research. Annalena's research has been funded by the Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) program, NSERC Discovery and the UPEI ClimateSense professional Internship program.

Donovan graduated with a Bachelor of Wildlife Conservation in 2026, a two-and-two articulation program between UPEI and Holland College. Donovan has been working with the Division of Forests, Fish and Wildlife within the Government of Prince Edward Island and with the lab while he works on plans for his own future research projects. 

Freya is a BSc Biological Sciences student studying at Durham University, UK. They are working in the lab over summer as part of the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship, where they will assist with the ongoing projects and fieldwork. Prior to this internship, Freya undertook a placement year at The Bug Farm (Wales) where they conducted a research project assessing how fungal diversity varied by land use across the St Davids peninsula. They gained experience in data analysis, field sampling techniques, and public outreach and assisted on conservation projects including the reintroduction of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly (Euphydryas aurini). Freya is looking forward to building on this experience and learning more about research and conservation through this internship.

River graduated from UPEI with a Bachelor of Wildlife Conservation in 2026. Over the past few summers, they have also gained field experience through the Belfast Area Watershed Group and the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project. This summer, thanks to an Undergraduate Student Research Award, River will explore different aspects of conservation by assisting other lab members, working with Emma and Christian Lacroix. They are excited to learn more about native plants and their ecology, as well as the more technical sides of research.

Crow is in the BSc in Environmental Biology stream at UPEI. They are working in the lab this summer as part of a Directed Studies course to gain experience in the technical side of conservation research and fieldwork, and learn more about PEI’s ecosystems. 

Leah graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Climate Change and Adaptation from UPEI in 2026. In summer and Fall 2025, Leah studied terrestrial orchids on Prince Edward Island as part of the lab. Leah's research was funded by the Undergraduate Summer Research Award (USRA) program and by a UPEI Internal Research Grant.

Maddy graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biology from UPEI in 2026. Her research in the lab explored long-term changes in the early life stages of Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in Prince Edward Island, using historical monitoring data to better understand resilience and inform future restoration efforts. She carried out her work with Pedro Quijón (Coastal Ecology Lab) and with the Aquaculture Division Team at the Government of PEI.  Her research funding was provided by the Ocean Frontier Institute, led by Dalhousie University. 

Lina came to visit us while she was finishing up her PhD at the University of Graz, Austria, with Adam Clark the ecologist, in summer 2025. In the summer of 2025, Lina helped us with our terrestrial orchid research.