Sheila Campbell, Executive Director
Sheila Campbell is an accomplished professional in the fields of recreation, tourism, and conservation. Motivated by a love of the outdoors, Sheila started her career working in outdoor education and recreation programming, and as a hiking and biking vacation guide in Japan, India, and the Canadian Rockies. On completing her M.A. in Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Alberta, Sheila worked in tourism policy, planning, and development with the Alberta government before joining Alberta Conservation Association in community and corporate partnerships and communications. She is inspired by the conservation community’s commitment to fish, wildlife, and habitat and connecting people of all ages and backgrounds with the natural world. Sheila continues to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Hike, bike, paddle, hunt, fish, ski—she enjoys whatever takes her outside.
Rebecca Ellis, Conservation Manager
Rebecca is a conservation biologist with a BSc in Environmental Studies from The King’s University in Edmonton and a Master of Environmental Management from the University of Queensland, Australia. She has worked and volunteered in Kenya and Australia but was born in Edmonton and has lived here most of her life. She enjoys walking in Edmonton's river valley and other aspen parkland or boreal forest areas, usually looking down at the ground for interesting plants or peering up for birds in the trees. Rebecca provides leadership to EALT’s three main program areas of Securement, Stewardship, and Outreach. She is a certified Environmental Professional through ECO Canada and a Professional Biologist through the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists.
Leigha Rind, Business and Administrative Coordinator
Leigha worked in both public and academic libraries before joining EALT as our Business and Administrative Coordinator. She brings a librarian's eye for organization to her role, having received her Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta in 2020. Leigha is happiest outdoors, learning about the plants and animals she shares the land with, and is proud to be working for an organization that aligns closely with her values and personal mission to honour and protect the land and its inhabitants for generations to come. Leigha is Métis and has lived alongside kisiskâciwani-sîpiy (the North Saskatchewan River) in Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis for most of her life. She currently lives in amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (Edmonton) with her cats: Evie, Luna and Cricket. You can usually find her at home drinking tea and reading about plants, or meandering down a nature trail, making frequent stops to say hello to the plants and critters she meets there.
Meghan Jacklin, Conservation Team Lead
Meghan was raised in the Edmonton area and has a passion for all things nature, especially birds. After finishing her BSc in Environmental and Conservation Sciences from the University of Alberta, she worked for the not-for-profit Beaverhill Bird Observatory for three years doing biology fieldwork and education outreach. Before that, she worked for Project EMEND, several environmental labs at the University of Alberta, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. She has an interest in protecting wild places and creating a connection between nature and people. Meghan works on the stewardship of EALT's Conservation Lands, volunteer coordination, and outreach events.
Kayleen Falkenstein, Conservation Coordinator
Kayleen is a lifelong Edmontonian who found her passion for nature through visits to her family’s cabin and as well as many hunting and camping trips. Through her education in Conservation Biology from both NAIT and the University of Alberta, she sought to learn more about the variety of flora and fauna here in Alberta. Kayleen’s experiences have included a variety of opportunities with Alberta Environment and Parks such as CWD field work, natural history interpretation, and parks planning. Aside from the provincial government, she also has worked in environmental consulting for bird monitoring projects. Kayleen is passionate about helping Albertans connect with nature, and communicating conservation science in a way that everyone can understand. At EALT, Kayleen works on stewardship projects and activities, and coordinates volunteer programs and outreach projects.
Ciara Fraser, Conservation Coordinator
Ciara was born in Grande Prairie, but moved to St. Albert with her family as a young child, and has lived there ever since. She was introduced to nature through her dad, who passed on his love and knowledge of the outdoors to his children. She attended the King’s University, where she achieved a degree in Environmental Studies, specializing in biology. During her degree, she developed a love for the unique biology of the Edmonton area. Ciara’s experience has been related to plants, working in a nursery in the summers between school semesters, and then with a University of Alberta Master’s student on her project concerning Alberta’s endangered Limber pines on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Ciara is enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge and passion for the outdoors with others, especially those who may have had no previous connection to the natural world. She is an avid artist, and loves to be outdoors no matter the occasion.
Gary Elaschuk Pruden, Conservation Coordinator
Gary is from Kikino Métis Settlement. Growing up on the settlement and in Lac La Biche Alberta, he spent a lot of time outdoors; hiking, camping, snowboarding and spending time on the lake. He holds a Bachelors of Science in General Biology from the University of Alberta with a focus on ecology and conservation. During his degree he interned with us at the EALT as a conservation assistant. Gary has experience as an environmental technician, as a public educator, as a research assistant, and as a lab technician/ educator. Gary previously worked with the Lac La Biche county monitoring the health of the numerous lakes within the county as well as running a science summer camp. He also worked with ALPAC measuring the growth of reclaimed forests. More recently Gary helped run the biology lab at Marianopolis College in Montreal, helping to instruct a variety of biology lab courses including ecology, zoology and physiology. Gary’s role at EALT involves facilitating Indigenous community outreach, he is excited to help members of the local Indigenous community foster their personal connections with the land through conservation and cultural activities. He also looks forward to supporting local Indigenous organizations in conserving traditional territories.