About Us

Joanne Neilson

Executive Director

Growing up in beautiful BC, Joanne has been passionate about environmental stewardship her entire life.  She joined the FVC as the Executive Director in 2013. In this role she brings over two decades of experience in the not-for-profit sector administration as well as field work on a wide range of conservation initiatives throughout the province. She guides the daily management of our organization, drawing on her knowledge of the local ecosystems and strong conservation ethic. She also oversees the acquisition and management of our conservation properties, builds partnerships with other like-minded organizations, and develops projects that contribute to our mandate. She loves that every day, through her work, she can promote and put into practice stewardship solutions that to make a difference for our special valley home.

Aleesha Switzer

Program Director

Aleesha brings her skills as a biologist and an environmental educator to her role as Program Director at the FVC.  She has helped develop a wide range of our programs including Precious Frog, Frog Finders, Step to It, Habitat Healers, and various educational series and outreach campaigns, such as Speak for the Peak and Nature Stewardship School. Aleesha has worked to protect threatened amphibians through various roles at the FVC since 2010. After graduating from the University of the Fraser Valley with her BSc in 2014, she joined our team full-time. Now, she is a Registered Professional Biologist (RPBio) with the College of Applied Biology. Aleesha is also a MA (candidate) in Environmental Education and Communication from Royal Roads University. Aleesha is passionate about inspiring residents of the Fraser Valley to engage in environmental stewardship.

Jon Blais

Habitat Enhancement Coordinator

Jon joined the FVC in 2018 to undertake the maintenance of our ecologically important habitats. Since then he has also taken on key supportive roles in other FVC projects. His ability to tirelessly eradicate invasive plants by hand  and spot the elusive egg masses of the endangered Oregon Spotted Frog, have made him an invaluable member of our conservation team. He has a degree in Environmental Practice from Royal Roads University, holds a diploma in Greenspace Management from Red River College, as well as certificates in arboriculture, organic gardening, and herbalism. His years of experience as a gardener, landscaper and general plant enthusiast are now being used to help our local ecosystems. He is now a registered Professional Agrologist (P.Ag).

Jennifer Barden

Program Coordinator

Jennifer joined the FVC in 2020. She has become our resident bullfrog control expert and supports our Ryder Lake Amphibian Protection Program work. She also works on the Oregon Spotted Frog project helping us answer some of the many unknown questions to help ensure this endangered frog can survive. Jenn’s passion for reptiles and amphibians has led to many days mucking around in ponds and flipping logs. She has a BSc in Zoology from the University of Guelph that cultivated her love of wildlife, and herpetofauna in particular. Throughout her career, she has worked with many species at risk reptiles and amphibians, including two of Canada’s three rattlesnake species, both in British Columbia and Ontario. After years of working in semi-arid shrub-steppe and tall-grass prairie habitats, she has adapted well to working in more aquatic environments within the Fraser Valley.

Lovepreet Smagh

Community Coordinator

Lovepreet has been a lifelong lover of the natural world. She graduated from SFU with a psychology degree in 2024. Her work at FVC involves bridging the gap between the organization and the people of the Fraser Valley so that we may better come together to achieve our collective goal of environmental conservation. She coordinates community engagement initiatives, organizes events, and implements social media strategies to reach a broader base. Lovepreet is passionate about empowering community members to take an active role in protecting and enhancing the rich biodiversity of the Fraser Valley for future generations. When she is not working you can find her hiking through regional parks and spending time with loved ones.

Patricia Fantillo

Coordinator of Volunteers

Patricia is an Herbalist and forever a student of nature. She joined the FVC as the Coordinator of Volunteers in the Spring of 2023. Patricia’s love for plants began in her great grandmother’s garden when Patricia was a little girl. As an adult she has her own garden and grows herbs, vegetables, fruit, and native plant species. Patricia has completed two courses at BCIT on native plant identification and soil assessment. She is currently studying herbal medicine with Commonwealth Centre for Holistic Herbalism and at Evolutionary Herbalism. Her passion for plants, the earth, and her need to help people is intertwined. When Patricia isn’t working or in her garden she is out exploring trails within the Fraser Valley.

Spencer Peters

Conservation Technician

Spencer is an avid enjoyer of the natural world, with a passion for all things Herpetology related. He has spent much time in BC and other locations searching for and photographing reptiles and amphibians. As a 2020 graduate of UBC in the Natural Resources Conservation program, he has worked in a variety of locations all over the province. His previous work experience includes all manner of things from tracking rattlesnakes to helping to manage invasive Yellow Flag Iris and verifying commercial fish catch. These experiences have helped Spencer to get a better understanding of the issues in BC. He hopes to apply this knowledge to the projects he works on as a Conservation Technician here at the FVC. 

Puggle Riker

Staff Support

Puggle Riker is an important member of the team at the Fraser Valley Conservancy. He specializes in begging for treats and getting head scratches.

Optu

Staff Support

Optu is a professional bug and leaf catcher, garden manager, and block watch. When not outdoors with his hoomans, he spends his time inside playing with his big sister and sleeping in a cozy spot. Optu enjoys meeting the neighborhood dogs on daytime walks, and catnip in the evenings. His best friend is a Bernese/Pyrenees mix dog named Watson.