Paul Fletcher, Executive Director

Paul co-founded the SMWS in 1989 and has led the SMWS in various capacities since then. In his other lives he is a working photographer and teaches photography to high school students. Paul founded the annual October WildWings Nature and Arts Festival in 2010 to raise awareness about S’amunu and nature’s interwovenness with culture and art. Paul believes strongly that people working together can create great things. He also believes that we can bring the salmon back to S’amunu.

Gina Hoar, Aquatic Watershed Stewardship Specialist

Gina is the Aquatic Stewardship Specialist at the SMWS and has extensive experience monitoring water quality, studying fish and fish habitat, restoring habitats, riparian restoration, and identifying medicinal plants. Gina obtained her B. Sc in Honours Environmental Science at UW with a minor in Biology and has her R. P. Bio. Her favorite part about working with SMWS is connecting with the people in the community, working outside, and being able to help create the much-needed spawning habitat for pacific salmon. When she’s not at work she can be found biking and hiking with her Aussie-shepherd/collie in the Cowichan Valley, exploring the Island, or in her garden.

Phaedra Douglass, Community Engagement Specialist

Phaedra is the Community Engagement Specialist at SMWS, she graduated from UVIC with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and geography and is thrilled to be working in the S’amunu/Somenos Watershed, and being a part of the local environmental movement. Phaedra’s favourite part about working for SMWS are the wonderful and dedicated community of volunteers and SMWS partners that she gets to work with every day and spending much of her work week outside, doing work in the watershed. In her free time, you can find her spending time in nature in all forms, she enjoys hiking, swimming in the summer, kayaking, sailing, gardening, and learning all that the wonderful Cowichan valley has to offer.