Chelsea J. Little
Assistant Professor, School of Environmental Science & Department of Biological Sciences
Chelsea is a community, landscape, and ecosystem ecologist. Her research considers how communities of organisms assemble, the interactions between organisms of similar and different trophic groups, and how their traits contribute to ecosystem function. Ecosystems are intrinsically connected by exchanges of organisms (dispersal and other movement) and materials (for example, resource subsidies), so a second avenue of her research considers how these exchanges affect the functioning of recipient ecosystems. She uses a combination of laboratory experiments, field experiments, observational data, and data synthesis/meta-analysis in her research. She likes playing in the mountains and the snow, reading books (often crime novels), and eating cookies .
See Chelsea’s: CV – Dispersal route – Outreach

Hannah Marton
Masters Student in Biological Sciences
Hannah is starting her masters degree, where her research will focus on how priority effects and facilitative interactions shape alpine plant community responses to climate change. She started her time in the group as an undergraduate Environmental Science student at SFU in the Earth Systems concentration. Growing up on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, Hannah’s appreciation and curiosity for the natural world began at a young age. She joined the Little Ecology Group as a research assistant, exploring the mechanisms of priority effects and supporting iDiv’s sPriority working group. In her free time, you can find her at the community garden or hiking in the local mountains. Here’s an SFU news story about Hannah!

Elena Le
Undergraduate Research Assistant & Directed Studies Student, School of Environmental Science
Elena is an undergraduate student at SFU majoring in Environmental Science. She is interested in the interactions between wildlife and human activities, especially in aquatic ecosystems. In her first role with the Little Ecology Group, she identified wildlife activities in game camera photos taken from riparian areas to support corridor planning research. In her subsequent role, she is analyzing wetland connectivity in large watersheds in BC. In her free time, she likes to read, kayak, try new recipes, and spend time with friends and family. 

Izzy Nicholson
USRA Student Researcher & Directed Studies Student, Biological Sciences
Izzy is an undergraduate Biological Sciences student at SFU in the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation stream, with a minor in Climate Change and Society. Growing up nearby Golden Ears Provincial Park, Izzy’s love for nature and passion to conserve the natural world began at a young age. In the Little Ecology Lab, she will be exploring the ability of perennial plantings to sequester and store carbon in a variety of agricultural areas to contribute to Canadas 2050 goal of net-zero emissions. When Izzy is not working or studying, she enjoys running, hiking, reading, and walking her Sprocker Spaniel.

Emmalee Barrett
USRA Student Researcher & Directed Studies Student, Biological Sciences
Emmalee is an undergraduate Biological Sciences student in the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation concentration. She is a research assistant in the Little Ecology Group, contributing to the compilation of new and existing data regarding the impacts of climate change on stream invertebrates and alpine plant communities. Emmalee is passionate about learning. She is consistently amazed by our beautifully complex world and desires to foster connection between people and groups through collaborative protection efforts. Emmalee believes that time outside is never wasted – whether it be a walk, run, surf, or enjoying her staple breakfast of coffee, banana and greek yogurt.

Teresa Silverthorn
Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Environmental Science
Teresa is an aquatic ecologist and biogeochemist whose research focuses on understanding how human activities impact ecosystem functioning in inland waters (e.g. streams, reservoirs, ditches, wetlands). Her expertise is in biogeochemical cycling, i.e. the movement and transformation of elements like carbon through ecosystems, with a focus on greenhouse gas exchange. She investigates these processes through field studies, lab experiments, and data syntheses. At SFU, she is examining the cumulative impacts of human recreation and climate change on alpine ecosystems in the BC southwest Coast Mountains to help inform sustainable management, as a part of the interdisciplinary Alpine Horizons project.  

Lars Sturm
PhD Student in Biological Sciences
Lars is a PhD student in the PERCS project, studying the impact of riparian perennials on aquatic ecosystems and their carbon cycle interactions in agricultural areas. He holds a BSc and MSc in environmental sciences from ETH Zuerich with a major in ecology and evolution. He has previously worked on the ecology of killer yeasts, and on the invasive quagga mussel and its impact on Swiss benthic macro invertebrates. Lars comes from Switzerland, loves to cook, boulder, the stars, and all things nature. Armed with a magnifying glass and a pair of binoculars on every hike or walk he will make sure that you have to stop at every new plant or critter.

Ingrid Campos
PhD Student in Biological Sciences
Ingrid is a PhD student at SFU in Biological Sciences. She is from the northeast of Brazil, and her interest in nature started in very early age. She graduated in biological sciences and have Master’s degree in ecology and conservation. During her studies she focused on understanding how human activities affect freshwater ecosystems based on the responses of bioindicator aquatic insects. In the Little Ecology Lab, she will be studying how perennial plantings influence the sequestration and store of carbon in agricultural areas as part of the PERCS project, which aims to contribute to Canada’s path to net zero by 2050. In her free time she enjoys watching movies, spending time with family and friends, singing, drawing/painting and, go for walks to get to know news places.

Lab Alumni

Amanda Wik – USRA & Honors Thesis Student
Amanda is interested in conservation management and ecology and completed her thesis studying whether managing for Pacific Salmon in urban streams have benefits to the base of the food web, using decomposition as an indicator. What’s next: Amanda completed a masters program in Environmental Science at Yale University and is now a PhD student at UC Berkeley.

Zoey Schutz – Honors Thesis Student
Zoey is particularly interested in environmental policy and law, and plans to pursue environmental law after completing her undergraduate degree. As part of the Little Ecology Group, Zoey studied beetle biodiversity around intermittent streams. What’s next: Zoey started a law degree at the University of Victoria in Fall 2022, where she plans to focus on environmental law.

Kate May – Honours Thesis Student
Kate majored in Environmental Science in the Applied Biology concentration, and minored in Physical Geography. She is particularly interested in organism distribution and dispersal, invasive species, habitat connectivity, and meta-ecosystems. She also has a soft spot for invertebrates. Her thesis addressed the distribution of Asian Clams in lower mainland B.C. What’s next: Kate is enrolled in a Masters of Ecological Restoration at BCIT.

Kimberly Neumann – Work-Study Student
Kimberly is a former secondary school English teacher who has returned to SFU to pursue an undergraduate degree in Earth Science. She is interested in researching new ways in which humans can co-exist with the natural world and is passionate about sharing this message with others through nature-based education.

Sage Dillabough – Co-op & USRA Student Researcher
Sage is a second-year undergraduate student at SFU studying Environmental Science with a concentration in Applied Biology and a minor in Sustainable Development. Sage completed a co-op work term in Fall 2021 identifying macroinvertebrate samples, and a USRA in Summer 2022 looking at how wildlife, especially bears, respond to human recreational activity. What’s next: Sage is finishing her degree at SFU.

Mikayla Young – Research Assistant
Mikayla is a graduate student at SFU and BCIT in the Masters of Ecological Restoration program. She is particularly interested in wildlife, specifically mammals. In the Little Ecology Group, Mikayla will be helping examine how wildlife use riparian zone corridors across a developmental gradient in British Columbia by analyzing trail camera data. What’s next: Mikayla is now working as a Marine Mammal Researcher.

Sabir Sagor – Work-Study Student
Sabir was a work-study student during the 4th year of his Environmental Science degree, with a concentration in Water Science. He’s interested in animals too, particularly mammals. Sabir is cricket player as well, and play in the British Columbia Mainland Cricket League in the 2nd division. After graduation, he hopes to find some work which relates to helping save our water bodies, and the ecosystem in general, and how humans tie into all this.

Masseni Diakite – Work-Study Student
Massey is an undergraduate student in her third year majoring in environmental science with a concentration in biology. After graduation, she wants to pursue a job in research, hopefully being able to tie human health to environmental health which will help to stress the importance of taking care of the environment.

Kate Andy – Masters in Resource Management (MRM) Student
Kate is a graduate student at SFU in the Resource and Environmental Management program. She is a landscape and movement ecologist, who is particularly interested in studying how wildlife use space and how this relationship changes as climate change alters the landscape. In the Little Ecology Group, Kate will be examining how wildlife use riparian zone corridors across a developmental gradient in British Columbia. What’s next: Kate is working as an independent contractor Wildlife Ecologist here in British Columbia.

Pierre Etienne Banville – Undergraduate Research Assistant
Pierre Etienne is in the Global Environmental Systems program at SFU. He is particularly interested in topics related to environmental sustainability and is planning to pursue graduate studies after completing his degree. He also has a prior degree in actuarial sciences and has been working as an actuary providing consulting services for pensions and benefit plans for nearly 15 years. As part of the Little Ecology Group, Pierre Etienne will be conducting statistical analysis of ecological simulation data and assist in ecological field research related to wildlife movement. What’s next: Pierre is pursuing a masters degree in the Department of Geography at SFU.

Charlotte Noort – Honours Thesis Student
Charlotte is a fourth-year undergraduate student at SFU pursuing a major in Environmental Science with a concentration in Earth Systems. She is working in the Little Ecology Group on an honours thesis that explores the methods of interpreting streamflow dynamics from data obtained from game cameras. In her free time, Charlotte enjoys travelling, cooking, and hanging out with her family, friends and puppy. What’s next: Charlotte is pursuing a masters degree in the Department of Geography at SFU.

Grace Sabo – USRA & Honours Thesis Student
Grace is a fourth-year undergraduate student at SFU completing her degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Applied Biology. She is particularly interested in interspecies relationships, predator-prey dynamics, population dispersal related to climate change, wildlife conservation, and really anything else involving ecology. Outside of school, you can find Grace either shredding the slopes with the SFU Ski and Snowboard Club, hiking, looking at plants and invertebrates, eating huckleberries or socializing with friends. What’s next: Grace is traveling with friends to celebrate graduation.

Carter Tsui – Co-op Student & Undergraduate Research Assistant
Carter is a third-year undergraduate student at SFU pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a concentration in applied biology. He is working on a co-op with masters student Sheena Parsons, processing invertebrate samples from the North Thompson Watershed to investigate how juvenile coho productivity may vary in the watershed. In his free time, he enjoys sports, cooking, gardening, and fishing (although he needs to work on his catching), and is interested in B.C.’s fisheries, especially Pacific salmon, coastal cutthroat trout and bull trout. What’s next: Carter has now finished an Honours thesis and is starting a masters degree, both in the Salmon Watersheds Lab at SFU.

Jenna Lilburn – Undergraduate Research Assistant
Jenna is an undergraduate resource and environmental management student. She is particularly interested in indicator species, environmental and ecological modeling, and inter-trophic interactions. In the Little Ecology Lab, she will be helping assess images from game cameras to support larger research projects. Outside the lab, Jenna loves to read, bike, hike, and bake. What’s next: Jenna is finishing her SFU degree.

Michelle Roach – Undergraduate Research Assistant
Michelle is a third year undergraduate student at SFU pursuing environmental sciences in applied biology and a minor in GIS. She is working in the Little Ecology Group as a research assistant over the summer helping to run projects in Garibaldi identifying freshwater invertebrate samples. In her free time, Michelle likes to go to beaches and parks, walk her dog, road trip, spend time with her friends and family, and plan her next adventure. What’s next: Michelle is finishing her SFU degree.

Jadzia Porter – Honours Thesis Student
Jadzia is in her third year of a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science with a minor in Statistics. She is working on her Honour’s thesis on Determinants of Culvert use by American Badgers (Taxidea taxus Jeffersonni) within Simpcw Territory. She hopes that this project will provide information on constructing effective culverts for badger road crossings and help reduce badger-road mortality. Outside of school, Jadzia’s interests include wildlife vehicle collision mitigation, scuba diving, hiking, and spending time with her cat Luna. What’s next: Jadzia is finishing her SFU degree, and working as a Program Coordinator for the Wildlife Collision Prevention Program.

Sheena Parsons – Masters Student in Biological Sciences
Sheena is a graduate student at SFU in the Department of Biological Sciences. She is returning to academia after working for several years in protected areas, where she contributed to wildlife conservation, species at risk recovery, and ecosystem management. In collaboration with the Little Ecology Group and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, she will assess how ecosystem metabolism and prey availability vary through space and time in the North Thompson Watershed. Through her research, she hopes to better understand where and when freshwater habitat is most productive for juvenile coho salmon. When not studying, Sheena’s most likely running, hiking, birding, or enjoying a cup of tea. 

Philipp Tandler – Visiting Masters Student from ETH Zurich
Philipp is a visiting Master Student in Environmental Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich. As an outdoor enthusiast and passionate scientist, he is fascinated by all kinds of natural processes from atmosphere to ecology. He likes to dig deep for understanding the functioning of our ecosystems, preferrably using natural data, mathematical and computational tools. He currently works on a research project about the vegetation dynamics in the Canadian Arctic, where he unites his eager for understanding ecosystems with his interest for remote sensing and big data. When he is not working and not injured, you most likely won’t find him as he is out of cell service, either high up in the air with his paraglider or playing somewhere secret with his kayak or snowboard. What’s next: Philipp lives in Nelson, B.C., and is finishing his ETH degree.