Rachel Shephard is BC Park’s Volunteer of the Year

Squamish resident Rachel Shephard is BC Park’s volunteer of the year for 2019-2020.

Rachel has been a project coordinator for a program that monitors toads at Alice Lake.

Rachel has been the Project Coordinator since spring of 2019 and has put in an incredible amount of volunteer time and effort, BC Parks said.

She is not trained as a biologist but through her curiosity and research has become incredibly knowledgeable, asks smart questions and has great insights that have made the scientific aspects of this project better, BC Parks said.

“She is amazingly organized, doing the complicated and demanding jobs of coordinating volunteers and managing data incredibly well,” it said.

“She is a great communicator, professional and compassionate, and is skilled at working as part of a team.”

In 2018, the Squamish Environment Society  partnered with BC Parks to develop a monitoring program for toads at Alice Lake.

Rachel coordinated the project on behalf of the Squamish Environment Society and is supported by other volunteers who have also made significant contributions to this project.

‘It’s a huge honor to be recognized in this way, however I feel like the award really belongs to Squamish Environment Society and all of our toad monitoring volunteers,” she said.

“I also need to mention Joanna Hirner, our BC Parks Liaison, who took the time to submit the nomination. I think that speaks volumes about the way she supports us as individuals and the project as a whole. It’s a super fun and interesting project and I feel lucky to be part of it.’