Graduate Scholarship – Clare Kilgour

Clare Kilgour is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Zoology. Her research is part of the larger Road Salt and Pacific Salmon Success Project, and focuses on understanding the impacts of road salt contamination in urban salmon-bearing streams of the Vancouver Lower Mainland. Using data from a network of data loggers, she has demonstrated that pulses of road salt enter local streams during winter months, coinciding with spawning periods for Pacific salmon species like coho and chum salmon. Clare also conducts laboratory experiments with coho salmon and rainbow trout embryos to better understand sensitive developmental stages and the mechanism of road salt toxicity. 

A central part of Clare’s work is collaboration with community science partners. She works closely with stream stewardship organizations across the Lower Mainland, whose volunteers maintain monitoring equipment and collect ecological data, including benthic invertebrate and spawner counts. Through these partnerships, she has developed a strong appreciation for the role of community-led monitoring in advancing environmental research and protection.

Clare is passionate about science communication, education, and making environmental data accessible. She has contributed to outreach initiatives by creating educational illustrations for classroom resources and sharing project findings with the public through presentations and social media. She has also developed user-friendly data summaries and tools to help community partners explore and interpret water quality data from their local streams.

Across all of her work, Clare is committed to connecting science with community action, fostering greater awareness, stewardship, and advocacy for freshwater ecosystems. She is motivated by the legacy of naturalists like Hugh Hamilton, whose dedication to volunteerism, education, and community engagement continues to inspire efforts to protect the natural environments of the Lower Mainland.

Undergraduate Scholarship – Neon Westereng

Neon is entering their last year of their Biology Degree at UBC, with a self-directed focus on Botany and Coastal Ecology. This summer, they are participating in the first cohort of the Haida Gwaii Field School where they will be conducting plant surveys around the village of Daajing Giids in collaboration with the Haida Gwaii Museum. 

While not in the field, Neon will spend their time supporting community engagement with various local organizations. They will continue to work as a Data Curator for UBC Botanical Garden’s Phenology Project, which encourages budding naturalists to become citizen scientists by tracking the timing of plant development. They will also be preparing to write grant proposals with The Wild Bird Trust. While there are many potential projects, one could be to develop a planting plan to support Indigenous youth stewardship with the restoration of Maplewood Flats. 

As a part of WildResearch’s EDI committee, Neon will be conducting accessibility surveys and advocating for more accessible spaces and programs at Iona. As an ambulatory wheelchair user themselves, they understand firsthand the importance of removing access barriers and providing multiple ways to engage with urban nature.