Malaspina Land Conservancy

The Malaspina Land Conservancy Society was incorporated in August 2008. Here is some information on the current directors:

Janet Alred (President)

Janet Alred moved to Powell River at the beginning of 2005 because of the quality of life a small, isolated, coastal community provides. She juggles increasing public awareness of the local United Way with volunteering for the Malaspina Naturalists Club, Bear Aware Powell River, being on the board of Wellness in Nature Society, and co-founding Malaspina Land Conservancy Society. She believes in the careful consideration of the long-term impact of today’s actions.

Rachel Botting

Rachel Botting is interested in land conservation at the local level and the role landowners can play in preservation. As a biologist, Rachel has a particular interest in ecology and the conservation of natural areas. She enjoys hiking, camping, photography and gardening. Rachel moved to Powell River in 2008 and looks forward to contributing to the land conservancy effort in the region.

David Parkinson (Secretary)

David Parkinson is motivated to support a regional land conservancy because of his interest in food security and local agriculture. He has lived in Powell River since October 2006, and since January 2007 has been the coordinator of the Powell River Food Security Project. He has been active in defending ALR lands in the City of Powell River from non-agricultural development, and is one of the Powell River Seed Savers.

Denise Reinhardt

Denise Reinhardt has lived on Okeover Inlet since 2000. She came to MLCS from her work on keeping lands in the Agricultural Land Reserve and improving farming capacity in Powell River. She is active in many community campaigns and activities, all of which centre on the principles of social and environmental justice.

Paul Schachter (Treasurer)

Paul Schachter is a lawyer who practices and teaches mediation, facilitation and alternative dispute resolution methods. He lives on Okeover Inlet north of the city where he is very involved in local community organizations. He is active in many efforts to preserve the natural resources and ecology of the coastal area.

Eva van Loon

Lawyer/mediator and educator Eva van Loon found herself in Powell River in 1997 while attending a BC fine-arts festival and fell in love with the community instantly. Today she works mostly in literacy and the arts but also plants six trees a year, tinkers with restoring a ninety-year-old house, and takes her tall, dark and handsome companion, Major Furry, out on the town or the forest daily.

Judy Watts

Judy moved to Powell River in the winter of 2007 after living in the central and eastern Arctic for over 15 years.  She retired from a career in health administration that took her to many Arctic communities where the effects of climate warming are increasingly evident.  She is an active kayaker and hiker, and sees the land-conservancy process as a creative way for individuals to support preservation of lands with special environmental and heritage features.