The Heron Newsletter Spring 2021

Extracted text (beginning)

Celebrating Sandy Beach on 
Lhe’tínes/Keats Island p. 6
Heron
the
A newsletter from the Islands Trust Conservancy, protecting islands in the Salish Sea | islandstrustconservancy.ca
Artist Eliot  
White-Hill  
Signage Project
Kate Emmings profile
Fire preparedness top tips
Sara Steil’s Legacy
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
30
Nature   
reserves
in 30 years! 
spring 2021

Kate Emmings reflects 
on 14 years and what’s 
next for the team
Reaffirming her commitment as 
Manager, Islands Trust Conservancy
Courage, wisdom, and heart. Qualities that one might look 
for in a colleague, in a friend, and in our case, in a leader. 
Kate Emmings has held the post of Acting Islands Trust 
Conservancy Manager since July 2018, and as of January 
2021 she has accepted the role on a permanent basis. 
“Kate has always had the respect of the Islands Trust 
Conservancy Board through her open and nuanced  
understanding of our vision for the organization,”  
said Board Chair Kate-Louise Stamford.
When asked what gives her the greatest job satisfaction, 
Emmings said, “I like problem solving. Helping people 
who struggle with complex systems to do what they want to 
do — to make it simpler for them to protect nature.”
“It’s good to work in an organization where you can have a 
hand in a little bit of everything and that quick visibility to 
what you have accomplished. We’re not so big that we can’t 
talk to people on the ground.”
Are there challenges that spark a sense of urgency for her? 
“We’re on the threshold of still having enough wild spaces 
surrounding our urban centres to be able to care for them 
responsibly, or making the one wrong step that could 
destroy them forever.”
“It’s an interesting time, where climate change and adapta-
tion strategies are prominent, the interconnection of land 
conservation and reconciliation has become so vital, and we 
have the chance to engage in those more complex conversa-
tions and get meaningful work done.” Her enthusiasm is 
noticeable. “I am not afraid of hard conversations — I love 
them. That’s the way to move things forward.” feather-alt
Acknowledgement
Islands Trust Conservancy acknowledges that we work within the treaty lands 
and territories of the BOK
́
EC
́
EN, Cowichan Tribes, Halalt, K’ómoks, 
Lək̓ʷəŋən (SXIMEL
ˉ
EL
ˉ
, Songhees, T’Sou-ke), Lyackson, MÁLEXEL
ˉ
,  
ʔop qaymɩxʷ, Penelakut, Qualicum, scəẃaθən məsteyəxʷ, Scia’new, 
səl
̓
ilwətaʔɬ, SEMYOME, shíshálh, Snaw-naw-as, Swwú7mesh, 
Snuneymux w, ST/ÁUT W̲, Stz’uminus, ɬəʔamɛn qaymɩxʷ, toq qaymɩxʷ, 
Ts’uubaa-asatx, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum, W̲JOL
ˉ
EL
ˉ
P, W̲SIK̲EM and 
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm. 
Islands Trust Conservancy Manager Kate Emmings with son Dylan. photo: keith erickson
Canoe detail. photo: lisa wilcox
2

The remarkable legacy 
of Sara Steil
A force for conservation on the Pender islands
Sara Steil undoubtedly had a vision. The paths she forged 
on her life’s journey all lead to caring for marine life and the 
land that she held dear — the Pender islands. We can never 
u

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