Joe Strong, the new Kootenay Conservation Land Coordinator for The Nature Trust of BC, has a passion for wildlife and fisheries, and has spent time working with both the Ontario and British Columbia provincial governments in their respective fish and wildlife branches. He has worked in the Kootenay region for over 10 years, and has a true appreciation for the conservation values and opportunities in the area.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity. It is truly an honour to have the ability to contribute to land conservation in the area I call home. It is so important that we identify and conserve the areas that have high biodiversity values before it is too late, and we are extremely fortunate to still have many of these areas available in the Kootenay region. As an avid outdoorsperson, hunter and angler, I see the importance of conserving these places for the fish and wildlife species that depend on them and future generations of British Columbians.”
Joe has a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), along with an Honours Diploma in Recreation, Fish and Wildlife from Selkirk College. He has a strong appreciation for volunteering and has been part of many environmentally minded clubs throughout his professional and academic experience. He was a board member for a number of years with The Wildlife Society student chapter at UNBC, where he volunteered and helped raise money for local conservation initiatives. Although currently very busy with a young family, Joe spends the majority of his free time fly-fishing, hunting, and camping with his family.
Joe previously worked for The Nature Trust from 2009-2014 on a seasonal basis as a Conservation Youth Crew member and Field Operations Coordinator. He brings a strong fisheries/aquatic habitat background and a keen eye for ecosystem restoration opportunities to the position and is happy to return to the organization.
Based out of the Cranbrook office, Joe will be supervising the Kootenay Conservation Youth Crew during the summer months, along with taking the lead on operations and maintenance on the properties in the region and working closely with TNTBC conservation partners to help achieve local conservation goals.
Joe will be assisting Chris Bosman, the Kootenay Conservation Land Manager, and building some much-needed organizational capacity in the region. Joe and Chris worked together on a Nature Trust Conservation Youth Crew in 2009 and are thrilled to be working as a team again in this new capacity.