Board and Staff

Adrienne Brown – President

Adrienne Brown is a Landscape Architect, garden designer and Mayne Island resident who believes in the importance of reconciling the biophysical aspects of a site with programming that addresses social and cultural requirements. The climate crisis has prompted her to better understand changes already occurring in the distribution of plant species in BC and threats to the quality of our soils.  Adrienne’s goal as a Director with the Mayne Island Conservancy is to help strengthen the human community, establish respect for and reciprocity with the natural world in all its glorious complexity, and to take advantage of the unprecedented number of opportunities for societal change we see today.

Peter Robinson – Vice President; Fundraising Chair

Peter Robinson and his wife Kristine Webber own Hedgerow Farm, where they are combining sustainable agriculture and restorative land stewardship in their vision for the property. Prior to moving to Mayne Island, Peter led the David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) through a decade of work focused on climate change and sustainability. Before his work with DSF, he was the CEO of both Mountain Equipment Co-op (when it was still a co-op!), and BC Housing. He began his career as a park ranger, during which he was decorated for bravery by the Governor General of Canada. Peter has a long history of humanitarian work, including monitoring prisons with the International Red Cross in Rwanda. He holds a Doctor of Social Sciences and a Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Management.

Malcolm Inglis – Past President and Secretary

A long-time visitor to Mayne Island, Malcolm retired here in 2010 from a long and varied career in information technology, having worked in the private sector and at all levels of government. On Mayne, Malcolm gets to indulge his love of the natural world by working on restoring the natural state of his own property as well as helping out with the Conservancy’s restoration and invasive-species removal projects. He also coordinates the production of the Conservancy’s annual newsletter.

Rob Percival – Treasurer

Rob and his family have been enjoying coming to Mayne for many years to the “cabin” as part-time residents, and in 2019 he and his wife Ivana moved full time to the island.

Rob enjoys his daily morning walks with his dog “Bernie” around Georgina Point and the natural beauty of Mayne – its forests, beaches, and plant and animal life. The preservation of this natural world for future generations to see and experience is why Rob joined the Conservancy.

Deb Foote – Program Chair

Deb came to Mayne Island in 2007, initially as part-time seasonal resident. It was not long before island life got the better of her and she became a part-time Surrey resident, focusing her time on Mayne Island based initiatives.

Coming from a background in the Distribution and Retail Organic Food Sectors, Deb has brought with her a diversity of skills and a willingness to apply them where they best fit.

Megan Coyle – Director at Large

Megan grew up on SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island, instilling in her a deep love of the Douglas Fir ecosystem and the Salish Sea. Although as a teen she could not wait to experience the wider world, now she likes to spend as much time as possible on island and looks forward to working with the Conservancy to help conserve the ecology of the island and its surrounding waters.

Megan has a BA with a major in linguistics and a JD from UBC, leading to a varied career history from retail to public service to administration to, currently, law (specifically, regulation of real estate development marketing). She hopes her legal background will be an asset to the Board.

In her spare time she enjoys learning new languages and is currently working on hǝn̓q̓ǝmin̓ǝm̓ and SENĆOŦEN. She also loves to get outside running, hiking, kayaking, and going on wilderness adventures.

Jenifer Iredale – Director at Large

As a guest on Straits Salish territory Jennifer is grateful to the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations for their generosity in sharing this beautiful place. Jennifer has a multi-generational connection to Mayne Island /SḴŦAḴ, sharing the family property at Campbell Bay since childhood and raising her children (along with sheep, horses, and a donkey) on the family farm. 

Jennifer’s career is as a heritage professional, curator and former Director of the provincial Heritage Branch where she worked on provincial, national, and local heritage initiatives. Currently Jennifer sits on the Board of Heritage BC and is involved in heritage and cultural projects in Victoria,  Mayne Island, and the Fraser Canyon and sits on the Campbell Bay Music Festival Society Board. Recent projects include curatorial work at the Mayne Island Museum and fundraising for the Ag Society Heritage Revitalization Initiative. Jennifer is interested in strengthening relationships with Indigenous people and organizations and exploring the intersection between Indigenous and Western knowledge around environmental conservation, land stewardship, and caring for the natural and human environment.

Gary Robinson – Director at Large

Gary’s first visit to SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island left an enduring impression of an engaged community caring for a richly diverse natural environment replete with trails inviting exploration, beaches, and an evocative Japanese garden. When looking for a place to create a post-retirement life after a career in government finance and information technology, Gary and his wife discovered an undeveloped acreage of forest winding down to a rocky sandstone beach. Here was a place on the island to live and learn how to care for the mix of Coastal Douglas-fir, arbutus, and cedar trees under the watchful eyes of the resident ravens and an eagle family.

Gary brings experience in management, teaching and mentoring through his professional work and service on community boards. His focus as a Board member is to preserve and restore the island environment in partnership with others who have the same dedication and commitment.

Ken Brock – Director at Large

Ken Brock, a resident of Mayne Island for 17 years, recently retired from the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment and Climate Change Canada. His career spanned 30 years and included roles in environmental assessment, treaty policy, agricultural and municipal stewardship, protected areas establishment and management, funding programs, and the recovery of species at risk. Ken says that he does one thing extremely well: listen deeply and summarize. This skill he has put to good use over 25 years as a manager and leader, building partnerships both inside and outside of government. He might do a few other things well, too. Ken holds a B.Sc. In biology from McGill University and a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University. He is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in executive coaching at Royal Roads University.

Amy Kamarainen – Executive Director

As a relative new comer to Mayne Island, Amy is keen to deepen her relationship with SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island, and all of its communities, through her work as the Executive Director.

With a background in ecology and education, Amy loves to collaborate on community-based initiatives. She spent years engaging youth in art, nature and environmental issues in their schools and communities through collaboration with the EcoLearn and AR Girls teams. She also served as the Executive Director for Salmon Coast–a nonprofit based in Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw territory working to conserve the wild salmon ecosystem. 

In her free time, you’ll find Amy involved in projects on the property she shares with her husband and young son. In addition to cultivating a diversity of animals, fruits and veggies using silvopasture approaches, they like to explore ideas for sustainable food systems, and have most recently been testing a mini aquaponics system that uses gold fish to grow microgreens.

Rob Underhill – Biologist

Rob joined the conservancy in September 2011. His previous work experience is varied and includes work in hospitality, landscaping, forestry, and resource conservation. Rob has an educational background in tourism, horticulture, and botany. He completed a certificate of Travel and Tourism at Kwantlen University in 2002, a certificate in Landscape Horticulture at Capilano University in 2004, and a BSc in Biology at the University of Victoria in 2010. Before coming to Mayne Island, Rob managed an ecosystem restoration project for Parks Canada at Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site. He can trace his love of plants and nature to family vacations on Pender Island, and entering a plant collection in the Pender Island Fall fair when he was nine, in which he placed 2nd due to an incorrect spelling of “Arbutes menziesii”. Contact Rob at biologist@mayneconservancy.ca

Justine Apostolopoulos – Stewardship Coordinator

Since she was a 7 year old feigning illness to stay home from school and bird watch, Justine has brought her love of the natural world into writing, photography, music and community engagement. Justine has always been drawn to the natural beauty of the Southern Gulf Islands, moving from Vancouver to SḴŦAḴ | Mayne Island in 2017. She is inspired by the encouraging spirit of the community here and has since volunteered/worked in environmental stewardship, heritage, performing arts, customer service, childcare, agriculture and community development. She is currently the president of the Mayne Island Little Theatre, holds a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, and is excited to bring together arts and sciences within the Stewardship Coordinator position. For information about youth education programs, contact Justine at stewardship@mayneconservancy.ca.

Shelley Melville – Administrative Assistant

Shelley has been a visitor to Mayne Island for over 50 years. With a lifelong love for this beautiful island, she has transitioned from part-time vacationer to full-time resident for the past three years. Her deep connection to nature fuels her excitement in contributing her skills in office administration to the Mayne Island Conservancy. Shelley is dedicated to protecting the island’s land and shorelines, ensuring that future generations can experience and enjoy the natural beauty of Mayne Island. In addition to her passion for preserving nature, Shelley is an advocate for food sustainability and is actively learning how to grow her own food and medicine. She also loves to promote local community initiatives and strengthen the bonds within the island’s residents.

Ethan Heckrodt – Ecosystem Technician Lead, summer 2026

Ethan (he/him) was raised on Syilx tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ and Secwepemcúl’ecw. He did an undergrad in Environmental Studies and Geography at the University of Victoria. Since then, he has worked in the confluence of conservation, education, and regenerative agriculture in small communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. When he isn’t doing fieldwork, you can find him hiking, paddling, or cycling throughout the gulf islands this summer.

Kamilla Hindmarch – Ecosystem Technician, summer 2026

Kamilla grew up on the Sunshine Coast, the unceded traditional territories of the shíshálh Nation and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw. She has a degree in Marine Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria. After Kamilla finished school, she started working in environmental research and consulting, with a focus on marine ecology, conservation, and restoration. Kamilla is happiest snorkelling in kelp forests, exploring on her bicycle or creating ecology-inspired art. She is excited about the opportunity to work with the team at MICS, and to get to know the community on Mayne Island!