Anthony Johnston Elder/Knowledge Keeper Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Anthony is a member of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak and one of the founding members of the Bridge to Land Water Sky project. He has been involved in several conservation and revitalization projects for Mistawasis lands, and his words of wisdom resonate with everyone he meets. Anthony returned to his community to contribute his life, work, and educational experiences for its benefit. He believes his greatest contribution has been building partnerships, alliances, and friendships with people who care. With experience working with federal and provincial governments in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Anthony holds a BA in History and a minor in Human Geography from the University of Manitoba. As an advisor for Mistawasis and the Bridge to Land Water Sky project, Anthony provides vital support, wisdom, and maintains cultural traditions.

Lawrence Johnston Lands & Resources Department Director Mistawasis Nêhiyawak

Roger Daniels Land Claims Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Roger Daniels is a dedicated member of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak and has lived in Mistawasis for all but three years of his life. With a deep passion for the land, Roger has spent the majority of his career in the lands area, serving 10 years as Lands Manager and 15 years as Trust Coordinator. His extensive knowledge and expertise of Mistawasis reserve lands make him an invaluable source of information and a crucial member of the Bridge to Land Water Sky team. Roger has been married for 31 years and has two daughters, two sons, and 15 grandchildren. He started his career humbly as a Receptionist and has held various roles, including Maintenance Worker, Land Manager, Band Councilor, Governance Officer with ISC, Casino Security, Truck Driver, and finally, Trust Coordinator. Despite trying different jobs, Roger always returns to the lands department, where his true passion lies.

Debbie Watson Lands Administrative Assistant Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Debbie is a member of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak and serves as the Administrative Assistant for the Mistawasis Lands & Resources Department. As the main contact for the Mistawasis Lands & Resources Department, Debbie's extensive knowledge about Mistawasis lands, lease agreements, and more is critical to the success of the Bridge to Land Water Sky project. Our team frequently turns to Debbie for her insights on local contacts and ideas to engage Mistawasis community members including youth through various land-based educational opportunities. Debbie's role is also vital in providing support, wisdom, and maintaining cultural traditions within the Bridge to Land Water Sky project.

Dennis Greyeyes Lands Manager Muskeg Lake Cree Nation - Lands & Resources Department

Steve Wiig Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator Muskeg Lake Cree Nation Steven Wiig is the Food Security & Climate Change Coordinator at Muskeg Lake Cree Nation. Since 2018, Steven has been dedicated to developing food security and climate change adaptation for the community. His journey into Permaculture and Sustainable Development began in 2011, taking him to S.E. Asia, Kenya, and the Caribbean, where he worked with various indigenous communities and international specialists. Returning to Canada in 2017, Steven started a small Sustainable Landscaping company, which soon led him to Muskeg Lake. He decided to stay and work for the indigenous people of his homeland. Steven's expertise and commitment to sustainable practices make him an invaluable asset to the Bridge to Land Water Sky project, where he contributes his knowledge to improve land management strategies, increase food security, protect biodiversity, and create learning opportunities for youth and communities.

Melissa Arcand Research Co-Lead and Professor University of Saskatchewan Dr. Melissa Arcand is a soil scientist from the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, where she grew up on a grain farm. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research focuses on soil health, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, collaborating with First Nations to assess soils on agricultural lands. In the Bridge project, Dr. Arcand wears many hats. As one of the Research Co-leads, she drives the research forward and facilitates communication between partners, including academic, non-academic, First Nation, and NGO partners. She ensures that the science behind the research is understood and that cultural nuances are respected. Dr. Arcand and her team collaborate extensively with First Nations and Indigenous organizations on land management, agricultural initiatives, and buffalo projects. Beyond her research and service work, she teaches and advises students in the Kanawayihetaytan Askiy (“Let us take care of the land” in Plains Cree) Indigenous land and resource management certificate program. She also serves as the Academic Lead for the kihci-okâwîmâw askiy Knowledge Centre at the University of Saskatchewan.

Christy Morrissey Research Scientist and Professor University of Saskatchewan Dr. Morrissey was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she envisioned becoming a veterinarian. While attending the University of British Columbia, she was inspired by ornithologist Jamie Smith to pursue a career in wildlife. Following graduation, she volunteered for the Canadian Wildlife Service to study raptors and carbamates, which was the basis of her Ph.D. at Simon Fraser University. Christy is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and School of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan. In the Bridge project, Christy leads the biodiversity team, specializing in birds, bioacoustics, water quality monitoring and insect diversity.

Colin Whitfield Research Scientist and Associate Professor University of Saskatchewan and Global Institute for Water Security Dr. Colin Whitfield is an Assistant Professor in the School of Environment and Sustainability and the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan. Colin’s research spans terrestrial to aquatic systems, including investigations of atmospheric pollution, catchment hydrochemistry, biogeochemistry, and aquatic greenhouse gas dynamics. The focus of his work is understanding how pressures from human activities influence water resources and ecosystems, primarily at the watershed scale, where he works actively with partner organizations to develop solutions to ongoing challenges. Colin holds a BSc in Environmental Science from Simon Fraser University, and MSc and PhD degrees in Watershed Ecosystems from Trent University.

Haben Asgedom Tedla Research Scientist Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Dr. Haben Asgedom Tedla is a Research Scientist at AAFC – Saskatoon with extensive experience in industry, universities, and ICARDA - CGIAR centre. He has conducted field studies on nutrient and moisture flows, evaluated 4R Nutrient Stewardship for the Canadian Prairies, and developed N2O emission coefficients. As a former Research Scientist and Systems Developer at Farmers Edge Inc., Dr. Tedla led research projects on variable rate nutrient management, irrigation, and sustainability. Dr. Tedla's expertise in sustainable agricultural practices makes him an invaluable asset to the Bridge to Land Water Sky project, where he contributes his knowledge to improve land management strategies.

Reynald Lemke Research Scientist University of Saskatchewan Reynald L. Lemke is a dedicated researcher with extensive experience in Soil water, Agronomy, Crop rotation, Tillage, and Crop studies. His work in Soil management connects with subjects such as Ecodistrict, Carbon footprint, and Crop residue. Reynald's research spans a wide range of topics, including Soil organic matter, Soil carbon, Soil classification, and Chernozem. He also focuses on Dry matter, Growing season, No-till farming, and Manure under the umbrella of Tillage. His Crop studies incorporate themes from Legume, Water-use efficiency, Soil retrogression and degradation, Seeding, and Erosion. Reynald's expertise in sustainable agricultural practices makes him an invaluable asset to the Bridge to Land Water Sky project, where he contributes his knowledge to improve land management strategies.

Shaun Sharpe Research Scientist Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Shaun is a Research Scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and his committed to supporting Canadian producers and landowners, particularly in Saskatchewan and the Prairies, by tackling problematic weed science issues. His work focuses on weed ecology and integrated weed management strategies to control troublesome species, mitigate herbicide resistance, and adapt to environmental stressors. With academic achievements spanning Mount Allison University, Dalhousie University, and the University of Florida, Shaun brings a wealth of expertise and a collaborative spirit to the Bridge to Land Water Sky Living Lab.

Ashly Dyck Research Officer University of Saskatchewan Ashly Dyck is a soil scientist and economist with 2 years’ field experience and over 10 years’ research experience. Ashly's role in the Bridge project involves coordinating research and sampling activities at the Bridge research sites and explaining complex science in ways that farmers and policy makers can understand.

Steve Kessler Research Assistant Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Steve is a Research Assistant at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. As the senior field technician on this project, his role involves synthesizing this information and presenting it back to the research scientists. This data will be used develop strategies that can effectively reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions without compromising yield targets. As the senior field technician on the BTLWS project, Steve is in the field from spring to fall, getting his hands dirty collecting soil samples and other data to take back to the research scientists at AAFC. Steve's role in the project is very important as the data collected will be used to develop strategies to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions without compromising yield targets.

Steven (Xiaolei) Yu Postdoc (Remote Sensing Geoscience) University of Saskatchewan As a Postdoctoral Fellow, Steven Yu's research focused on the historical land use/land cover change in the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation and Muskeg Lake Cree First Nation. Back in the 1960s to 1980s, a large amount of band lands was surrendered to non-indigenous owners. From the 1990s to now, the bands are recapturing fields, and registering them as reserved lands. However, the recaptured lands are not identical to the surrendered lands. Steven's research is to investigate the historical land use and land cover change of these band lands, including surrendered and new-purchased fields as well as the surrounding regions through remote sensing imagery. Steven's study of land stewardship and land ownership for these two First Nations, coupled with his mapping expertise makes his role very important in the Bridge project. The main goal of the BLWS project is improving the surrounding environment while committing to the protection of Indigenous values, treaties, communities, lands, and resources.

Katherine Finn Project Manager Kinnikinnick Consulting Inc. Katherine Finn completed her Bachelor's degree in Environmental Earth Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. She is the Manager and Founder of Kinnikinnick Consulting, which supports environmental initiatives with First Nation communities in Treaty 6. Living on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River with her husband and three small children, Katherine is also expanding her hobby farm. She has 15+ years of experience in grant writing, community engagement, and project development, with a talent for creative thinking to overcome challenges. As the Project Manager for the Bridge to Land Water Sky project, Katherine's commitment to building community capacity, health, and well-being, and improving land management strategies makes her an invaluable asset to the team.

Jennifer Bogdan Project Agronomist Prairie Trail Agrology Jennifer has spent the past 20 years in the agriculture industry, primarily working as an agronomist based out of Saskatoon. For the last five years, she has enjoyed freelance writing for Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Top Crop Manager, and Canadian Agronomist. Jennifer is a Professional Agrologist with the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologies and a Certified Crop Advisor and sits on the Soils & Crops Conference organizing committee. She recently moved to an acreage south of Saskatoon, where she enjoys seeking out learning about the insects, native plants, and birds in the area. Jennifer's role as agronomist for the Bridge project is essential, as she is the main point of contact for producers. Her knowledge and expertise guides farmers when deciding what BMPs are right for their land while also helping make decisions for the bridge project regarding best uses for agricultural lands.

John Kindrachuk Executive Director Redberry Lake Biosphere Region John has been Executive Director for the Redberry Lake Biosphere Region (RLBR) since 2011. As a farmer he was at the forefront of using the latest innovative ideas and technology on his farm and has now brought the same concept to managing the RLBR. The Redberry lake Biosphere region is where John was born and raised, married his wife Diana, and raised four daughters. He is very passionate about working with partner organizations within the region to fulfil the essence of the Vision and Mission of the RLBR “People and nature – in balance” which is achieved through research, education and collaboration.

Cam Kayter Range and Forage Biologist Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Cam Kayter is the AAFC Science Coordinator for the BTLWS Living Lab. Over his 25 years at AAFC, Cam has been involved with rangeland and forages, Land use decision support, GIS mapping and soil and water conservation activities. Raised in a small town in Saskatchewan, he grew up helping out on the family grain farm in the RM of Cupar. Cam currently resides in Warman with his wife Jolene and three children.

Kerry LaForge Knowledge and Technology Transfer Specialist & Senior Range and Forage Biologist Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Kerry LaForge is a Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) specialist with AAFC. She has worked with the Federal Government as a Range and Forage Biologist and KTT for over 20 years, starting with PFRA (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration) as a Range Biologist supporting the Community Pastures Program. Kerry’s career in agriculture though started much earlier, she was raised on a grain and commercial beef farm that also diversified into agro-tourism which included a 32 acre u-pick fruit and vegetable market garden. In addition to her AAFC employment, she helps to run LaForge Farms Ltd. a certified seed, and commercial beef operation with her husband, Troy and sons Nate and Zane. Kerry works closely with the Bridge communications team, and her support and expertise is extremely valueable to the team.

Maddie Gould Project Communications Manager Kinnikinnick Consulting Inc. Maddie Gould is the Communications Manager for the Bridge to Land Water Sky project, employed by Kinnikinnick Consulting. Her role primarily focuses on event planning and digital and print communications for the project. Growing up on the west side of Saskatoon and spending time on her grandparents' farm along the Whitefox River near Smeaton, Maddie gained a unique perspective on people and the natural world. She now resides in Saskatoon and works primarily from her home office. With a formal education in natural resource management and additional training in marketing and communications, Maddie is also the founder and creative director of Madwave Media Inc. Her diverse background includes twelve years in pharmacy, experience as a watershed technician, and various communications coordinator roles. Her skills in organization, marketing, computer proficiency, and community engagement are invaluable to the team. Maddie enjoys spending time with her family, camping, swimming, hiking, and learning about nature and history.