Erica first joined EPIC as a Forest Mentor for the 2021/2022 school year and is excited to return to the community in the dual role of Forest Mentor and program coordinator. She has been teaching and developing nature programs on Lək̓ʷəŋən territory since 2016. Erica graduated from the University of Victoria with majors in Anthropology and Environmental Studies, combining her two biggest passions – people and nature!

Having been homeschooled in elementary school, the pure joy of learning through play, relationships, and the outdoors has been a foundation for Erica as an educator. She is thrilled to continue learning and teaching with others through a shared love of nature.

For four years, Erica worked as a Naturalist at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, where she taught programs for preschool classes, school groups, and the home learning community. She continued developing programs as the School Program Coordinator at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific where she worked to create, promote, and teach garden-based education to local schools and organizations. Her interests have also led her to work on organic farms, lead ecological restoration projects, and organize camping trips for Girl Guides of Canada.

After travelling abroad for the last two years, Erica is looking forward to putting roots down again in her West Coast home.