Our Team

Damian Assadi

Chair

  • Damian is a dedicated community-driven park steward and environmental advocate, and is currently completing his undergraduate degree in Natural Resources Conservation at the University of British Columbia. 

    As Chair of the Everett Crowley Park Committee, Damian brings a deep passion for urban green spaces, ecological stewardship, and community engagement. Growing up in the neighbourhood and inspired by early experiences in local parks, he has committed countless hours of volunteer time to invasive species removal, habitat restoration, and environmental education. 

    Damian is known for leading inclusive community programs that connect people of all backgrounds with nature, fostering lasting support for conservation initiatives. His work integrates strong ecological knowledge with collaborative leadership to protect and revitalize urban natural spaces.

Evie Osborn

Stewardship Manager

  • Evie has worked with ECPC since March 2024 as the Stewardship Coordinator and Manager. She has a background in place based ecological restoration and community building. 

    Her career started in Landscape Architecture with Ecology in the UK, where she studied the intersection between urban green spaces and community. Her understanding of both the broader landscape planning scale, and on the ground, hands in the dirt scale of urban green spaces, along with years of volunteer experience bring an understanding for the complexity and nuance of restoring Everett Crowley Park.

    In her current role at ECPC she works closely with volunteers and the wider Vancouver community to help restore Everett Crowley Park. She is responsible for applying for grants, organising and running events, building relationships with partners, maintaining the social media and helping manage different projects within ECPC.

    When she is not working with ECPC, you can find her working in her role as bird banding Assistant with WildReseach, or outside rock climbing or backcountry skiing!

Dave Day

Park Planning Lead

  • Dave has been an ECPC Board Member since 2022 and a CHCA Board Member since 2025.

    He brings over 50 years experience working in the parks and nature conservation field including 20 years with Canada’s National Parks, 8 years Environment Director for the City of Calgary and 25 years as a consultant specializing in ecological inventory mapping and strategies for impact reduction of recreation activities in protected areas. With ECPC, Dave has focused on creating strategies for strengthening planning, management and protection for Everett Crowley Park in response to a growing local population with diverse expectations for park access and use.

    Dave and Sue are active seniors who enjoy learning about Vancouver’s ecosystem after 40 years of living in Banff and Calgary.

Celina Starnes

Outreach Manager

  • Celina brings nearly two decades of leadership in environmental restoration, conservation, and community engagement. Driven by a deep passion for place-based work, she is excited to return to efforts closer to home by joining the Everett Crowley Park Committee.

    She most recently served as the Operations and Outreach Director for the national society, Endangered Ecosystems Alliance, where she dedicated her efforts to advancing solutions for the dual biodiversity and climate crises through collaborative partnerships.

    Her career spans impactful roles in both the public and nonprofit sectors, including managing cross-department initiatives at Metro Vancouver Parks and leading nonprofit programs that build strong community relationships. Celina’s expertise in project management and stakeholder collaboration equips her to effectively lead complex projects and forge successful relationships.

    With a passion for ecology and public engagement, Celina is committed to applying her skills to help accelerate the transformation of Everett Crowley Park into a thriving urban sanctuary for nature and the community.

Cole Reinstma

Nature Education Lead

  • Cole brings over two decades of experience as a dedicated nature educator. Having recently moved to the Champlain Heights community, she quickly developed a profound connection to Everett Crowley Park, recognizing its unique role as an urban wilderness. She now passionately leads immersive nature tours for all ages, sharing the park's healing journey and inspiring others to engage in its beauty and join stewardship efforts.

Silvia Hagen

Knowledge Holder & Stewardship

  • Silvia's connection to Everett Crowley Park and the Champlain Heights neighbourhood is lifelong and profound. Raised by avid nature lovers, she witnessed the park's history unfold firsthand, from its days post-landfill to its transformation into a cherished green space. This history is deeply familial:  her father, Manfred Hagen, was a longtime park volunteer. This fierce passion for nature and environmental stewardship is clearly in her blood.

    A passionate nature lover and environmental steward, Silvia has dedicated her life to caring for others, working as a care aide since the 1980s. She is a recognized knowledge holder of the park's history and champions her core values of fairness, environmental responsibility and education. These principles are at the heart of her work with ECPC, where she supports the mission to connect residents to urban forests through nature education and stewardship. And is always ready to ensure the team is well-fed!

Brenda Xiong

Documentary Filmmaker

  • Brenda Xiong was born in Chongqing, China, and later moved to Canada to complete her education in Business Administration.

    Her creativity and passion for storytelling led her to discover her true calling in documentary filmmaking. As a documentarian, ECPC’s environmental mission and grassroots practice align with her values: community-led, hands-on, and for the public good. As a board member, she aims to contribute to ECPC from pulling invasive species, planting natives, offering ideas at board meetings, to help scale ECPC’s impact.

    She hopes to turn the local narratives into a lasting public value for audiences near and far one day!"

Carla Urquhart

Science Lead

  • Carla has been a member of ECPC since 2023, and lived in South Vancouver since 2017. She is a PhD student in the Geography department at UBC studying how plants expand their ranges under climate or land use change, or in the context of biological invasions.

    She has been working on establishing and expanding community science and demographic monitoring programs in Everett Crowley Park, particularly in Chorus Frog Corner. She is also a part of ECPC's grants team, which is instrumental to funding ECPC's ongoing programming and supporting staff and volunteers.

    She hopes to utilize her background in ecology and biogeography to help ECPC continue the evidence-based approach to restoration and land stewardship that has been ongoing since the establishment of Everett Crowley Park.

Keisha Van Buckley

Stewardship, Outreach & Education

  • Keisha is currently a UBC student studying Natural Resource Conservation under the Faculty of Forestry.

    Having grown up in the Champlain Heights community, she has developed a deep connection to Everett Crowley Park. Driven by her love for the park, she actively volunteers with the park committee through stewardship, outreach, and education. She has also brought her efforts to the UBC campus, where she has hosted stewardship booths to promote environmental awareness.

Ryan Crowley

Our Team

Committee Member

  • Ryan brings over two decades of experience in urban planning and parks management to the ECPC team. His extensive career with the Vancouver Park Board, which began in 1997, has provided him with deep insights into the interplay between urban development and the preservation of vital green spaces.

    Ryan's expertise in strategic planning, community engagement, and sustainable development supports ECPC's vision of transforming this unique site into a thriving urban wilderness. His understanding of community-led initiatives and his leadership in park policy are instrumental.

    Ryan is a dedicated advocate for accessible and ecologically rich urban environments, making him a key ally in ECPC's ongoing efforts to heal the land, combat invasive species, and cultivate a vibrant community hub for all.

Connie Harvey

Stewardship & Outreach

  • Connie, a longtime resident of Fraserview, currently works for a large retail organization and draws from this experience to support the committee in promoting Everett Crowley Park and its various programs. A love of nature and the opportunity to be part of the continued reclamation of the park led to her becoming a volunteer and eventual committee member.

Want to make a difference?

We’re always looking for new volunteers who want to bring our vision to life, Learn more about how to get involved today.

Volunteer Opportunities