Our Board

PRESIDENT

Kat comes to Wild Embrace with a desire to reconnect with nature and get stuck in the garden after so many years in the big city! She has spent the last 6 years training and learning alongside dogs and their people at Discover Dogs in Vancouver, but long before that she was a wild child roaming the lush jungles of Costa Rica’s pacific coast with her sisters, Maya and Tatiana. Kat and Hannah met at University at UVIC where she studied Creative Writing and political science and developed a desire to use her voice and skills to combat inequality and systemic exclusion of marginalized folks from various communities.

In her work at Discover Dogs, Kat learned how to compassionately handle and care for dogs with many different needs. Kat believes that we can learn as much from animals as they can learn from us, and she is so excited to share the therapeutic nature of living in community with furry and feathered companions. 

Kat leaps at any opportunity to get dirty in the garden, play with animals, or trap Hannah in a never-ending game of 20 questions. She is an amateur potter and avid tide pool explorer, and she can’t wait to share her love of nature with kiddos and their families.

VICE-PRESIDENT / TREASURER

Hannah comes from a background of arts and design, but has always found comfort in the natural world, and wanted to share that with others.

After graduating UVic with a Fine Arts degree and a subsequent graphic design program, she began working with her wife Kat at Discover Dogs, a local dog walking and retail company. From her job as an administrator, she slowly collected roles in HR, Marketing, and client communication. At Discover Dogs, Hannah watched how much animals could connect a group, and bring out new sides of people.

She intends to bring with her marketing know-how, the lessons of caring for your staff as much as your clients, and empathetic communication skills to her role at Wild Embrace Farm.

FOUNDING DIRECTOR

Tatiana has an extensive background in working with children and youth with diverse needs. She has recently attained her degree in Child and Youth Care from Vancouver Island University.

Tatiana is enthusiastic about working alongside children and youth to help them develop life skills, foster a sense of belonging, and build strengths-based relationships. She is a firm believer that all children deserve to be supported in a way that values and honours their unique selves.

Tatiana believes nature holds therapeutic values and enjoys incorporating the outdoors into her program planning. She spent multiple years working as a community outreach support worker for children with diverse needs and currently works at a group home for children in care. Throughout her degree, Tatiana has become increasingly aware of the importance of trauma-informed practice and places this notion at the forefront of her practice.

Tatiana intends to bring her experience, education, and passion to Wild Embrace and create an inclusive environment for all children and youth she has the opportunity to work alongside.

SECRETARY

Karleena has extensive volunteer experiences within a variety of programs ranging from high school recreation leadership programs and a dedicated global issues club member, to 6 years with the royal canadian air cadet program achieving the rank of flight sargent. They are also currently attending UVIC for sociology with a minor is environmental studies. Karleena's passions include environmentalism, sociology, photography and overall care for the planet and people. Their 5 year plan includes working within community outreach services regarding children and youth welfare, harm reduction and overall community health. He is very excited to see what the future holds at Wild Embrace Farm Society!

DIRECTOR

Celine has a background in arts and cooking as well and managing and organizing events and people. She worked for many years in restaurants that worked with local, fresh produce. She believes that it is important to form a connection with the food that we eat and understand where sustainable food comes from as well as the work that goes into creating and growing it.

Through managing a large team of people she has learnt how to be patient in situations of conflict and approach every situation with empathy. She believes that every person deserves to feel empowered and confident in their day to day life and hopes to bring this energy to Wild Embrace Farm.

DIRECTOR

While pursuing an interdisciplinary arts degree, Madi fell in love with the hospitality industry. She has since spent the last decade learning about how food builds community and brings people together. She is especially passionate about creating sustainable food systems — everyone deserves access to nutritious, affordable and tasty food! Her restaurant experience ranges from working with farmers and food sourcing, cooking, managing food waste, event planning and administrative work.

Whether it's on a hike or in the garden, Madi values every chance to connect with nature as it keeps her grounded and helps her cope with daily challenges. As a person who is blind, Madi looks forward to working with Wild Embrace Farm to build a community around connecting to ourselves, others and nature. The experience that she has gained from her work and lived experiences will allow her to bring a multifaceted skill set and perspective to the organization.

DIRECTOR

Sam (she/her) is a neurodivergent queer woman. She grew up mostly in Southern Saskatchewan, which is treaty 4 territory. She completed a Bachelor of Art and Science with a major in Psychology then moved out to the coast! Sam works as a support person for Neurodoivergent students, helping them to learn reading and writing skills. Outside of her career she loves spending time outside with her 10 year old dog, going on hikes, and camping.

Sam is passionate about creating more inclusive public spaces and ensuring that disabled and chronically-ill persons are able to enjoy parks, trails and other outdoor spaces by advocating for accessible infrastructure, transit, and public health practices.