

Meet the Team
Jasmine McCulligh
Facility Coordinator
Jasmine started with the Program in February 2013 during the first year the internship was offered and later hired as full time staff the following year. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a BSc in Wildlife Biology in 2012. Jasmine always had an interest in conservation and captive breeding programs, which lead her to a volunteer internship in South Africa working with a cheetah breeding program in 2011. Jasmine enjoys being part of such a dedicated team that works hard to overcome challenges as there is something new learnt each breeding season.
Contact: coordinator@nsobreedingprogram.com
Katie Calon
BCCF Project Coordinator
Katie has been coordinating the Northern Spotted Owl Program as a whole since 2014 and also co-ordinates the projects within the Program. She has coordinated and administered over 175 projects including contracts, grants, and private donations. Katie has a Bachelor of Science and began her career in conservation in field work.
Contact: kcalon@bccf.com
Dr. Ken Macquisten
Veterinarian
Ken has been the NSOBP veterinarian since 2007, in addition to practicing at Townline Veterinary Hospital and holding the position of Managing Director of the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. Ken graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan and has been practicing in British Columbia for over 30 years.
Jenna Kissel
Spotted Owl Technician
Jenna first started with the NSOBP as an intern in 2017. Originally from Ontario, she graduated from the University of Guelph with a BScH in Wildlife Biology and Conservation. She moved to BC for the internship and fell in love with spotted owls and the west coast. After a brief hiatus to work with raptors at African Lion Safari and the World Bird Sanctuary, she returned to the NSOBP full time in 2019. Jenna has always dreamed of working with endangered species, and is excited to be following her passions with such a dedicated team here at the NSOBP.
Alyssa de Wit
Spotted Owl Technician
Alyssa started with the NSOBP in January 2017 as a volunteer. After graduating from UFV with her BSc, Biology Major and a sub-discipline concentration in Ecology and Biology of Organisms, she applied for the 2019 Internship. She continued working at the NSOBP after her internship transitioning to a Spotted Owl Technician. After a short 6-month break doing field work Alyssa came back end of January for the 2021 Breeding Season. Having always had a love for animals and nature she enjoys being a part of the conservation efforts at the NSOBP.
Paula Gomez Villalba
Spotted Owl Technician
Paula joined the program in 2020 as an intern. She is passionate about conservation science and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley. Paula’s background includes surveying southern Saskatchewan for dancing Sharp-tailed Grouse, analyzing Beluga whale vocalizations from Quebec, and monitoring endangered Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario. She grew up in the Lower Mainland and is proud to promote the recovery of an endangered species right here in British Columbia. Paula loves being a part of the team and learning more about Northern Spotted Owls.
Megan Cruickshank
Spotted Owl Technician
Megan joined the NSOBP as an intern for the 2022 breeding season and in October was hired back as a Junior Technician. She grew up in the Lower Mainland, attended SFU and graduated with her BSc. in Biology with a concentration in ecology, evolution and conservation. Megan has considerable experience in wildlife rehabilitation and hand-rearing nestling and fledgling songbirds. With a passion for nature and sustainability, she hopes to foster her interest in conserving wildlife while being a part of the NSOBP team.
Kayleah Stapleton
Co-Op Student
Kayleah started volunteering with the program in 2019. Her fascination for wild animals and being a volunteer at NSOBP influenced her interest in ecology and wildlife conservation. This led her to studying Natural Resources Conservation, majoring in Science and Management, and she is now in her fourth year at the University of British Columbia. She also has experience in wildlife rehabilitation where she enjoyed learning about birds that live in BC. Kayleah is grateful to be part of an amazing group of people conserving a species so crucial to Canada's biodiversity.
Alexa Wiebe
Spotted Owl Intern
Alexa is a new intern for the fall of 2023 and the 2024 breeding season. She is passionate about animals and wildlife conservation, and would love to pursue a career in avian research and conservation. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Research Science at Thompson River’s University, and she has experience working with species at risk, Western Rattlesnake and Western Painted Turtle, through undergraduate research. She hopes to pursue a Masters in avian conservation within the next few years and is excited to experience working with the owls at the NSOBP.
Vince Beier
Maintenance Manager
Vince worked as Caretaker for the Mountain View Conservation Centre for over 20 years. Following its closure in 2014, he joined the NSOBP, where he is responsible for upkeep of the 25 acre property, supervision of the construction of new aviaries, and assists the team with general tasks in any way he can.