Staff & Associates
Cathy Blott, B.Sc.
Associate Habitat Restoration Biologist
Cathy is an Associate Habitat Restoration Biologist with 8Trees Inc., specializing in hydrological system monitoring. She earned her Honours B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Waterloo in 1993 and brings over 27 years of experience in wildlife restoration and conservation.
At 8Trees, Cathy’s responsibilities include conducting fieldwork, analyzing data, preparing reports and proposals, and mentoring staff, students, and volunteers in the field. She is also actively involved in building partnerships with landowners, municipalities, and agencies to strengthen support for ongoing restoration projects.
Katharine Yagi, PhD, CERPIT
Research Associate
She earned her B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from the University of Guelph (2008), her M.Sc. in Biology from Laurentian University (2010) under the supervision of Dr. Jacqueline Litzgus, and her Ph.D. in Natural Resource Science from McGill University (2018) under the supervision of Dr. David M. Green. Her research focuses on amphibian and reptile ecology and conservation, with an emphasis on habitat use, behaviour, population monitoring, and population dynamics of species at risk such as Spotted Turtles and Fowler’s Toads.
At 8Trees, Katharine contributes to a wide range of initiatives, including project design, data analysis, report preparation, funding applications, and outreach programs, with a focus on wetland restoration and species-at-risk recovery.
Erica Yagi, M.A.
Social Media Coordinator
Erica completed her M.A. in Communications, Popular Culture, and Film at Brock University in 2017 and has been the Social Media Coordinator for 8Trees Inc. since January 2018. In this role, she manages public communications, develops educational content on species at risk, and shares updates on ongoing 8Trees projects.
She recently completed a contract with the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) as an Administrative Assistant, further expanding her administrative and organizational expertise. Erica has also worked as an online English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and holds a Law Clerk diploma, reflecting her versatile professional background.
Heather Yagi,
Outreach Illustrator
Heather completed her Diploma in 3D Animation, Art & Design at Humber College in 2017 and now works with 8Trees Inc. as an Outreach Illustrator. In this role, she creates outreach and promotional materials as well as merchandise designs that help bring conservation projects to life.
In addition to her work at 8Trees, Heather has been a 3D modeler and background artist with Keyframe Digital Productions, where she contributed to high-quality animation projects. A lifelong animal enthusiast, she has also recently discovered a passion for plants and is growing an impressive indoor collection.
Seasonal Staff, Students & Interns
James Butler, B.Sc.
Research Technician
James is a Research Technician with 8Trees Inc. He earned his B.Sc. (Honours) in Environmental Biology and Technology from Nipissing University in 2022 and completed the Environmental Technician – Protection and Compliance diploma at Canadore College in 2020.
James is deeply passionate about the protection of species at risk and advancing conservation initiatives. He hopes to combine his technical skills and strong commitment to species-at-risk protection to build a career in conservation.
Gabriel Walker
Field Technician
Gabriel brings a diverse background in ecological restoration, soil health, and outdoor education to the 8Trees team. With training in soil microscopy and the Soil Food Web approach, he supports restoration projects through soil analysis and ecosystem monitoring. His experience includes traditional Indigenous medicine harvesting, community-based food security programs, and wilderness survival training. A certified Archery Range Safety Officer and Yoga Instructor, he blends environmental science with holistic and land-based learning, fostering respect, balance, and stewardship in every project.
Noah Rhoden, B.Sc.
Student Field Technician
Noah is a Student Field technician with 8Trees Inc. He earned his B.Sc. (Honours) in Biological Sciences with a minor in Zoology from the University of Guelph in 2024. He is currently a M.Sc candidate Brock University studying the effects of urbanization, specifically the impacts of pond warming and artificial light at night on the development and behavior of local frog species. He is interested in the impacts of human encroachment on natural environments and believes that accomplishing that goal is essential to mitigating the harmful effects of urbanization and preserving biodiversity for generations to come.
Matthew Summerville, B.Sc.
Student Field Technician
Matthew Summerville is a student field technician with 8Trees and a Master’s student at Brock University. At Brock, he is currently working on a project under the supervision of Dr. Liette Vasseur, focusing on increasing biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems. He earned a B.Sc. in biological sciences from Brock University (2024), with a minor in chemistry. At 8Trees, Matthew is currently involved with scouting for reptiles and amphibians within Niagara’s wetland ecosystems, along with species monitoring at potential restoration sites. He is deeply passionate about conservation, having worked previously with Safari Niagara on educational outreach of endangered species and species-at-risk. Outside of Canada, Matthew has assisted fieldwork assessing the presence of endangered fish in Japan, and the ecology and evolution of stickleback fish in Alaska.
Sophie Gauthier, B.Sc.
Student Field Technician
Sophie is a student field technician with 8Trees Inc. She recently completed her B.Sc. (Honours) in Biological Sciences student at Brock University. She has experience in wildlife research, field sampling, and ecological data collection. Her undergraduate thesis focuses on garter snake behaviour, where she has developed skills in animal care, experimental design, data management, and analysis using RStudio. Sophie also has hands-on experience with stream sampling, vegetation surveys, and species identification, and is passionate about local wildlife conservation and outdoor fieldwork. She enjoys collaborative work environments and is excited to contribute to ecological research and community-based conservation initiatives.
Collaboratoring Researchers & Students
Madeleine Robitaille, PhD Candidate, University of Ottawa (supervisor: Dr. Julie Lee-Yaw)
Alana Heeg, MSc Candidate, Brock University (supervisor: Dr. Kelly Biagi)
Previous Staff & Students
- Alanah Joyce, B.Sc.
- Curtis Abney, M.Sc.
- Byron Garcia, Dipl.
- Brie-Anne Breton, M.Sc.
- Rebecca Anderson, B.Sc.
- Rylee Goerlitz, B.Sc.
- Helen Hermansen, B.Sc.
- Matthew Jung, B.Sc.
- Theresa Bukovics, M.Sc.
- Cole Vandenberg
- Priya Kannankulathu
- Savannah Stuart
- Scott Falk
- Victoria Zachar
- Mike Hoggan
- Mingxuan Su
- Calvin Dickens
- Wynne Reiccheld
- Willow Holmes
- Grace Jackson
- Thenuja Vittanachchi
- Abitha Thavanesan
- Tiana Bilodeau
- Luc Goulet , M.Sc.
- Sharaya McCollum-Brown
- Michael Babin, B.Sc., CERPIT
- Bethany Kuntz, M.Sc., RPB (BC)
- Justin de Vuyst, BBRM
- Zach Morningstar
- Alyssa McInally
- Hannah Dodington
- Scott Sherk
- Marina Voigt