{ Our Team |
Emily Payne
Co-Founding Director 
Emily hails from the mouth of the Fraser River on Coast Salish land, and now calls the Yukon home. She is a certified teacher with 15 years experience working with young people of all ages. Aside from growing up by the salt and sea of coastal BC, her ancestral roots go back to the Celtic-Anglo isles and Scandanavia. Emily has a background working as an international youth leadership trip facilitator in rural Kenya and Ecuador, canoe and backpacking outtrip director, motivational tour speaker, native plant researcher, outdoor curriculum designer and classroom teacher (French, Science & Humanities).
She holds a BEd in Indigenous Perspectives from SFU, a BA Biogeography (Environment & Sustainability) from UBC. She has certificates in 80-hour Wilderness First Responder, Flatwater Canoe Instruction, Swift Water Rescue Level 2, Yoga Teacher Training and Permaculture Design. She has recently trained at The Tracker School in New Jersey in survival skills and tracking. Her big passion is working with plants, which she pursues through traditional willow basket-weaving, harvesting and blending wild herbal teas and making medicinal salves. After traveling to nearly every continent, she continues to be inspired by the immense beauty of her Yukon home. She co-founded Rivers to Ridges out of her belief that building curiosity for the natural world at a young age is an integral part of a healthy life. When she’s not outside teaching, you can find her singing along with her piano, blues dancing, growing backyard vegetables or trying to bake the perfect sourdough loaf. |
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Colin O'Neil
Camp Manager 
Colin grew up in New Westminster, British Columbia on Coast Salish territory. He spent his youth reluctantly hiking the Coast and Cascade Mountains with his parents, learning gradually to love them. One winter day, looking south to Hozomeen Mountain in the Washington Cascades, his love was realized and he has sought mountains and wild places ever since. Since 2014, Colin has been exploring the Yukon and meeting wonderful people in the process. In 2018 he finally decided to stay.
Colin has spent many summers working at Camp Goodtimes, a Canadian Cancer Society summer camp for children with a history of cancer. He has taught English to foreign exchange students, social science to university students, and currently works as an Educational Assistant at Elijah Smith Elementary School. Since moving to Whitehorse, he has had fantastic opportunities to run outdoor programming with Champagne and Aishihik First Nation in Haines Junction and with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation at Dechinta Centre for Learning and Research. Colin holds a Masters degree in human geography and never tires of helping people connect to the land around them. He also holds a certificate in Wilderness Advanced First Aid. When not working with kids, Colin can be found exploring the mountains and valleys of the Yukon. 2020 will be Colin’s second summer at Rivers to Ridges and he is thrilled to be on the leadership team this year as Camp Manager. |
Zach Zimmerman
Outdoor Facilitator 
Zach was born in the Arctic on Inuvialuit land and was raised in the Yukon on Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta'an Kwäch'än Council land. Throughout his childhood, Zach always held the outdoors very close to his heart and spent much of his time camping, fishing, and playing in the Yukon Wilderness. Some of Zach's favourite things during the Yukon summers are walking around the Hidden Lakes Trail and swimming in Schwatka Lake with his friends. Zach loves to share his outdoor knowledge with others and loves telling stories about his adventures.
Zach recently graduated from Pearson College UWC, which is situated on the southern tip on Vancouver Island. Pearson College focuses on making education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. Zach is going to bring the lessons he learned at this transformative school to Rivers to Ridges in the hope of fostering understanding and education in the context of Yukon's wilderness. Zach is going to attend IE university in Spain next year to start his undergraduate degree in International Relations. Zach is very excited to return to Rivers to Ridges for his fourth consecutive summer while wearing his nature name, Kinnickinnick, with pride. Zach loves to spend his summer having fun in Squirrel forest and cannot wait for another inspiring and fulfilling time playing with, educating, and learning from the participants and leaders of Rivers to Ridges. |
Véronique Lachance
Outdoor Facilitator 
Véronique is a French Canadian with French, Basque, Scottish, and long ago Mi'kmaq ancestors. Her family has multigenerational bush stories, and she also has a knowledge of traditional herbal medicine passed down to her by her grandmothers. She grew up on the traditional territory of Abekani First Nation (Sherbrooke, Southern Québec). She also spent summers and part of winters with her family on the traditional territory of Mi'kmaq First Nation (Gaspésie) and Atikamewk First Nation (Mauricie).
She is currently studying in the YNTEP (Yukon Native Teaching Education Program). She has a background in Theatre (Acting Degree from UQÀM, Montréal) and has a practice of doing immersive installation and writing. She moved to the Yukon in 2017 and lives in a dry cabin at Upper Laberge. Véronique runs afterschool programs at Ghùch Tlâ Community School (Carcross Tagish First Nation) and Nàkwät'à Kų̀ Potlatch House with Kwanlin Dün First Nation. She also gives Drama workshops in many schools through the program Artist in the Schools. She believes that spending time on the land is the most inclusive way to connect with nature, yourself, and others. She is looking forward to taking part in the second year to the marvelous team of Rivers to Ridges and feeling ready to begin a new season! |
Joyalea Carson-Austin
Outdoor Facilitator 
Joyalea was born and raised on Central Vancouver Island, moving between Coast Salish, Nuu chah nulth, and Kwakiutl Traditional Territories. She arrived in the Yukon to tap birch trees in the spring of 2019 and never left. Joyalea holds a BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Quest University Canada in Squamish, BC, where she focused in Anthrozoology. She finds herself especially fascinated by the role of bees in human life.
Previous work includes sea kayak guiding in Discovery Passage, working as an outdoor educator on Hornby Island and running a pedal-powered granola bar business. Most recently, Joyalea co-facilitated an eight-week story-telling course at Yukon College in Carcross, YT. She is a certified Wilderness First Responder, Yoga Instructor and (fully uncertified) hill walker. Having been alive for a reasonable number of years, she can tell you she loves little more than relocating earth worms from puddles, “aha!” moments, bird song identification and cherry ice-cream. She believes curiosity and fun can be found in the most unassuming of places, and is so excited to spend the summer “aha!-ing” with learners of all ages. |
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Emma Dobson
Outdoor Facilitator 
Emma grew up on an organic fruit and vegetable farm in the traditional territory of the Algonquin nation. She spent her childhood exploring the woods around her house, canoeing and swimming on the nearby lakes of Algonquin Provincial park, and trying her best to avoid farm work. Emma moved to Whitehorse last summer to teach food studies at FH Collins and has felt at home ever since.
Before Emma became a classroom teacher, she worked as an outdoor educator in Ontario and British Columbia for several years. She has also worked as a whitewater raft guide and canoe guide. Emma’s love of water and adventure led her to spend 9 months living and working as a cook on tall ships, sailing to different ports on both sides of the Atlantic. Emma holds a BEd in home economics, and bachelor’s degree in applied human nutrition. She holds current Wilderness First Responder and National Lifeguard certifications. Outside of work you can find Emma cooking over a campfire, exploring our rivers and mountains, or finding a cute dog to pet. She is excited to spend the summer exploring, learning, and playing! |
Georgia Hall
Outdoor Facilitator 
Georgia was born in Vancouver, BC to Canadian and South African parents. She grew up running around Spanish Banks and English Bay. At age 7, her family moved to Shanghai, China. Georgia loved the hustle and bustle of big city life, but missed BC. So one summer when visiting Vancouver, her parents enrolled her in an overnight camp on Thetis Island in Coast Salish territory. She instantly fell in love with camp life and returned every summer to the beautiful Gulf Islands.
In high school, Georgia spent many early mornings rowing on Shawnigan Lake enjoying the silence and stillness of the water. She spent her afternoons with the Search and Rescue club on the Koksilah River learning about whitewater rescue. Last summer she worked as a Leader in Training at Pioneer Pacific Camp. Georgia led her cabin on canoeing and kayaking out-trips, drama sessions, ocean discovery activities, as well as fishing and swimming. Hanging out with her campers by the ocean at sunset was always the highlight of her summer. Whitehorse has been Georgia’s home base for the last five years. She recently graduated from Shawnigan Lake School and will be studying Integrated Sciences at Dalhousie University in the fall of 2020. This is Georgia’s first summer with Rivers to Ridges! She can’t wait to meet the campers and learn more about Yukon’s wilderness! |
Kalina Larochelle
Outdoor Facilitator 
Kalina was born on Vancouver Island, but has spent her whole life in the North, first in Yellowknife and then in Whitehorse. Having homeschooled for the first years of her education, Kalina spent much time outside exploring the world around her. She is especially called to water and spends as much time as she can near our lakes, rivers, or streams.
Kalina has her Bronze Cross and hopes to become a certified lifeguard in the near future. Kalina is proud to be graduating from high school this year. During her years of high school, she did three semesters of experiential programs: MAD (Music, Arts and Drama) twice and SASE (Science and Socials Experiential) once. Participating in these programs, as well as homeschooling, gave her a passion for hands-on learning that she wants to pass that on to others. Kalina is very curious, as well as enthusiastic and adventurous. She adores learning new things and has an optimistic outlook on life. She is teaching herself guitar, practices her art and completes massive jigsaw puzzles in her spare time. Kalina loves working with kids and welcomes the opportunity to learn from them as well as teach them. She hopes to impart an attitude of awe and excitement when it comes to nature and experiential learning, and to foster creativity and imagination. |
MC Boucher
Outdoor Facilitator
Outdoor Facilitator
MC Boucher is a dynamic and passionate person. With her silly and bubbly personality, she loves connecting with children on many levels. She grew up on the traditional territory of Abekani First Nation (also known as Sherbrooke, Southern Québec). She spent her first moments on earth in a modest cottage in the woods, where she then spent every summer playing with nature.
She developed a passion for dance in her teenage years that led her to obtain a degree in contemporary dance at Concordia University. She has been a dance teacher for over 10 years now. She recently graduated from the Yukon Native Education Program in the spring where she learned how to connect with Indigenous knowledge as an educator. In the summer, she loves going out camping, hiking and exploring lakes with her stand-up paddleboard. She can't wait to share her love of dance and nature with the participants this summer!
She developed a passion for dance in her teenage years that led her to obtain a degree in contemporary dance at Concordia University. She has been a dance teacher for over 10 years now. She recently graduated from the Yukon Native Education Program in the spring where she learned how to connect with Indigenous knowledge as an educator. In the summer, she loves going out camping, hiking and exploring lakes with her stand-up paddleboard. She can't wait to share her love of dance and nature with the participants this summer!
Debbie Payne
Consultant & Mentor
Consultant & Mentor
Debbie’s heart and roots are centered in the southwest coast of British Columbia. She lives in a small community called ‘sunny’ Tsawwassen close to the gentle waves of Boundary Bay and not far from the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary; yet only 30 minutes to bustling Vancouver.
Debbie holds an M.A. in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University and a variety of people development designations and education. Her skills include facilitation, project management, instructional design, e-learning, business process review, survey design, evaluation, succession planning, strategic planning, and visioning. She is the author of several leadership books and over 20 articles and curriculum publications. Her work experience includes employment in three large organizations (WorkSafeBC, Terasen Gas Inc, Open Learning Agency) where she managed and developed teams; and provided organizational learning and leadership advice to senior leaders. As owner of DP Leadership Associates she is grateful for the opportunity to work with over 50 clients, providing them with an outside perspective, and a critical yet solution-based focus to empower them to make positive change.
Debbie’s nature name is ‘Sunbeam’ and she has brought rays of energy, vitality and an extra pair of hands to the Rivers to Ridges team since October 2018. Debbie, as a mentor, helps the team focus on their vision and strategy, coaches and provides a listening ear, and jumps in to help review proposals and documents. Debbie is delighted to dedicate her energy to Rivers to Ridges, a social enterprise that is making a difference in the world.
Debbie holds an M.A. in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University and a variety of people development designations and education. Her skills include facilitation, project management, instructional design, e-learning, business process review, survey design, evaluation, succession planning, strategic planning, and visioning. She is the author of several leadership books and over 20 articles and curriculum publications. Her work experience includes employment in three large organizations (WorkSafeBC, Terasen Gas Inc, Open Learning Agency) where she managed and developed teams; and provided organizational learning and leadership advice to senior leaders. As owner of DP Leadership Associates she is grateful for the opportunity to work with over 50 clients, providing them with an outside perspective, and a critical yet solution-based focus to empower them to make positive change.
Debbie’s nature name is ‘Sunbeam’ and she has brought rays of energy, vitality and an extra pair of hands to the Rivers to Ridges team since October 2018. Debbie, as a mentor, helps the team focus on their vision and strategy, coaches and provides a listening ear, and jumps in to help review proposals and documents. Debbie is delighted to dedicate her energy to Rivers to Ridges, a social enterprise that is making a difference in the world.
Our team of highly qualified staff has a range of education, training and certifications from the following bodies:
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{ Our Story |
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An early fall multi-day backpacking trip in with a local experiential high school program is where Emily found Erin in 2014. At the time, Erin was fresh to the territory and woefully unprepared for her first backcountry hiking trip. With the help of a shared tent, warm tea and lots of duct tape, Emily supported Erin on the adventure. A couple months later, Erin had the chance to repay the love by heading out with a friend to support Emily who was stuck in Watson Lake with a broken down vehicle. A surprise snowstorm closed the roads, and they were forced to stay the night at the Cozy Nest. Conversation eventually turned to life passions, and it turned out that Erin and Emily both had the same (not-so) secret dream of building a program that guides young people towards a meaningful connection with the land. Rooted in mutual support for one another and a deep love of mentoring children in wild spaces, Rivers to Ridges was born! Now, in 2020, Rivers to Ridges is celebrating over four years in operation. |
