Our Team
Kate Mizenka (she/they)
Board Chair
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Habitat Restoration, Farm & Apiary Director
Meet Kate, Elk Root Conservation’s visionary leader, founder, and Habitat Restoration, Farm & Apiary Director. In the midst of a successful career as a lawyer, business entrepreneur and educator, Kate suffered an unexpected brain injury that forced her to retire early. But Kate will tell you that is not her story, she sees her reality as an opportunity for personal growth that has opened her mind and heart to what is important.
Through this transformative journey, Kate has experienced first hand the ways in which vulnerable individuals can be overlooked and fall through the cracks. She wanted to create a safe, supportive place for all people in her community. Through Kate’s vision, the magic of Elk Root Conservation was formed.
Kate is the creator of the Sustainable Apiary Model and designer of ERC’s Pollinator Demonstration Gardens and Native Plant Educational Demonstration Gardens. She is an avid advocate of organic regenerative agriculture, pollinator wellness, and environmental education, conservation and restoration. Her passion for growing community and protecting our planet is woven into the fabric of all we do here at ERC. She is the creative mind behind ERC’s organic regenerative agriculture research and innovation striving towards a world where agricultural practices go hand-in-hand with environmental conservation. In 2023, Kate was awarded the Suzy Hamilton Legacy Fund Award in recognition of her contributions as a female-identified environmental activist in the West Kootenay region who embodies the environmental and social activism for which Hamilton was known.
Kate is not only an expert educator, beekeeper, and ‘beyond’ organic regenerative grower but also a sought-after speaker. She has shared her knowledge and insights across the country on topics such as native plant propagation and garden design, the responsibility of apiarists to protect wild bees, planting for pollinators, and ERC’s agri-tech research and innovation projects.
Today, Kate volunteers her time to Elk Root Conservation while she continues to live with traumatic brain injury, spinal degeneration and chronic pain. Her ability to lead through adversity, her empathy towards vulnerable community members, and her ‘outside-the-box’ approaches to making ERC accessible and welcoming to all our diverse community members, is truly an inspiration to all who experience the Elk Root magic.
Bronwyn Krause (she/her)
Systems & Operations Director
Say hello to Bronwyn, Elk Root Conservation’s fabulous Systems & Operations Director. Born and raised in the beautiful Kootenays, Bronwyn’s love for nature runs deep. As a third-generation beekeeper, she knows the buzz when it comes to protecting our pollinator friends and our environment!
With a background in Library Sciences and Information Technology, Bronwyn keeps everything organized at ERC. You may not realize it, but ERC has a lot of moving parts and programs, and Bronwyn ensures that everything runs smoothly together.
When she’s not buzZzy at work, you can find Bronwyn happily spinning, weaving, and exploring the world of fiber arts. Bronwyn wants to say a big thanks to Kate for inviting her onboard the incredible ERC team, and we are thrilled to have her as part of our family!
Hannah Farquhar (she/her)
Administration & Project Coordination Assistant
Hannah came to Elk Root Conservation with a background in the food industry, working as a baker and pastry chef for the past 10 years, both in Nelson, BC and in Toronto. She was drawn to ERC because of her passion for sustainable food systems, food security, and building strong community. Hannah felt joining ERC was the perfect way to blend her passions. Outside of work, you can find her in the kitchen developing recipes, baking for her friends and family, and trying out new and interesting ingredients. Hannah is looking forward to having an even deeper connection to food and community through her experience at ERC.
Ezra Creasy (they/he)
Wildlife Technician
Ezra recently graduated from the University of Victoria with a BSc Honours in Forest Biology and Environmental Studies. They came to ERC with a passion for all things biology, especially bugs and insects! After spending a season running their own permaculture design and landscape business, Ezra decided to make the move to a career that aligned with their passions. ERC offered a unique opportunity for them to combine their love of biology while also being able to live within the beautiful landscape of the Slocan Valley. Ezra is currently working towards becoming a Registered Professional Biologist, and we couldn’t be happier to have them join us as an ERC team leader!
Isa Scott (she/her)
Wildlife Technician Assistant
Isa grew up locally in the Slocan Valley and recently graduated from Selkirk College with a diploma in Recreation, Fish and Wildlife. Before pursuing her studies, Isa worked in hospitality but always had a strong passion for ecology and conservation. After joining ERC in 2024, it felt like a natural fit – a place where she could contribute meaningfully to conservation in a region she calls home. Outside of work, Isa is an avid sustainable forager and amateur naturalist and brings that passion to ERC. Whether it’s monitoring bats, identifying pollinators, collecting native seeds, or restoring habitat, Isa is there to support both biodiversity and our community’s resilience.
Laena Brown
Instructor
Laena (aka LBee) has been a beekeeper in the West Kootenays for eight years. She is the owner of Honey House Beekeeping Supplies, Vice President of the West Kootenay Beekeepers (local branch of the BCHPA), the education facilitator for the Bee Awareness Society, and the Director of Bee Education at Elk Root Conservation. Prior to getting involved in children’s education, Laena worked as a performance artist in theatre and film for ten years which has been helpful in giving her pollinator presentations some extra razzle dazzle!
She lives with her little family on their farm in West Glade. She has two kiddos who she raises with a nature-based, home-learning, outdoor education.
She’s passionate about teaching kids about pollinators. She strongly believes that we never stop learning from our pollinator buddies. They have so much to teach us about the world. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in fun, play, and kindness.
Isabella Kroker Kimber
Digital Designer
Meet Isabella, ERC’s visionary artist. Her creativity and attention to detail is showcased in her beautiful illustrations for the Native Plant Guide, which will be an amazing educational resource accompanying ERC’s Native Plant Demonstration Gardens.
Raised in beautiful Nelson, BC, Isabella grew up with the natural world right outside her front door. From a young age, she has loved being out in nature through camping, exploring different hiking paths in the West Kootenays or simply being in the garden! In 2021, Isabella joined the ERC team and has supported its vision by assisting with administration tasks before turning her focus to more design-related projects in 2022 as the team grew.
Currently, Isabella is in med school, pursuing a career in medicine. We know she will be a great success!