John Vaillant

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN NONFICTION, longtime Hornby Heron Rocker John Vaillant’s book Fire Weather is a stunning account of a colossal wildfire that collided with a city, and a panoramic exploration of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind from the award-winning, best-selling author of The Tiger and The Golden Spruce.

About the Author…

John Vaillant is an author and freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and the Guardian, among others. His first book, The Golden Spruce (Knopf, 2005), was a bestseller and won several awards, including the Governor General's and Writers'Trust awards for non-fiction. His second nonfiction book, The Tiger (Knopf, 2010), won the B.C. Achievement Award for Non-Fiction, was a bestseller selected for Canada Reads, and has been published in 16 languages.  In 2014 Vaillant won the Windham-Campbell Prize, a global award for non-fiction. In 2015, he published his first work of fiction, The Jaguar's Children (Knopf), which was long-listed for the Dublin IMPAC and Kirkus Fiction Prizes, and was a finalist for the Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. His latest book, Fire Weather (Knopf, 2023), is a #1 national bestseller, and a finalist for the National Book Award (US), the Baillie Gifford Prize (UK), the Writers‘ Trust Nonfiction Prize (Canada), and a Banff Mountain Book Award.

Elder Barb Whyte from the K'ómoks First Nation

‘History of the Cedar—the ‘Tree of Life’’

Elder Barb Whyte, descendant of the Pentlatch and Sathloot people and a respected member of the K'ómoks First Nation, brings a wealth of wisdom and cultural knowledge to our Hornby Island community which is part of the Unceded territory of the K’ómoks First Nation. With a deep connection to the land and a profound understanding of Indigenous traditions, Elder Barb plays a pivotal role in sharing the rich heritage of the K'ómoks First Nation with others. Her presence and guidance are invaluable and you are sure to be captivated and inspired with her sharing the 'History of the Cedar—the 'Tree of Life' ' at ForestFest 2023.

Elder Barb contributes to fostering a greater appreciation for the indigenous heritage that is an integral part of our shared history and understanding and appreciating the land on which we live and learn. We are honoured to have Elder Barb Whyte as an integral part of our event, sharing her insights and teachings with all who have the privilege to listen and learn from her.

Grant Scott

‘Overview of Hornby Forests.’

Esteemed Forester/beloved retired Chair of CHI, Grant Scott takes the stage to provide an ‘Overview of Hornby Forests.’ Gain a deeper understanding of our island's rich forest ecosystems.

Grant Scott graduated from the UBC Faculty of Forestry in 1969 and has worked as a professional forester for almost 50 years. Alongside his wife, Carol, he has worked with many Coastal First Nations in treaty negotiations, forestry management, and land use planning. Grant and Carol both obtained teaching degrees from UBC which allowed them to develop ‘Silviculture Worker Training’ programs with, and for, the Kwakiutl people on the north end of Vancouver Island.

As all paths lead to Hornby, Grant and Carol began visiting this special island in the 1970’s and have since moved here permanently, calling it ‘home’ for almost 25 years. Grant was on the Board of Conservancy Hornby Island for 15 years and acted as Chairperson for almost 10.

He says that every day as he walks with his dog ‘Echo’ through the forests of Hornby, he is constantly reminded of the beauty of our, or rather, the K'ómoks and Coast Salish peoples’ amazing coastal Douglas fir forests. Grant looks forward to taking people for a walk in a local Douglas fir forest on Sunday, October 29th at ForestFest— ‘rain or shine’!

Rick Ellis,  BSF, MSc

‘Climate Change: Global Trends, Tipping Points, and Local Impact on Hornby Island.’

Forester, Rick Ellis, explores the pressing issue of ‘Climate Change: Global Trends, Tipping Points, and Local Impact on Hornby Island.’ Discover how our island is being impacted by these global changes.

Rick initiated and managed the provincial ‘Wildlife Habitat Research Program’ in the Ministry of Forests, and as a consultant facilitated the development of the ‘Biodiversity Guidebook’ and ‘Species At Risk’ component of the ‘Forest Practices Code’.  He facilitated special projects and strategic planning sessions for various branches of the BC Forest Service and Ministry of Environment.

He developed and facilitated team building workshops and acted as a strategy and leadership coach to senior managers and CEOs.

Recently he has focussed on climate change adaptation; writing "Offshore sailing in the climate crisis" for Bluewater Cruising Association, and an "Adaptation to Extreme Weather" plan for communities in SW BC.

Del Meidinger, M.Sc., R.P.Bio.

‘How Hornby Forests are Evolving Due to Climate Change.’

Del Meidinger has been working as a plant ecologist in British Columbia for the past 44 years. He started his ecology career with the BC Forest Service where he led the development of the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) system over a 30-year period. In doing so, he also worked with the BEC team to apply the classification to conservation and forest management including tree species selection, ecologically-based timber supply analysis, at-risk ecosystem assessment, and climate change implications to forestry. Del was responsible for technical quality and standardization of methods and concepts for the BEC program. He has also been intimately involved in the development of the ecosystem mapping protocols for BC, including the Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM), Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM), and map accuracy assessment standards. His field experience is throughout BC: collecting field data, correlating biogeoclimatic mapping and field guides, and assessing ecosystem mapping.

For the past 14 years, Del has been consulting (Meidinger Ecological Consultants Ltd.), continuing to provide ecological classification services to clients such as Environment Yukon, MetroVancouver, B.C. Ministry of Forests, and Natural Resources Canada. Del also sits on the Canadian National Vegetation Classification Technical Committee, is a Regional Editor of the US National Vegetation Classification, and serves as a vascular plant specialist on the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Recently, Del expanded biogeoclimatic mapping to the northwestern States as part of a program to determine which tree species will be suitable in BC under climate change. 

Dr. Lori Daniels, UBC Professor of Forest Ecology

‘Wildfires in British Columbia: Causes, Consequences and Coexistence.’

Dr. Lori Daniels is a Professor of Forest Ecology in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, where she directs the ‘Tree-Ring Lab’ at UBC. Lori investigates the impacts of natural and human disturbances and climate change on forests. 



With her research team, she has on-going projects on wildfires, forest dynamics, and social-ecological resilience to climate change across British Columbia. Her enduring partnerships with local, provincial, and national governments, environmental organizations, forest management companies, community forests, and First Nations ensure her scientific advances are translated to active conservation, restoration and management. 

She contributed to the Blueprint for ‘Wildland Fire Science’ in Canada and served as a member of the ‘Canadian Wildfire Strategy Implementation Team’ and the ‘NSERC-Canada Wildfire Research Network’.

Since 2015, she has given more than 200 media interviews on wildfires and their impacts on forests and communities. She is among the 150 Canadian Scientists recognized in 2017 for research shaping new frontiers and making our world a better place (#150Scientists). She was acknowledged as a ‘Women Leader’ in international fire science research in 2018 and received the 2019 ‘Canadian Institute of Forestry Scientific Achievement Award’. 

Doug Chinnery, Hornby Island Fire Chief

‘Wildfire Response: How Prepared Are We on Hornby Island?’

Doug Chinnery, a dedicated Hornby Island resident, has served as the Fire Chief since 2017. With a team of 30 dedicated volunteers, Doug has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the community by providing extensive training and support during times of crisis.

Some of Doug's recent notable contributions include the development of a comprehensive pandemic outbreak plan for the community, training over 100 volunteers in naloxone administration, and collaborating with community organizations and external agencies to reinstate the island's helicopter landing zone, ensuring swift medical evacuation when needed. In recognition of his outstanding service, Doug Chinnery was awarded the prestigious 'Comox Valley Local Hero - Emergency Services Award' in 2022.

Whether he's actively training volunteers, upholding safety standards, or orchestrating critical rescue missions, Doug's dedication inspires others to join in and make a difference. We eagerly anticipate his valuable insights on Hornby Island's wildfire preparedness in his upcoming Forest School presentation, 'Wildfire Response: How Well-Prepared is Hornby Island?'