Claire Armstrong
Systems Ecologist
Key skills: Aquatic ecology, community engagement, facilitation, science communication, knowledge synthesis, research and technical writing, systems analysis.
Claire anchors her practice in both scientific and community-engaged approaches. She identifies community interests and leverages her technical background to develop frameworks and strategies that are fit-for-purpose. Claire builds bridges between science, policy, and community to overcome challenges in environmental management, working across project teams to provide support on a range of projects to meet clients’ needs.
Prior to joining ESSA, Claire worked for a freshwater conservation not-for-profit as the engagement specialist for programs working with Indigenous Peoples. She developed communications and engagement strategies tailored to diverse audiences, synthesizing technical information into clear, actionable messaging. Claire delivered a multi-phased initiative that explored a Yukon-wide collaborative approach to coordinate lake monitoring. She conducted interviews and focus groups with diverse rights holders and stakeholders including First Nations, municipal and territorial governments, academia, non-governmental organizations, and industry. She hosted a two-day workshop promoting meaningful dialogue on lake monitoring through a series of panels, breakout groups, and ceremony, successfully highlighting youth and Indigenous voices. In BC, Claire worked closely with First Nations in the Nicola Watershed to co-develop a framework that brings local Indigenous Knowledge alongside Western science to promote cultural and ecological integrity in lake foreshore management planning. At ESSA, Claire works with multiple knowledge systems and cross-cultural collaborative approaches to address key concerns on a diversity of marine, coastal, and freshwater resource management issues.
Claire holds a B.Sc. in Oceanography and Biology (with Distinction) from the University of British Columbia where she explored the effects of rewilding on ecosystem function and ecosystem services. She also holds a Masters of Marine Management from Dalhousie University. Her graduate research identified and described barriers and pathways forward to Indigenous Food Sovereignty in shellfish food systems, working in collaboration with Parks Canada and the Sea Gardens Restoration Project led by W̱SÁNEĆ and Hul’qumi’num working group members. Claire is currently pursuing an Associate Certificate in Leadership and Conflict Resolution from the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Claire’s academic and professional experiences enable her to integrate diverse perspectives and create spaces for collaboration.
Claire enjoys watching the marine world pass by her home on the Sunshine Coast in Gibsons, BC, territory of Squamish Nation. Having rowed throughout university, she has since retired into outrigger paddling. With a soft spot for budding biologists, Claire volunteers with the marine education not-for-profit BlueAct Marine Society to help instill a sense of wonder about the natural world in the next generation.