Kristen Walters, Lower Fraser Salmon Conservation Program Director

Kristen is the Director of the Lower Fraser Salmon Conservation Program. The aim of her work is to restore and conserve salmon habitat in the Lower Fraser River region, and support the recovery of salmon populations through scientific research, ecological monitoring, and policy reform. She works to accomplish this by collaborating with Indigenous Nations to implement community-based monitoring, youth stewardship programs, and ecosystem-based governance frameworks. She also works more broadly with the provincial and federal governments, academics, NGOs, and industry to advance climate change adaptation and flood mitigation in the region by advancing nature-based climate solutions. 

Learn more about the Lower Fraser Salmon Conservation Program.

Kristen completed her Masters of Science in Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University, where she studied the temporal and spatial distribution and foraging behaviour of an apex predator in response to varying Pacific salmon abundances. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia where she majored in Environmental History and Biology.

Kristen originally hails from Jackson, Wyoming U.S.A, where she grew up surrounded by the abundant wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and passionate community members who aim to be responsible stewards of our ecosystems. From a young age she has always known she has wanted to be involved with wildlife conservation, and is passionate about interdisciplinary approaches that are accessible and inclusive for everyone . In her free time, you can find Kristen surfing, hiking, teaching dance, and tending her chickens in Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Territory on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.