:Gwen Bridge
{{short description|Environmental scientist and conservation advocate}}
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| name = Gwen Bridge
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| birth_place = British Columbia, Canada
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| nationality = Canadian
| fields = Environmental science
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| alma_mater = University of Victoria, University of Alberta
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Gwen Bridge is an environmental scientist and conservation advocate. Her work has focused on sustainable land management practices to help facilitate the cultural preservation of Indigenous communities across North America.{{Cite web|url=https://y2y.net/about-us/y2y-team-current/gwen-bridge-manager-strategic-engagement-bc-yukon|title=Gwen Bridge, Manager - Strategic Engagement, British Columbia and Yukon — Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative|website=y2y.net|language=en|access-date=2018-12-06}}
Early life and education
Gwen Bridge was raised near Nelson, British Columbia and is of Saddle Lake Cree Nation heritage.{{Cite web|url=https://bcparf.sched.com/moderator/gwen_bridge.1yrez5x3|title=Gwen Bridge's schedule for BC Protected Areas Research Forum|website=bcparf.sched.com|access-date=2018-12-06}} Her father was an environmental activist who advocated to protect natural parklands.{{Cite web|url=http://blog.cdnsciencepub.com/women-in-science-gwen-bridge/|title=Women in Science: Gwen Bridge|website=Canadian Science Publishing|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-06}} Bridge completed her Bachelor of Science in environmental studies and geography at the University of Victoria and her M.Sc. at the University of Alberta in forest hydrology.
Work and advocacy
Bridge began her career as a field hydrologist and later became more focused on providing strategic planning, title and rights protection strategies and policy development and analysis for First Nations with respect to resource management.
Bridge's work has largely focused on the concept of combining the fields of hydrology, ecology and conservation biology together with traditional indigenous knowledge and expertise. She believes that the outcome of unifying these scientific fields with traditional indigenous experience would lead not only to improvements in biodiversity conservation, but would also promote cultural sustainability and resilience.
Her work includes collaborations with the Mescalero Apache, the Makah Tribe and the Okanagan Nation. She was the Chair of the Syilx Working Group which conducted the South Okanagan Similkameen National Park Reserve Feasibility Study.{{Cite web|url=https://www.syilx.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Final-Syilx-Feasibility-Study-Backgrounder-_2_.pdf|title=Okanagan Nation Feasibility Study|last=|first=|date=|website=www.syilx.org|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2018-12-06}} Bridge has worked on facilitating relationships between First Nations and other levels of government such as Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service.
Bridge has recently commented on the negative effects of logging and road-building on the caribou population of south-eastern British Columbia.{{cite web|url=https://www.nelsonstar.com/local-news/new-caribou-census-data-shows-dire-situation-across-b-c/|title=New caribou census data shows dire situation across B.C.|publisher=Nelson Star|date=12 April 2018|accessdate=6 December 2018 |language=}}
Personal life
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century Canadian women scientists
Category:People from Nelson, British Columbia
Category:University of Victoria alumni