Holly Willgress, Technician
WCB Occupational SCUBA Diver

Highlights & Qualifications

•         Fisheries and Environmental Technician experienced in project design, implementation, data recording and assessment, quality assurance and reporting.

•         Experience and training in a variety of environmental fields, since 1995, including: underwater and biophysical surveys; foreshore assessments; fish habitat assessments; juvenile fish population surveys; salmon escapement enumerations; habitat inventory; environmental monitoring; watershed restoration; water quality and sediment sampling and implementation auditing of No Net Loss projects.

•         SCUBA instructor, Coastguard trained coxswain, commercial diver

Education

General Arts and Science Studies: Langara College, 1991-1992

Courses in: Biology, Languages

Fisheries Technician Certificate: Capilano College, 1997

Courses in: Fisheries Ecology, Fish Habitat Assessment & Watershed Restoration, Riparian Function

Pursuing B.Sc. (biology): Open University, 2001-present

Part-time studies and professional development courses to obtain undergraduate degree.

Professional Experience

Through academic and work experience and volunteer activities, I have developed a diverse skill set and strengths applicable to a variety of projects. In addition, I have proven to be organized, thorough and resourceful in a variety of settings ranging from remote and isolated field projects to post-field data interpretation and reporting. I work well under adverse field conditions and carry that focus throughout any given project.

I have developed excellent leadership and supervisory skills through self-employment as a fisheries technician and commercial diver, where I have often supervised several other crew members, search and rescue training with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and as a PADI SCUBA instructor.

In addition to being a solid and effective field technician, my office and reporting skills include pre- and post-field logistics and organization, air photo and map interpretation, internet and library research and computer applications (Windows 95 though XP, MS Access database, ArcView GIS, Corel, MS Excel & Word etc.). These skills have been used in data compilation and assessment, creation of maps and figures, quality assurance procedures and report writing for a variety of projects.

Training & Certification

·          WCB Unrestricted Occupational SCUBA (Canadian Occupational Divers Agency, 1998)

·          WCB Occupational First Aid and Transportation Endorsement certification (current)

·          Medic First Aid and O₂ Administration Instructor (Emergency Medical Planning Canada, 1999)

·          Dive Accident Management and trauma response training

·          Transportation of Dangerous Goods certificate

·          Rigid Hull Inflatable Operator Training (RHIOT): certified in twin engine Hurricane Mark 5, 6 and 733 Inflatables (Canadian Coast Guard Search and Rescue School, Bamfield, 1998)

·          Small Vessel Operator Competency Training and Certification (OCTC, 1999)

·          SCUBA Instructor (Professional Association of Diving Instructors, 1996)

·          Electrofishing certification, crew leader (Capilano College, 1997)

·          Resource Inventory Committee (RIC) GPS training module for SHIM mapping (1998)

·          Fire Arms Certificate (2000)

·          DFO coordinated River Safety instruction

·          WHMIS training

·          ArcView 8.1 GIS training (BCIT, 2002)

Recent Work Experience

Project Experience (2004 to present, Kynoch Resources)

Position: Partner, Senior Technician.

·         Fisheries habitat technician and SCUBA diver during survey of proposed Log Dump and           Heli-drop sites and facilities in Merewrth Sound (Tiny Lake Area). Assessment required identifying sensitive marine and intertidal (lotic) fish habitat and developing mitigative strategies for foreshore development. Completed for Monarch Resource Consultants Ltd. (Bella Coola). 2004.

·         Technician assisting University of Arizona Geologists with spatial placement (logistics) for seismic assessment of coastal and interior regions of Coast/Chilcotin region as part of an ongoing UA/Government of Canada batholiths formation and geochronology assessment. Completed with U of A staff.

·         Senior fisheries technician and SCUBA diver responsible for collection of Intra-Gravel Dissolved Oxygen (IGDO) and temperature measurements of littoral sockeye salmon spawning habitat within Sakinaw Lake as part of ongoing (3rd year) assessment of spawning habitat and restoration opportunities within Sakinaw Lake. Project involved use of proprietary (Kynoch Resources owned) underwater instruments to measure interstitial DO and temperature to identify and map groundwater upwelling areas. 

Environmental Technician, G3 Consulting Ltd., Burnaby, BC. (2000 to 2004)

Environmental and research technician and dive supervisor responsible for all aspects of field logistics, organization, scientific data and sample collection and first aid/safety coordination. Assisted with project design, client liaison, QA/QC, data review, interpretation and reporting. Numerous projects involved SCUBA assessments, inventory and monitoring of industrial development including proposed log handling sites, gravel extraction and aquaculture facilities, as well as habitat compensation reefs and spawning habitat. Projects included

•          Watershed restoration

•          Foreshore and SCUBA assessments

•          Stream and lake inventory

•          Water quality monitoring

•          Benthic invertebrate and periphyton collection

•          Aquaculture assessment for CEAA and provincial protocols

•          Audits of DFO and provincial government policy including No Net Loss

•          Limnological assessments of lakes and reservoirs

•          Data collection, management, assessment, QA and database entry using a variety of applications