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Briony Penn

Canada

Briony has spent the last twenty years working with a wide variety of audiences and mediums from newspapers to television and field schools to lecture halls communicating her love and knowledge of BC’s ecosystems and cultures. An award-winning natural history columnist and feature writer, from Canadian Geographic to Explore magazines, and a BC Books bestseller with her book On the Wild Side, she combines punchy media skills with her research affiliations at UVic. A pioneer of barefoot mapping, she has created maps and led workshops assisting communities to map their cherished places for over 15 years. After three years co-hosting the weekly magazine show Enviro/MENTAL for CHUM TV, nominated one of the top three magazine shows in Canada, Briony is moving on to slower and deeper things. She has co-founded a new multimedia, cross-cultural, educational production company, Muskoti Productions, committed to cultural/ecosystem survival. As an activist, Briony has worked extensively with both local groups and provincial organizations such as The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC), which she co-founded in1997. TLC has won many awards for its pioneering work to establish models of land use that integrate cultural and ecological values. She is the mother of two boys and lives on Saltspring Island.

Interests/Expertise: 

Educator - University

  • Sessional lecturer in the School of Environmental Studies/Geography Department and Restoration of Natural Systems Program, University of Victoria since 1991. Courses taught include: Protected Areas Planning; Environmental Aesthetics; Biodiversity and Forestry Issues; Environmental Education, Communication and Dispute Resolution for Ecological Restoration; Ecology of Food; and Sustainable Communities.
  • Supervisor for Directed Field Studies students for biophysical inventories, site monitoring and landowner contact in Cariboo/Chilcotin, Kootenays, Central Coast.
  • Supervisor of UVic ES student biophysical inventories, Clayoquot Biosphere Reserve, in collaboration with the community Clayoquot Biosphere Project, 1991-3.

Educator -  Community

  • Natural/cultural history and stewardship workshops and field schools held in communities all over British Columbia since 1991: including Qqs Science and Culture Camps, Heiltsuk First Nations; LIFE Vision Quest; Wetlands Institute, BC Wildlife Federation; Gulf Island Centre for Environmental Learning: Hollyhock Institute; Parks Canada; Interpretation Canada; Canadian Landscape Architects Congress; North American Association for Environmental Education; BC Wildlife Federation; International Association for Arborists; British Columbia Environmental Network; Stewardship and Conservation in Canada: Caring for our Land and Water; Helping the Land Heal: Ecological Restoration in British Columbia; Periodical Writers of Canada; B.C. Historical Association; North American Association for Environmental  Education; Society for Range Management; Land Trust Alliance for British Columbia; Elder Hostel; local naturalist organizations, schools, service clubs and land trusts throughout BC.
  • Naturalist on BC Coast for the following ecotour/educational operators since 1980: Pacific Synergies (international); Maple Leaf Adventures (coast of BC and Alaska); Adventure Canada; Gulf Islands Experience (Gulf Islands), Cross Canada Tours (Canada), LIFEBoat Flotilla, Elderhostel, Alkai Tours (US).

Community Cartographer

  • Pioneered the barefoot mapping concept and conducted community and ecosystem mapping workshops all over BC, in western USA and Ontario since 1996.
  • Giving the Land a Voice: Mapping our Home Places, Editor Sheila Harrington. Writing, illustration and graphic design. Client Environment Canada and Saltspring Community Services. 1996.  Second edition 1999. Featured in television series and book called The Ways We Live: Exploring Community by Asterisk Productions.
  • Salish Sea Atlas Project a five-year community project involving hundreds of artists, mappers, community groups and First Nations from 16 islands. Project culminated with a 40-map travelling exhibit and atlas which is being released October, 2005. Project awarded Islands Trust Stewardship Award 2004.

Communications and Media

  • Television broadcaster and host of Enviro/Mental, a weekly news magazine show on natural/cultural history of coast, environmental issues and sustainability initiatives for CIVI, Victoria (CHUM television) August 2001 – 2004. Hosted, taped, field produced and edited many of the 137 shows that ranged in topics from the natural death movement to humpback whale research and interviews with such diverse personalities as philospher John Ralston Saul, Haida chief Guujaaw and author Tom Robbins. Nominated one of the top three magazine shows in Canada by Canadian Association of Broadcasters. Received the Canadian Environment Award for Environmental Education 2003.
  • Newspaper and magazine columnist with illustrations on natural/cultural history with over 400 columns published in regional newspapers and magazines, including: “Wild Side” for Monday Magazine, Victoria since 1991 and North Island Weekender since 1999; “Natural Relations” for Focus Magazine since 2001; “Notes from Wrangellia” for Driftwood Newspaper, Gulf Islands,  1997- 1999. Western Magazine Award for Best Columnist and Feature Writer in Western Canada, 2001. Nominated for best North American columnist in alternative weeklies.
Recognitions, positions, memberships: 
  • Director for Friends of Ecological Reserves, 1991-2001.
  • Founding member of the B.C. Grasslands Council,  1995.
  • Co-founder of the Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society, 1991.
  • Founding board member of The Land Conservancy of British Columbia since 1997.
  • Director of Raincoast Conservation Society since 1999.
  • Member of the provincial working group on private land stewardship, Stewardship Pledge, 1995-6.
Selected publications: 

Selected Curriculum and Public Education Publications:

  • Cycle of Life-Recycle: Handbook for Educators. Writing for elementary teacher’s handbook with others. Client ART, Encorp and Parks Canada. 2004.
  • Salish Sea Teacher’s Handbook. Writing, song writing and illustrating elementary teacher’s handbook on natural and cultural history of Georgia Basin region to accompany CD with Holly Arntzen, Gloria Snively and Abner Thorne (Cowichan). Client Parks Canada and Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans. Published May, 2001.
  • Focus on Forests: A British Columbia Exploration. Educational resource guide for elementary teachers on forest ecosystems with special emphasis on distinct natural history of forest regions. Development of strategic plan, research, writing and illustration in conjunction with Educational Design International. Client Ministry of F orests. Published 2000.
  • Responsible Wildlife Viewing, Natural Agents of Change in B.C. Parks: Insects, Fire, Wind and Floods.  Writing and illustration for illustrated brochures and outreach program on various management issues in BC Parks. Client BC Parks. Published 2000.
  • Canada’s Rainforest: Maps to Murrelets. Writing and illustration. Educational resource guide for high school teachers on forest ecosystems and mapping. Client Sierra Club. 1999
  • Stewardship Options: A Guide for Private Landowners in British Coumbia. Writing and illustrating. Client Wildlife Habitat Canada and Ministry of Environment. 1997.
  • Backyard Biodiversity and Beyond: Elementary Teacher's Guide to Biodiversity in British Columbia. Co-authored. Research, design illustration and production of teach resource based on ecoregions of BC. Client joint committee of Parks Canada, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Forests. Published 1994. French version 1995.
  • Initiatives for the Conservation of Biodiversity.  Inter-ministerial document released for the Montreal IUCN Convention. Client Province of British Columbia. October, 1996
  • Marbled Murrelet Resource Inventory Workbook, Terrestrial Salamander Resource Inventory Workbook, Recreation Resource Inventory Workbook, Archaeological Inventory Workbook and Training for First Nation Technicians, Wildlife Habitat Inventory Workbook., Bat Resource Inventory Workbook Text and illustrations and curriculum development for field technician training programs. Client the BC Resource Inventory Committee, partnered with Open Learning Agency and subject area experts. 1995-2001.

    • Selected Contracts in Cultural and Natural Heritage Interpretation (Penn & Gunn Associates):

  • Gulf of Georgia Cannery. Heritage Canada. Design, contract and implementation of Phase 2. Client Parks Canada/Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society. April 1999.
  • Cowichan Lake Research Station Interpretation Kiosk. Design of kiosk, graphic panels, illustration and writing on current and future research trends with emphasis on ecosystem management. Ministry of Forests. Opened March, 1997.
  • Long Beach Model Forest Interpretive Centre. Planning, theme development, mural illustration and design in conjunction with Raincoast Communications. Client Long Beach Model Forest Committee. Opened 1996.
  • Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve Queen Charlotte City, Visitor Reception Centre (VRC). Design, writing, research, graphic design, illustration, contract administration and implementation of VRC for joint Parks Canada/Council of Haida Nations management team, utilizing 45 craftspeople on the islands. Opened March 1996.
  • Robert's Bay National Bird Sanctuary Interpretive Display. Writing, design, illustration and implementation. Clients City of Sidney, Citizens Committee for Conservation. 1994-95.
  • St. Roch National Historic Site, theme development, writing, planning and design of exhibition for the St. Roch. Client Parks Canada. 1994.
  • Baffin Island Kuujuaq Territorial Park interpretive plan and facility design. Client PRP Inc. 1991.

    • Ecosystem and TEK Inventories -Selected:

  • Developed the first prototype of Ecosystem-Based Management Plan for BC Parks; biophysical inventory including Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Helliwell Provincial Park in conjunction with Ecofocus and Jacqueline Booth Associates. Client BC Parks. April, 2001
  • Research and inventory of special features of the Islands Trust area; compiled GIS database of features including sensitive ecosystems in association with Jacqueline Booth Associates, Islands Trust Fund 1995. 
  • Pilot and Phase 1 of Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory in the Capital Region District for the Conservation Data Centre. 1994.

Other selected publications include:

  • Canadian Geographic, Explore Magazine, Beautiful British Columbia, Alternatives, BC Outdoors, Orion Magazine, Globe and Mail and Borealis.
  • Non-fiction book A Year on the Wild Side, published by Horsdal & Schubart. October 1999. BC Bestseller List for 6 weeks.
  • Children’s non-fiction book. Kidscan Book of Canadian Geography.  Published by Kidscan Books. In press 2006.
  • Featured in nature writing anthology Northern Wild: Best Contemporary Canadian Nature Writing, Greystone Publishers, edited by David Boyd.
  • Featured in four documentaries: Ah! The Money the Money the Money; Ways We Live: Exploring Community; Finding the Future and (soon to be broadcast)  Naked.
 

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