Sydney holds a bachelor’s degree of Natural Resource Science, Honours, from Thompson Rivers University, and is nearing the completion of a Master of Science degree in the University of Victoria’s School of Environmental Studies. As an early-career wildlife ecologist, her work has been centered on meaningful collaborations with Indigenous communities and organizations. Her MSc research (based in the Gwich’in Settlement Area, NWT) utilizes remote wildlife cameras and aerial surveys to study Dall's sheep and mammal community ecology, and is part of a broader, Indigenous-led community-based monitoring program featuring science-based methods, traditional and local knowledge, community partnerships, and youth engagement. Sydney is also a co-author of the British Columbia Thinhorn Sheep Stewardship Framework, as part of the Indigenous perspectives working group.
Originally from Williams Lake, BC and a third-generation forestry enthusiast, she has broad experience in the forest industry, including roles such as Planning Forester (West Fraser, Smithers), Assistant Forester in Operations (West Fraser, Williams Lake), Assistant Wildlife & Habitat Biologist (West Fraser, Hinton), and Sawmill Production (Tolko Industries, Williams Lake). Concurrent to her full-time MSc studies, Sydney is currently an auxiliary Practices Forester (BCTS), with a focus on silviculture and species at risk.