Officers

President/Co-Secretary - Lisa Atkins

As well as running an organic gardening company, The Cultivated Gardeners, Lisa is able to fit in a teaching career with Gaia College. Her business includes a busy schedule of residential maintenance, landscape design, garden renovation and new installations. She teaches classes in the Organic Master Gardener course, the Residential Landscape Technician course, and was instrumental in getting Burnaby’s extremely popular Ecological Landscape Design course off the ground. Add to that, she is the President for the Society of Organic Urban Landcare and one of only six SOUL certified Organic Land Care Professionals in Metro Vancouver.

Vice President - Lee de Rosenroll

In 1996 when I realized you could garden in Vancouver all year round (well almost) I sold my indoor plant maintenance company, loaded up my little red Fiat and moved here from Calgary. Since then I have become a keen member of SOUL, an organic master gardener, an ecological landscape designer and most recently a certified land care professional. Last year my friend Eve and I began doing garden renovations as Girls In The Garden, where our mantra is ‘Organic Matters’. A look to the future has us growing our business, advocating against GMO’s and harmful chemicals and practices, and spreading manure to promote the growth of all things good and healthy.

Treasurer, Webmaster - Phil Nauta

I am a SOUL certified organic land care professional and graduate of Gaia College's organic landscape management program. I am also certified in sustainable building and design and am a LEED AP. In October 2007, my sister took over my organic gardening business in Ontario and I moved to Victoria. I promptly found myself appointed the treasurer of SOUL, which is a position very well suited to me.

When I attended Gaia College in 2005, I learned a tremendous amount about horticulture and went through an incredible change in how I viewed the world. Working with SOUL is a great opportunity to educate others about the amazing things I have learned. It is also a wonderful group of people with which I feel very fortunate to be able to associate.

Membership/Co-Secretary - Barb Bancroft

The Cultivated Gardeners - owner/partner
Organic Master Gardener
Certified Arborist
Journeyed Landscape Horticulturist
District of North Vancouver Parks Gardener

Directors at Large

Certification - Christina Nikolic

I came to the West Coast from Germany via Calgary and have finally put down roots here... where SOUL provides such a nurturing environment!

I run Stewardship Natural Landscape Design in Victoria, B.C., offering garden design and consultations as well as planting service and light garden maintenance since 2003. In Germany I received a degree in landscape architecture and extensive industry training, yet I had always felt that there was something important amiss. I found the answer to that "something" upon joining SOUL, and my approach to horticulture shifted completely towards organic principles. Finally it all makes sense...! A graduate of Gaia College, I became a SOUL Certified Organic Land Care Professional in 2005 and soon after that, an instructor with Gaia College, teaching in both the Ecological Landscape Design program and the SOUL Organic Master Gardener course.

I look forward to further broadening the mind by exchanging thoughts, knowledge, and experience with like-minded individuals. A "student of life" in times of considerable local and global challenges, I feel an strong dedication to living in harmony with each other and with the earth.

Member at Large - Gail Szostek

Gail Szostek owns Green Space Consulting and works as the Environmental Technician for the District of Maple Ridge. She has a degree in Horticulture, Journeyman Gardener certification and is a Certified Arborist. She was instrumental in taking the Gaia College Organic Master Gardener Course, complemented by additional region specific courses, to Stony Plain Alberta, where they are successfully completing their second year. Gail has taught organic horticulture courses over the past 20 years, in Ontario, Alberta, and BC. She hopes to bring more organic landscape concepts and food production training opportunities to the Fraser Valley Area.

Member at Large - Sue Beyer

Sue is the volunteer coordinator for the Stony Plain Multicultural Centre’s Organic Master Gardener Program. She was one of the first students in Stony Plain to complete the program in 2008 and is very excited about the program’s future possibilities in Alberta. As the Alberta summer season is so short, she gardens at every opportunity. In addition to building her new home's landscaping from scratch, she has voluntarily taken on the responsibility of renovating and maintaining the highly neglected front streetscape at the Multicultural Centre. When not gardening, Sue works as a full time office administrator. During the winter, Sue enjoys decorating and renovating. Her goal is to one day relocate to either the Island or the Okanagan area.

Organic Master Gardeners - JR Rendón

Originally from Colorado, J.R. has lived and gardened in places as diverse as Florida and Alaska and other zones in-between. She has lived in Vancouver for the past 15 or so years and runs her own organic gardening company, designing and installing new gardens, renovating and rehabilitating existing gardens, and providing long-term organic garden care and residential maintenance.

J.R. is one of the ‘original’ Organic Master Gardeners from the SOUL Vancouver Branch, and serves on the Executive Committee there as the OMG Coordinator. She is also a Master Gardener and has received her certificate in Garden Design from the University of British Columbia. J.R. is a volunteer Seed Collector and Labeler at VanDusen Botanical Garden and is also active in a number of garden societies, including serving on the Executive of the Vancouver Rose Society.

Member at Large - Maija Finvers