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TRI at Adaptation Canada

Our team recently had the opportunity to attend, run a booth, and present at the 2026 Adaptation Canada Conference. It was a busy week connecting with many folks and organizations who are making strides to support climate adaptation across the country. One of our key takeaways that was echoed throughout many sessions and conversations was […]

The Resilience Institute is a finalist in the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival!

Stories of Resilience Chapter 1: Voices from Jasper is a short film showcasing lived experiences in the aftermath of the 2024 Jasper wildfire. Created by Carter Kirilenko and Mitch Bowmile, the film follows Paulette Dubé and Greg Deagle as they turn to writing, photography, and painting to reconnect with themselves, their community, and the landscapes […]

You can support communities on the frontlines of climate impacts – before the disaster

As wildfires, extreme heat, and wildfire smoke continue to worsen due to climate change, our work helps prepare citizens in multiple ways, from understanding the risks they face to building the knowledge, skills, and mental preparedness needed to navigate what summers increasingly look like in Canada.   This work happens before the fire, before the evacuations, […]

Contribute to our virtual silent auction this fall!

To celebrate our 10th Anniversary and help shape our future, we are doing something a little different this year with a virtual silent auction!   Launching in mid-November, our online auction will be the perfect opportunity to support climate resilience initiatives while checking a few names off your holiday shopping list.   We are currently seeking donations of items, experiences, gift certificates, or services with retail […]

TRI’s 2030 Strategy – What We Heard 

Thank you to everyone in our network who took the time to complete our questionnaire or speak with Karen (TRI’s first formal employee!) to share your reflections on our programming over the past decade, as well as your ideas for where we should focus our efforts between now and 2030—and beyond.  Your feedback has been […]

How can natural climate solutions strengthen resilience for rural and Indigenous communities? 

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are gaining attention as ways to support community resilience while also boosting biodiversity, ecosystem health, and community wellbeing.   Indigenous Knowledge Systems and cultural land practices reflect the principles of NbS, offering insights for developing more effective and context-specific climate adaptation strategies. These approaches are often centred on care, responsibility, and long-term sustainability, understanding humans as one with […]

The Definity Foundation Grant Announcement

We are excited to share that The Resilience Institute has received a new grant from the Definity Foundation to advance climate solutions that support thriving, resilient rural and Indigenous communities, primarily in Alberta and across Canada.   This funding will also help our team to strategize on what being relevant means in new contexts, strengthen our […]

Carole Beaton

Science Communicator and External Engagement Specialist

Carole brings over two decades of small-business ownership experience, having built and run several ventures across construction, food production, and retail. Through running her own companies, she became self-taught in bookkeeping, administration, and financial management, developing a close eye for numbers and a disciplined approach to expenses. She also brings experience supporting executive leadership in a nonprofit setting. A longtime Canmore resident, Carole spends her free time mountain biking and Nordic skiing, and is glad to bring her community roots and hands-on administrative skills to TRI’s finance team.

Nakita Rubuliak

Science Communicator and External Engagement Specialist

Nakita is a science communication professional with extensive experience in knowledge synthesis, fieldwork, art and design, and creative collaboration. Using a multidisciplinary lens, her work bridges research and storytelling, translating complex scientific topics into engaging messages and compelling graphics that resonate with a range of audiences.

Before joining TRI, Nakita worked as a Science Illustrator and Writer at Fuse Consulting and later with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, experiences that nurtured her skills in science communication.

Above all, Nakita has a passion for connecting with people and communities, both in person and through visual storytelling. She approaches projects with a place-based lens and a deep respect for diverse perspectives and knowledge systems. 

Jill Decker

Controller

Jill brings 20 years of experience in financial reporting, assurance, and compliance, with a strong specialization in the not-for-profit sector.  She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Saskatchewan (2005) and a CPA (CA) designation, earned in 2010. Jill’s background in public practice has provided her with the opportunity to work with a variety of not-for-profit organizations in Alberta, as well as the joy of serving Canada’s Arctic over the past decade, supporting organizations in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut. 

Cassidy Grimes

Climate Analyst & Coordinator

Cassidy holds a Master’s degree in Climate Change from the University of Waterloo, where she studied topics such as climate science, climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, and community planning for climate change. Cassidy is passionate about supporting communities in preparing for and adapting to climate change through education, community engagement, and applied research. Her work focuses on fostering climate resilience by connecting scientific knowledge with local experiences and community-driven solutions.

Laura Stewart

Board Member

Laura Stewart is the Community Wildfire Resilience Coordinator with Forsite Fire, supporting communities across Canada with wildfire risk assessments, mitigation planning, and program delivery. She has more than a decade of experience advancing wildfire resilience at Indigenous, municipal, provincial/territorial, and national levels. Previously, Laura served nearly eleven years as Alberta’s Provincial FireSmart Specialist, leading community, WUI, neighbourhood, and Home Ignition Zone programs, coordinating funding, and partnering with communities and fire services across the province. She has also served as Board Chair with both the Partners in Protection Association (FireSmart Canada) and the Community Wildfire Resilience Association of Alberta.

 

Sara Walsh, PhD

Board Member

Sara Walsh, PhD, is a disaster risk reduction and climate resilience specialist with more than 15 years of experience spanning Canada, Nepal, the Middle East, and North Africa. Until November 2025, she served as Thematic Lead for Climate and Resilience with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), where she supported Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to strengthen their climate and risk reduction work across the region. Saracurrently works as a freelance consultant with the United Nations, governments, and humanitarian organizations on recovery, risk governance, and community-based resilience. Sara teaches at a Canadian university and holds a PhD in Disaster Risk Reduction. Her work emphasizes anticipatory action, equity, and bridging research with practice to shape more resilient and sustainable futures.

Alison Criscitiello

Board Member

Alison Criscitiello, PhD, is an ice core scientist and high-altitude mountaineer who explores the history of climate and sea ice in polar and high-alpine regions using ice core chemistry. Alison’s work also focuses on environmental contaminant histories in ice cores from the Canadian high Arctic and the water towers of the Canadian Rockies. In 2010, she led the first all-women’s ascent of Lingsarmo, a 22,818-foot peak in the Indian Himalaya. Alison has earned three American Alpine Club (AAC) climbing awards, the John Lauchlan and Mugs Stump alpine climbing awards, as well as the first Ph.D. in Glaciology ever conferred by MIT. She is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Canadian Ice Core Lab at the University of Alberta. She is the co-founder of Girls on Ice Canada.