Board & Staff

In February 2000, a board of directors formed a society to manage the observatory. RPBO is a registered charitable organization in Canada and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The Board of Directors for Rocky Point Bird Observatory consists of five executive members and up to 10 additional Directors at large.

Star Power!
In 2024, our 30th Anniversary Year, the standing 13 Board Members had a collective 263 years of Board experience and a collective 234 years of serious birding experience. 

2025 Executive

RosaMunzer
Rosa Munzer
President

Rosa Munzer, RPBO President

Rosa Munzer is a strong advocate for bird conservation who joined RPBO as a member-at-large in 2022. She brought over 35 years of utility and provincial government experience in lands management and service delivery, strategic planning, policy development, public relations, and information management. She has served on six other boards including two local government boards.

Bio
Terry Bird
Terry Bird
Vice President

Terry Bird, RPBO Vice President

Terry Bird received his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of British Columbia in 1994.  He was a faculty member at the University of San Diego for several years where he taught biology and conducted research in microbial genetics.  After retiring in 2021, he returned to Canada and currently resides in East Sooke.

 
Bio
Gail Harcombe
Gail Harcombe
Treasurer

Gail Harcombe, RPBO Treasurer

Gail Harcombe is RPBO's Treasurer.  She is a retired biologist with a strong interest in conservation and the natural world. Her years of experience as editor and publication production coordinator for scientific and technical reports and other publications have enabled her to combine her interests in science, illustrating and graphic design. She has served on boards of non-profit societies in a variety of roles, both as executive and director at large. Gail is also a director and publications coordinator for Victoria Natural History Society

Bio
Jacqueline Staples Photo
Jacqueline Staples
Secretary

Jacqueline Staples, RPBO Secretary

Jacqueline joined the RPBO Board as their secretary after meeting Rosa Munzer at one of the bird walks during bird week in 2025. Jacqueline’s passion for birds started with her amateur photography. She’s worked in both public and private sectors, and most recently, she’s been an IT consultant for over 20 years. Her expertise includes Apple, Excel, and Google Sheets development. 
Bio
Andrew Harcombe
Andrew Harcombe
Past President

Andrew Harcombe, RPBO Past President

Andrew Harcombe is a retired conservation biologist, with a background in vegetation ecology and rare species and ecosystems. He spent his entire career working in British Columbia landscapes. He has extensive experience in nonprofit national and international conservation boards, and has served on the RPBO Board since 2014 as President, Vice President or Secretary. He is presently Membership Director. He has a lifetime interest in natural history, especially birds.

Bio

2025 Directors

Dan Burgin
Dan Burgin
Director at Large

Dan Burgin, Director at Large

Dan recently moved to Vancouver Island from Aotearoa, New Zealand. He began volunteering with RPBO soon after arriving, assisting with the Nocturnal Owl Monitoring program. Dan has over a decade's worth of experience as an Ecologist/Wildlife Biologist, working in New Zealand, Canada and the UK, monitoring and researching a variety of threatened species, notably seabirds and shorebirds. He recently worked as part of the coordination team for the New Zealand Bird Atlas project, relishing the opportunity to support the birding community in such a nationally significant community science initiative. He is looking forward to using his work and volunteer experience in the conservation space and learning from the RPBO community to help best support and assist with the valuable work that RPBO undertakes.

Bio
Mark Byrne
Mark Byrne
Operations Coordinator

Mark Byrne, Operations Coordinator

Mark has been volunteering with RPBO since the fall of 2016 after seeing a Northern Saw-whet Owl while visiting the Pedder Bay Banding Station. Since then, he has been involved in most RPBO projects including MAPS, Migration Monitoring, Nocturnal Owls Monitoring and SeaWatch. In 2019 Mark joined the Board, took on the responsibility of inventory control for the banding stations as well as becoming a relief bander for the Northern Saw-whet Owl program. In 2022 he took on the role of Operations Coordinator and is currently working towards obtaining his passerine banding permit.  

Bio
RobynIMG_5913
Robyn Byrne
Volunteer Coordinator

Robyn Byrne, Volunteer Coordinator

Robyn started volunteering with Rocky Point Bird Observatory in 2016 and since then has become active in almost all projects including MAPS, Migration Monitoring, Owls and SeaWatch. In 2019 she joined the Board, became a  relief bander for the Northern Saw-whet Owl program and took on the role as a Volunteer Coordinator.  Robyn is also the compiler for the Sooke Christmas Bird Count and a Zone Leader for the Victoria count. Robyn and her husband Mark also host the ‘Bird Babble Podcast’. 

Bio
Jannaca Chick
Jannaca Chick
MAPS and Owl Bander

Jannaca Chick, MAPS & Owl Bander

Jannaca began volunteering with RPBO in 2012, knowing almost nothing about birds, and has become an ardent volunteer and supporter of RPBO and bird conservation in general. She has served on the board for many years, in the capacity of Secretary and Vice President. She has become a licensed bander, leading our MAPS and Nocturnal Owl Monitoring programs, and in 2023 obtaining her hummingbird banding permit. Jannaca has always loved to travel and now combines this with her love of birds, visiting and volunteering at banding stations in different parts of the world. She has been fortunate to see some wonderful birds and meet fascinating people involved in bird research and conservation in places such Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Greece, Israel, Thailand, and Cuba.

Bio
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Simone Littledale
Education Chair

Simone Littledale, Education & Outreach Portfolio

Simone is a multidisciplinary artist and the principal of the Vancouver Island School of Innovation and Inquiry. Simone has been volunteering at RPBO's banding stations since 2022. Born and raised in Vancouver, her love of the natural world started early, with a childhood exploring the forests and little coves around her home and falling in love with watching wildlife. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing and a BC teaching accreditation, both from UVic. Her interest in birds was kickstarted by a post-graduation trip to the Colombian Amazon, and she's been hooked ever since. When she isn't teaching, Simone can usually be found birding, in her home studio, or in her garden, where she is working to rewild her yard with native flora.

Bio
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Ann Nightingale
Director

Ann Nightingale, Migration Project Coordinator

Ann has been birding since the mid 1990s and has been an active volunteer for Rocky Point Bird Observatory for almost as long. As well as being a licensed bird bander, Ann is a past-president of both RPBO and the Victoria Natural History Society, and served a four-year term on the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network Steering Committee and three years on the American Birding Association board. She is currently a member of the Project Owlnet Working Group.  

Ann coordinates the Victoria Christmas Bird Count and is a zone leader for three other count circles. Her dedication to the understanding, conservation and promotion of birds has garnered the attention of the media and some pretty impressive organizations. She is frequently called upon by local radio and television statements when the subject turns to birds!

Ann is a recipient of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, the American Birding Association’s Award for Conservation and Community,  the Victoria Natural History Society’s Distinguished Service and Honorary Lifetime Awards and BC Nature’s Regional and Nature Mentor Awards. In addition to her volunteer work in the field, she also gives dozens of presentations on birds to community groups each year. She has written articles for both the popular press and peer-reviewed scientific journals.

 

Bio
Liam Seward-Ragan
Liam Seward-Ragan
First Nations Liaison

Liam Seward-Ragan, First Nation Liaison

Liam is the B.C. Provincial Coordinator for Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) with B.C. Nature and specializes in First Nations engagement, fundraising, and volunteer coordination. He holds a BA from McGill where he studied Anthropology and Environmental Studies and is in the early stages of a M.Sc focusing on Indigenous led conservation. He has been volunteering with RPBO for 2 years and recently joined the Board in 2022. Liam hopes to support RPBO's efforts to create accessible ornithology and bird watching opportunities for historically marginalized communities as well as build collaborative partnerships in conservation and research with First Nations on Southern Vancouver Island.

Bio
jd head shot a
Julian Dunster
Property Manager

Julian Dunster, Director at Large

Julian Dunster is a Professional Forester,  Professional Planner, and Certified Arborist with two degrees in forestry and a PhD in Regional Planning and Resource Development. His work with trees and land use planning has taken him to many countries. He has authored books on tree law in Canada, environmental impact assessment, aspects of professional practice, as well as the Dictionary of Natural Resource Management published by UBC Press, in addition to many articles dealing with trees and land use issues. Julian's work has been recognised with several awards, and he is an Honourary Life Member in the International Society of Arboriculture.

He has extensive hands on practical experience with construction work on large and small projects, as well as timber testing structures such as log cabins, bridges, large wood stave culverts, and the Kinsol Trestle. He helped to design and implement the structure to retain the Hollow Tree in Stanley Park. 

Bio

2025 Staff

Gaylia Lassner
Gaylia Lassner
Development Director

Gaylia Lassner, Development Director

Five years ago, I could recognize approximately three species of birds, had never heard of Merlin or eBird, and had no idea that buried deep inside me was a "bird nerd".  I did, however, have a background in fundraising and non-profit development, mostly in the realm of health issues and visual art, so based on that, I joined RPBO as Development Director.  I am very grateful that I did. The leadership and volunteers of RPBO are quite simply the finest people I have ever worked with, dedicated to doing whatever can be done to address the threats birds currently face. I completed a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Entrepreneurship, and appreciate working with an organization that encourages creative and entrepreneurial thinking. I spend as much time as possible outside, hiking, walking my two dogs, and introducing my tiny grandson to the wonders of gardening.  I'm currently completing a Master's Degree in Writing and New Media, and grateful for the opportunity to be exposed to so many new ideas and ways of communicating. Becoming an active bird-lover has enriched my life in many ways; I look forward to sharing this experience with as many people as possible.

Bio
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Jennifer Armstrong
Administrator/ WebMaster

Jennifer Armstrong - Administrator/WebMaster

Jennifer’s journey to becoming an RPBO volunteer started with a cross-country move, a spontaneous
visit to Outerbridge Park, and a fortuitous first introduction to BC birds by two RPBO Board members.
Supported by a background in Business Administration and Office Management and a degree in Geology,
she joined the Board in 2019, served as President in 2021 and 2022, and still volunteers on the Executive.
Jennifer dives headfirst into any volunteer opportunity.
Having always enjoyed birds, it was the 2008 combination of a new camera, young children and a gift
membership to a local arboretum that launched a lifetime passion of birding. She keeps only two bird
lists - a Lifetime and a Year’s - and spurred on by family and friends, tries to best herself each year. Since
moving to the west coast in 2017, she also discovered a surprising love of gardening, despite historically
having a notorious black thumb.

Bio

2025 Banders

Max Hellicar Bio Pic
Max Hellicar
Bander-in-Charge

Max Hellicar, Migration Bander-in-Charge

Max is a birder and banding trainer from England, with broader interests in ecology and conservation. He has extensive experience of scientific monitoring and bird handling from various localities across Europe, North America and Africa.

Max has a strong passion for avian migration and enjoys studying the moult of birds up close. Rocky Point appealed to him due to its location on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Huge numbers of birds are funnelled here on their southbound migrations each fall, making it their final stop in Canada before crossing the border over the Salish Sea.

Bio
Mara Hanneson Bio Pic
Mara Hanneson
Bander - Migration

Mara Hanneson, Bander, Migration

Mara is an emerging ecologist with a strong passion for bird conservation and avian ecology. She grew up on Southern Vancouver Island, where an appreciation for nature is practically inherent.

Since 2022, she has worked and volunteered with the Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO), gaining hands-on experience in bird banding, migration monitoring, and public outreach. She has enjoyed a range of fieldwork across British Columbia and Saskatchewan, where she developed a deep appreciation for both prairie and coastal ecosystems. These experiences have fueled her commitment to protecting bird populations and their habitats.

She is eager to continue contributing to meaningful conservation efforts through research, collaboration, and education.

Bio
Sonja Futehally Photo REV
Sonja Futehally
Bander - Migration

Sonja Futehally, Migration Bander

Sonja tells us she feels remarkably lucky to have grown up in rural India where close encounters with a flitting Indian Paradise-Flycatcher, a common krait, or a jackal were part of daily life.

Since moving to Canada, she has developed a unique perspective and appreciation for diverse ecosystems and collaborative conservation efforts. A visit to Rocky Point Bird Observatory in 2019 led her to volunteer with the organization and deepened her interest in birds.

Sonja says she is thankful for the training and mentorship she has received from RPBO and is enthusiastic to contribute to its projects.

Bio
Megan Miller Photo REV
Megan Miller
Bander - Migration

Megan Miller, Migration Bander

Megan joins us from Denver, Colorado, where she is finishing a masters degree studying the physiologic impact of wildfire smoke on migrating passerines at Colorado State University Pueblo. Megan has been a field biologist since 2014 and has worked across the US including; Utah, North Dakota, Washington DC, Massachusetts and of course Colorado! This is her first time working on the west coast. In her free time she enjoys reading science fiction, painting, and kayaking. 

Bio
Rebeca Reader-Lee Photo
Rebecca Reader-Lee
Bander - Migration

Rebecca Reader-Lee, Migration Bander

Rebecca has loved nature and birds for as long as she can remember, beginning her experience with Rocky Point Bird Observatory back in 2013 when she was a volunteer at just 11 years old. Since then, she’s spent a summer as an intern with RPBO, worked on MAPS banding projects in northeastern Alberta, and spent last summer exploring B.C. and documenting wildlife with the BC Biodiversity Program. She’s currently studying Biology at UVic, plays violin, and is an avid wildlife photographer. Rebecca is also a volunteer curator and active contributor on iNaturalist, where she helps collect and share species data. She’s super excited to be back in the field with RPBO this year!

Bio
Andrew Jacobs Bio Pic
Andrew Jacobs
Assistant Bander

Andrew Jacobs, Assistant Bander

Andrew is a field ornithologist and bander from Victoria, Canada.

Andrew started learning about bird banding at Rocky Point Bird Observatory in 2021 after having heard about it at UVIC and has been volunteering with RPBO programs ever since. Andrew has spent the last several years travelling and working with projects that are part of the Canadian migration monitoring network at Thunder Cape, Long Point, and Tadoussac bird observatories as well as working with monitoring projects in Europe on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man, and in Skagen Denmark.  Andrew has also worked on seabird and old growth forest bird monitoring projects along the coast and up into Haida Gwaii including on the East Limestone Island Ancient Murrelet colony in Laskeek Bay with the ongoing study there.

Andrew is very interested in the phenotypic variation in birds and can often be found at Beechey Head looking for gulls passing by with the RPBO Seawatch team.
Andrew is excited to now be spending the season at his home station along the Pacfic Flyway as a bander and is looking forward to teaching and training with the volunteers.

Bio
Gaelin Armstrong Photo REV
Gaelin Armstrong
Assistant Bander

Gaelin Armstrong, Assistant Bander

Gaelin has always been enthralled by the natural world and first got interested in birds when taking an ornithology course during his undergrad at UVic. He was an intern at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory last fall and spent the first half of the summer in 2025 doing MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding in northern Alberta.

Gaelin is excited to spend another season at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory, as it is truly a special place that hosts the highest bird diversity in all of British Columbia

Bio
Pollen sampling Jannaca SaP project
Jannaca Chick
MAPS & Owl Bander

Jannaca Chick, MAPS & Owl Bander

Jannaca Chick began volunteering with RPBO in 2012, knowing almost nothing about birds, and has become an ardent volunteer and supporter of RPBO and bird conservation in general. She has served on the board for many years, in the capacity of Secretary and Vice President. She has become a licensed bander, leading our MAPS and Nocturnal Owl Monitoring programs, and in 2023 obtaining her hummingbird banding permit. Jannaca has always loved to travel and now combines this with her love of birds, visiting and volunteering at banding stations in different parts of the world. She has been fortunate to see some wonderful birds and meet fascinating people involved in bird research and conservation in places such Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Greece, Israel, Thailand, and Cuba.

Bio
Mark Byrne
Mark Byrne
Owl Bander

Mark Byrne, Owl Bander

Mark has been volunteering with RPBO since the fall of 2016 after seeing a Northern Saw-whet Owl while visiting the Pedder Bay Banding Station. Since then, he has been involved in most RPBO projects including MAPS, Migration Monitoring, Nocturnal Owls Monitoring and SeaWatch. In 2019 Mark joined the Board, took on the responsibility of inventory control for the banding stations as well as becoming a relief bander for the Northern Saw-whet Owl program. In 2022 he took on the role of Operations Coordinator and is currently working towards obtaining his passerine banding permit.  

Bio

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