Laura Hooker – Director

Laura moved to the Kelowna area about twenty years ago to join the Biology faculty at Okanagan University College, and is now an Associate Professor of Biology at UBC Okanagan campus.  Prior to coming to Kelowna, she obtained a MSc. in Zoology from UBC in Vancouver and subsequently worked as an environmental consultant.  Laura’s teaching and research specialties lie within the field of aquatic ecology.  She has taught such courses as Flora and Fauna of Inland Waters, Limnology, Environmental Microbiology, Freshwater Microbiology and will soon offer a course on Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Fishes.  Her current research addresses questions regarding microbial community structure and functional redundancy in lakes of very different water chemistries.   Laura has sat on numerous University committees, and COLT (2014) is her first foray into community service.  The Central Okanagan Land Trust’s mission resonates with Laura’s philosophy that natural places have a right to simply ‘be’ and that our world is enriched by this; further value is not necessarily required.  Laura’s recreational activities include skiing (alpine and nordic), mountain biking, swimming and simply hiking around with her dog Mia, Queen of the Shibas.