JOLEEN A. TIMKO, PhD
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PROFILE
Joleen Timko (PhD) is a seasoned project manager with a proven track record of successfully overseeing a
breadth of projects for a wide range of clients. She has two decades of experience designing and conducting
qualitative and quantitative research and translating complex technical information into clear, actionable insights
for varied audiences, from the general public to scientists and policymakers.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Proven project and program management, curriculum development and teaching experience.
• Highly trained social scientist with a breadth of experience in qualitative research design,
implementation and analysis. Designed interviews for +800 household/family interviews and focus
groups in 7 countries on 3 continents; designed/administered +200 online surveys to communities and
key informants. Complemented by quantitative data collection, management and analysis.
• Strong technical writing skills and a keen editorial eye.
EDUCATION
PhD (Forestry), University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada
MSc (Resource Management & Environmental Studies), UBC, Vancouver, Canada
BSc (Major: Biology; Minor: Environmental Studies), University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Sylvae Research & Consulting, Vancouver
2013 - Present
Sole Proprietor
Independent environmental consultancy working with academic, non-governmental and private sector clients
providing research and engagement expertise on a range of contracts including:
Global Forest Expert Panel (GFEP) on Forests for Poverty Alleviation, IUFRO
Sept 2019 - June 2021
Invited author. Collaborated with international panel of experts to co-author 240-page global assessment report:
‘Forests, Trees and the Eradication of Poverty: Potential and Limitations’ for the International Union for Forestry
Research Organizations (IUFRO), Vienna, Austria. Co-author of policy brief for African policy-makers.
Indigenous Forest Governance Study, CIRDI
Sept 2019 - March 2020
Lead author on a commissioned desk study producing 10,000-word report ‘Indigenous forest governance:
challenges, enabling conditions and factors for success’; presented key findings in a global webinar.
The Longhouse Dialogues, BC Council for Int’l Cooperation
March - June 2019
Director. Collaborated with Indigenous/civil society and all levels of government to erect temporary Indigenous
longhouses in downtown Vancouver; developed and led small team to design programming for six days of free
Longhouse Dialogues on issues pertinent to Indigenous women and girls in BC.
Global Assessment of Community Forests, UBC Forestry
March - Oct 2017
Lead author on a desk study commissioned by Rights+Resources International (RRI) entitled ‘Exploring First
Nation-held forest tenures and community-forest enterprises in British Columbia’; co-author of comprehensive
global assessment of Indigenous and community forest enterprises (CFEs); developed conference presentation
materials.
Forests and Climate Change in Teslin, Yukon
March 2013 - Nov 2014
Lead Social Scientist. Collaborated with Teslin’s renewable resources co-management council to identify local
concerns over forest change; designed and led community-based forest and climate change study (through
UNBC) with 45 semi-structured interviews with elders, knowledge keepers and community members. Hosted
public open house; abided by Nation’s ethical and archival standards, published findings.
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The Firelight Group, Vancouver
July 2023 - Nov 2024
Research Director, Planning & Implementation Group
May – Nov 2024
Technical Consultant, Ecology Group
July – Nov 2023
Supported Indigenous rights-based work for a number of Indigenous governments and organizations:
• Liard First Nation (LFN) – Assessed the Canada-Yukon Nature Agreement for LFN priorities for
reconciliation and cumulative effects management; technical review/gap analysis of land management
plans; strategic advice for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in Kaska Traditional
Territories.
• Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN) – Engagement Lead for the landmark BRFN Implementation
Agreement Planning Project for permanent protection of BRFN values (eg, water, spiritual and cultural,
ecosystem and wildlife) in seven priority watersheds. Designed Engagement Strategy, Communications
Plan, and on-the-land engagements, community open houses, and family meetings.
• Assembly of First Nations – Designed methods and supervised staff to complete an environmental scan of
IPCA resources and tools (eg, frameworks, planning guides, etc) to build a Marine IPCA Toolkit database;
worked closely with AFN staff; developed agendas and presentation materials; facilitated meetings.
Hatfield Consultants, North Vancouver
Dec 2020 - June 2023
Technical Lead, Human Environment Group (HEG)
Jan – June 2023
Senior Social Scientist, HEG
Dec 2020 - Dec 2022
Led and contributed to a range of projects centered on Indigenous and public engagement, spanning
sectors including land use, protected areas, climate change, and mining:
• Review of Fraser River Tunnel Project (FRTP) Detailed Project Description (DPD) – Technical
Lead. Assessed the FRTP DPD and other EAs for inclusion of Quw’utsun Nation’s interests, issues,
engagement.
• Fraser River Stewardship Project – Technical Lead. Engagement with the Quw’utsun Nation
Technical Working Group (representing five bands) and the Province; led research and development of a
combined Quw’utsun Nation Indigenous knowledge study and river stewardship plan reflecting the
Nation’s historical use and future priorities for the region.
• Mud Bay Nature-Based Foreshore Enhancements – Senior Social Scientist. Developed Initial
Project Description (IPD) including Indigenous Nations, Rights, Title, Interests; engagement summary;
existing human environment conditions; and identification of potential project effects on VCs for an EA
Exemption application.
• Environmental & Socio-Economic Impact Screening for a Forest Carbon Project – Project
Manager/Senior Social Scientist. Led socio-economic baseline study and key informant interviews with
Indigenous and public leaders for a proposed Shell Canada Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) project in
Northern Ontario.
• Gwa’ni Socio-Economic and Environmental Assessment (SEEA) – Project Manager/Senior Social
Scientist. Worked closely with Gwa’ni Technical Committee (‘Namgis First Nation, FLNRORD) to
identify ‘Namgis values, objectives, and indicators; established comprehensive base case report on
environmental, social, cultural and governance priorities for land use planning in the Gwa’ni project area.
Provided feedback to the Province of BC on draft SEEA Guidance on Modernized Land Use Plans.
• Community Quality of Life and Rail Services in Northern British Columbia, HDR Inc. – Senior
Social Scientist. Developed survey templates and administered 132 surveys to 41 First Nations and 39
municipalities within a 50 km radius of the northern BC rail network to analyze the impacts of freight and
passenger rail on community quality of life; completed 20 in-depth interviews with Indigenous
organizations; led data analysis and reporting.
• Social Values Assessment on Fisheries and Oceans Canada Transition Plan - Technical Lead.
Indigenous and stakeholder engagement document review and led key informant interviews to identify
social values on open-net pen fish farming to make recommendations on incorporating social values into
communication materials.
• Indigenous Engagement Services to Equity Metals Corp. – Technical Lead. Research and
development of briefing memos to provide client with background, history and natural resource
development protocols within Wet’suwet’en Traditional Territory.
• Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, BC Parks - Project Manager/Engagement Lead.
Developed and administered online survey to 35 regional staff and led focus groups to identify climate
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impacts on BC Parks’ infrastructure. Analyzed data and used results to inform climate projections;
contributed to the development of a vulnerability assessment tool.
Establishing a User Needs Analysis Framework, Environment & Climate Change Canada - Project
Manager/Engagement Lead. Desk study to develop a framework for assessing user needs for climate
services information and products; refined the framework through online surveys and interviews with
climate service providers and users across Canada.
Economic Cluster Stakeholder Engagement for Resource Municipalities Coalition - Project
Manager/Engagement Lead. Collaboratively developed a strength-weakness-opportunity-threat
(SWOT) analysis using an online survey and virtual workshops in the RMC (Fort St. John, BC) region to
facilitate discussions and provide recommendations for supporting economic clusters.
Cawley Point Overview Marine Effects Assessment, TELUS Inc. - Engagement Lead. Led key
informant interviews to gather expert opinions about impacts of marine vessel traffic on local
conservation values, especially marine mammals, at Cawley Point in shishalh Nation Territory.
State of Knowledge Study on Finfish Aquaculture Effluent and Waste Collection, Fisheries and
Oceans Canada - Senior Social Scientist. Led development of interview schedule for expert
interviews, interview transcription, analysis using QDA Miner Lite software, and results summary for final
reporting.
Neptune Bulk Terminals Berth 2 Expansion Offsetting - Senior Social Scientist. Supported
Neptune’s engagement with Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish Nations and Musqueam Indian Band to
identify priorities and objectives for marine habitat offsetting within Burrard Inlet as part of the client’s
Fisheries Act Authorization (FAA) application.
Forests & Livelihoods for Sustainable Development (ForLives), UBC Forestry.
Nov 2016 - Dec 2018
Program Director
Led multi-agency, inter-disciplinary research cluster on ‘Forests and Livelihoods for the UN Sustainable
Development Goals’ (ForLives). Collaboratively defined a research and knowledge mobilization agenda
including translating research into policy briefing series. Secured competitive project financing. Collaborated
with international organizations.
Master of International Forestry (MIF) Program, UBC Forestry
July 2014 - Jan 2017
Program Lecturer and Coordinator
Led and launched new graduate degree programme. Devised curricula for a range of course topics including
forests and Indigenous peoples, participatory methods, climate change. Co-led grant applications to support
scholarships for African and Indian graduate students. Ranked in top tier of faculty for teaching (2015/16).
AFRICAD, UBC Forestry
July 2008 - June 2014
Co-founder and Managing Director
Led and launched interdisciplinary research and teaching group, the Africa Forests Research Initiative on
Conservation & Development (AFRICAD). Co-managed 22 project sites in five African countries. Financial
oversight to $1.46M of grants. Mobilized knowledge with African and European policymakers.
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CERTIFICATES AND TRAINING
• San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, 2024
• Tools for Stronger Argument & Clearer Writing, International Association for Impact Assessment, 2023
• Indigenous Consultation and Engagement, Indigenous Corporate Training, 2022
• Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Corporate Training, 2022
• Project Management, Tracy Page Consulting, 2015
• Leadership: Communication and Conflict Resolution, Possibil Consulting, 2015
• Structured Decision Making, Compass Resource Management, 2013
SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
• Hajjar R, Newton P, Timko JA. 2021. Levers for alleviating poverty in forests. Forest Policy and
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Economics 132: 102589.
Oldekop JA, Gabay M, Timko JA, Stoian D. 2021. A framework for analysing contextual factors shaping
forest-poverty dynamics. Forest Policy and Economics 132, 102591.
IUFRO World Series - Global Assessment Report. 2020. Forests, Trees and the Eradication of Poverty:
Potential and Limitations. Volume 39. Vienna. 240p. Contributing Author – 2 chapters.
Timko J, et al. 2018. A policy nexus approach to forests and the SDGs: tradeoffs and synergies. Current
Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 34: 7-12.
Timko J, Kozak RA. 2016. The influences of an improved firewood cookstove, Chitetzo mbaula, on tree
species preference in Malawi. Energy for Sustainable Development 33: 53-60.
Timko JA, et al. 2015. Using a community-driven approach to identify local forest and climate change
priorities in Teslin, Yukon. Cogent Social Sciences 1(1).
Timko JA, Kozak RA. 2014. Using a gender perspective to explore forest dependence in HIV/AIDSaffected Malawian households. Population & Environment 35(4): 441-454.
Timko JA. 2013. Exploring forest-related coping strategies and innovations for alleviating the HIV/AIDS
burden on rural Malawian households. International Forestry Review 15(2): 230-240.
Timko JA, et al. 2010. The socio-economic contribution of non-timber forest products to rural livelihoods
in Sub-Saharan Africa: knowledge gaps and new directions. International Forestry Review 12(3):
284-294.
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