Robin & Sylvia Campbell
Scholarship to Benefit Wildlife 2025
Recipients Announced

The Robin & Sylvia Campbell Scholarship to Benefit Wildlife is awarded annually to five university students pursuing careers in wildlife conservation and environmental conservation.
These recipients exemplify passion, excellence, and dedication in their studies and future goals. The scholarship is designed to support and recognize emerging leaders who are committed to preserving our planet’s wildlife and natural ecosystems.
Meet The 2025 Recipients

Meghan MacIsaac
Meghan currently works as NIRWA’s summer wildlife garden caretaker and has been a volunteer in NIRWA’s wildlife garden since 2018. She has over a decade of experience within the biotechnology and manufacturing fields. Since moving to the Island from the mainland in 2017, Meghan has set her focus on the environmental field and furthering her education in Environmental Practice, where she is now halfway through working towards her Master’s. Meghan holds a BSc in biology and certified in environmental monitoring from the University of Northern British Columbia. She also volunteers for Save Estuary Land Society and loves to garden and learning about plants!

Jayden Emery
Wildlife conservation has been a lifelong passion for Jayden, beginning in childhood as she explored the creek behind her home in the Comox Valley and participated in programs like Earth Rangers and Scouts. After moving to Nanoose Bay, her dedication to the environment led her to begin volunteering with the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre in 2019, where she has since grown into the role of a youth mentor in the Green Teen program. She has also brought her environmental values into her current workplace, contributing to sustainability efforts through their programs. Currently, she is employed by RLC Park Services at Englishman River Falls and Little Qualicum Falls, where she conducts park patrols. At the same time, she is studying in the Resource Management Officer Technology diploma program at Vancouver Island University, with plans to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Protection by 2027. As she builds her career in environmental conservation, her focus remains on giving back to the Oceanside community that has supported her along the way. She looks forward to the opportunities the future holds.

Laura Kennedy
Laura has harbored a deep love for animals since childhood, having grown up surrounded by dogs and cats and frequently watching documentaries about large carnivores such as wolves and lions. Her fascination with wild animals was sparked during a visit to Toronto, where she observed a raccoon family on a rooftop—an experience that left a lasting impression. This passion for nature led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Geography at the University of Calgary. Driven by a desire to support local wildlife, she later enrolled in a Master’s program at Royal Roads University, where she is currently conducting a post-release monitoring study of rehabilitation-reared raccoons. Her research focuses on collecting preliminary data regarding the survival, movement patterns, and causes of mortality among orphaned raccoons. The goal is to inform best practices that improve the survival rates of juveniles released back into the wild. As urbanization, habitat loss, and climate change continue to increase the frequency and complexity of human-wildlife interactions, the field of wildlife rehabilitation is gaining importance. Grounded in the welfare of individual animals—caring for the sick, orphaned, and injured—it also emphasizes education and advocacy, providing broader benefits for animal ecology, conservation, and human-wildlife coexistence. Laura remains committed to promoting urban wildlife coexistence and conflict mitigation, as well as fostering public support for wild animal welfare and urban conservation initiatives. She also intends to continue volunteering or working in wildlife rehabilitation and to stay actively involved in local habitat restoration projects.

Carys E. Hughes
Carys is entering her second year as a student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. She hopes to find opportunities as a future vet to work in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation with a focus on veterinary medicine and education. Raised in Nova Scotia, Carys relocated to Vancouver Island in 2019 with her family to pursue university studies. Naturally falling in love with this beautiful island, she now calls Nanaimo home. While studying at the University of Victoria, she participated in a practicum at the BC SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre, earning a certificate from the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree in 2023, she travelled to Australia to gain further experience in wildlife rehabilitation, working on an island in Queensland caring for and releasing injured sea turtles. Carys has benefited from opportunities over the past five years to study, work and volunteer in marine science research and in aquaculture in British Columbia and Alberta. Carys is a member of several clubs at vet school in Saskatchewan, including the Wildlife Disease Association and the Wild and Exotic Animal Medicine Club. One of her favourite activities last year was capturing, banding and releasing Saw-Whet Owls. She is currently working at a local vet clinic in Nanaimo for the summer, learning about small animal veterinary practices. These varied experiences have cemented Carys’s passion to build a career and volunteer path in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation, both on Vancouver Island and internationally.

Donald Miller
Donald Miller is a recent graduate of the Resource Management Officer Technology diploma program at Vancouver Island University and is continuing his education by pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Natural Resource Protection at the same institution. He is sincerely grateful for this award, which will greatly support his efforts and passion for conservation. He is currently working in Valemount, BC as an Aquatic Invasive Species Inspector with the Conservation Officer Service of BC , where he helps ensure that all watercraft entering BC are thoroughly inspected to prevent the spread of invasive species by both commercial and recreational vessels.
