Natural Leaders

Temily McCutcheon

Raised as a rambunctious young girl in the outback of Australia (actually the capital city of Western Australia, Perth), Temily came to appreciate nature at a very tender age. Home schooling for a term of every school year, Tem and her family would travel over to Canada and boat all over the West Coast. Filling up her days with fishing, kayaking, swimming, exploring, spelunking and hiking she sure got her fair share of adventure! Back at home, Temily jumped at the chance to swim on the sunny days and go sliding down muddy hills on the rainy ones. At the age of 12, her family packed up and decided to move to British Columbia… but not before traveling around North America for a year in a RV to get a sense of their new home. After a year of seeing the sites, settling down and hanging out with kids her own age was a high priority! The McCutcheon’s settled in Victoria, where Temily started her new Canadian life and schooling at Glenlyon Norfolk School. Finding her niche with the Child and Nature Alliance was a perfect fit, and she looks forward to spending her time doing something she loves while inspiring others to love it just the same!

Anna Juchau

Throughout Anna’s life, she’s been exploring the beauties of the natural world. After living most of her life in California, she moved to Victoria to experience the wonders of Canadian life. Though the change was a big one, she easily adapted to the happy-go-lucky lifestyle. Anna enjoys biking and kayaking around Victoria, playing in the snow, rowing, and picnicking on Gonzales Hill. The things Anna likes to do most, though, is enjoy life and help others enjoy life. She volunteers all around Victoria through organizations such as TLC and her high school Round Square. Anna joined the Child Nature Alliance to put her passion about the world around her to good use. She has no idea what she’s going to do with her life, but she enjoys going with where the current takes her. She looks forward to working with the Child and Nature Alliance to help other youth enjoy the natural world as she does. 

Melissa Gerrard

Melissa is passionate about sharing her love of nature and the outdoors with youth and adults alike.  She was raised with the belief that protecting and enjoying nature is an essential component to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Inspired by her family’s love for the outdoors and the many hiking, camping and biking expeditions they took throughout her childhood, Melissa applied to the Trek Outdoor Education Program in Gr.10.  Trek is a program that combines traditional schooling with leadership training, practical outdoor education and environmental education.  During this amazing experience, her eyes were opened to the environmental problems we face today as well as solutions and actions that we can take to reduce our impact on the Earth.  She believes that we will only conserve what we love and we will only love what we know and understand.  Therefore ensuring that people get outside, enjoy nature and feel a connection towards it is extremely important to her. So getting involved in the NLA was a perfect fit!  She also spends her time working for FUN Society running their environmental leadership day camps, participating in her school’s Sustainable Action Committee, volunteering at First United Church on the Downtown Eastside, dancing up a storm and of course getting outdoors as much as humanly possible!