Our Staff

Scott Bernstein is the Executive Director of Be the Change Earth Alliance. He developed a passion for the environment through camping adventures with his family and living in rural Wisconsin as an adult. Scott grew up in the Chicago Suburbs, on the traditional territory of the Peroria and Potawatomi people and migrated to Canada in 2006. He is lawyer in Vancouver, Canada, and the former Executive Director of MAPS Canada. As a lawyer, Scott has participated in strategic litigation focused on advancing human rights of people who use drugs, including appearing at the Supreme Court of Canada. Previously, he worked with the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition as Director of Policy supporting drug policy reforms including legal regulation, decriminalization, and expansion of harm reduction and with the Global Drug Policy Program of Open Society Foundations, where he supported collaboration within a global reform movement targeted at the 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session through grant-making, policy expertise and strategic planning, as well as supporting a nascent drug policy reform movement in Africa.

Scott has a M.S. in Land Resources from the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison, a J.D. with a specialization in Environmental Law from the University of British Columbia, and a certificate in social justice-oriented mediation. He spends his spare time co-parenting his young son, playing board games, cooking, and visiting his off-grid yurt on the Gulf Islands.

From his roots in Nova Scotia, traditional Mi’kma’ki territory, Jake has walked through the last 10+ years as a social and environmental justice activist on his journey through becoming a change-maker. He holds a Combined Honours B.A. in Sociology and Environmental Sustainability, Minor in Philosophy from Dalhousie University.

 Jake finds himself inspired by the depth of the human experience, and our sacred capacity to heal ourselves, each other and our earth through intention and practice of profound relationships between our inner and outer worlds. For Jake, climate change and the increasingly chaotic feedback from the destruction of our biosphere in the external world, is mirrored by the health of our individual and collective inner worlds which are at the root of the culture and systems whose rhythms are misaligned with the cadence of our local and climatic ecosystems. Right now, he is on a path of becoming a healer, who can assist others in rebuilding the way we relate to our ‘self,’ others and the environment, to serve humanity by helping to unlock and empower our greatest potential, for a better life and world rooted in love and an uncompromised willingness to coexist.

Jake is a musician, energy worker, practiced facilitator and experienced political campaigner for local climate solutions and policy. He has seen local victories across Metro Vancouver, working with communities to elect climate leaders and win motions in several cities declaring climate emergency and adopting rigid greenhouse gas reduction targets (IPCC, Net-Zero by 2050). As a volunteer with Greenpeace, SeaWolves, and Stand. Earth, he has taken non-violent direct action and been arrested and charged twice to stop construction of the TransMountain pipeline, disrupted a press conference with Prime Minister Trudeau and confronted the world’s largest companies for deforestation practices. Jake takes action on climate and environment in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and acknowledges his occupation of unceded ancestral territory of Coast Salish Peoples. 

Kelvin Lee joined Be the Change Earth Alliance in January 2020, as the Operations Coordinator. He has a Bachelor of Art’s degree in Labour Studies with a Certificate of Social Justice from Simon Fraser University. After working in the automotive industry for three years, he is excited about the opportunity to educate others and help change their perspectives about climate change. His passion for social justice and climate change was fueled by his education which largely focused on migrant labour. He understands that education and awareness are key in the fight against climate change. In his spare time, he volunteers with new immigrants to help acclimate them and is interested in photography.

Anna grew up in Jasper National Park on the Beaver, Cree, Ojibway, Secwépemc, Stoney, and Métis territories where her passion and love for nature developed. In 2019 she graduated from McGill University with a bachelor’s in psychology and environmental studies, specifically focusing on environmental health. While in Montreal, Anna worked with the non-profit Youth Fusion to guide students through creating a project based on environmental design.
Anna is interested in encouraging and supporting the young change-makers who are passionate about social and environmental issues and are ready to take action. She is excited to reduce the sense of climate grief through agency and action.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, card games, and being outdoors in all forms: hiking, biking, canoeing, and relaxing on the beach!

Caroline spent her early years just outside of Ottawa on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation and developed an interest in climate justice during her teenage years living in
Bangladesh and Indonesia. She has also resided within the Dish with One Spoon Territory of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Peoples, having received a B.A. in International Development Studies
from the University of Toronto and an M.A. in Geography from the University of Guelph. While she recognizes her role as a settler, she is grateful for the lesson of the dish with one spoon and keeps it in
mind as she works to contribute to the environmental justice movement.

Caroline is excited to help empower youth and provide them with the support and resources needed to contribute to social and environmental movements. She looks forward to engaging with students in the classroom and learning more about what they need to participate and be successful in collective and
individual action.

In her free time, Caroline is an avid reader and enjoys walking, cooking, and spending time with family.

Lucy Wicken is a life-long Vancouverite who is passionate about all things social and environmental justice, cities, and where to find the best matcha latte in Vancouver. She is a BA graduate of Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice Studies and Sociology from the University of British Columbia and comes to the position with experience in communications, youth engagement, and gender equity in urban planning spaces. Passionate about intersectional community planning, Lucy has worked and volunteered with local community organizations in Vancouver such as CityHive, Women Transforming Cities, and UBC CAPACity. In her free time, Lucy enjoys roaming the great outdoors, spending time with her black lab Charlie, and planning her next international travels. Lucy is thrilled to use her experience to connect with students, teachers, and the broader community to increase knowledge about environmental justice in BC.

Dayna Margetts is a mother, settler, activist, and educator. She has spent the past 19 years teaching middle and high school science in Kelowna, BC. Through her Masters studies in the field of Environmental Practice, she has come to see how important education is in working for a just and sustainable future for all beings. Her personal experiences as an educator have provided her with the opportunity to explore and experiment with transformative teaching practices. She is eager to help educators and the youth they work with thrive in the face of much instability and uncertainty through dialogue and critical reflection. Dayna finds joy in watching her daughter chase the family dog around the yard, and enjoys yoga, reading, and sipping on a hot oat milk latte.

Kristen is the Education Program Assistant with Be The Change. She grew up in a rural community in the interior of so-called British Columbia on unceded Secwepemc Territory. Growing up, she spent her time swimming in the river, riding horses, and caring for livestock. Kristen developed a passion for social and environmental justice through her work in local food systems as a farmer and consultant. She has spent the majority of her career working in regenerative agriculture with an emphasis on food sovereignty and organic food production. In recent years, Kristen has shifted into working with youth as a Mountain Bike Coach and Sustainability Coordinator for a youth organization in her hometown. She enjoys the marvel of seeing children form a connection and appreciation for the natural world.

Recognizing that education is a key component for driving action, she is excited about the opportunity to engage with youth in a meaningful way and empower them to contribute to social and environmental justice.

In her spare time she still enjoys swimming in the river, as well as riding bikes and laughing with her friends.