Andi Hutchinson sits on the back of aboat with her red life jacket on and a rain jacket looking very happy as the boat zooms around on the central coast.

I am the current Lab Manager and Research Associate in the ACS Lab. I support graduate and PhD students in their work, and coordinate daily operations. This includes organizing sample processing to training volunteers to maintaining equipment and datasets. In particular, I am involved in continuing work on our long-term  wildlife projects.

My relationship with the ACS Lab started in 2023 when I worked as a field technician for the Heiltsuk Remote Camera Project, which sparked my passion for conservation science and fieldwork. Since then, I’ve been privileged to contribute to other significant projects, including the Bear Project and the Heiltsuk Wolf Project.

I also completed my undergraduate Honours research in the lab. My project focused on analyzing data from the Bear Project dataset. I examined what factors underlie the variation in salmon consumption by grizzly bears.

I completed my BSc in Geography (Honours) from the University of Victoria in 2024. I am thrilled to continue to work and learn alongside such a talented and passionate group of people here at the ACS lab.