Ayla Peacock (Photo courtesy Ayla Peacock)

Ayla Peacock

Ayla Peacock is the lead invasive species technician for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in Alberta. In this role, she oversees invasive species management within the Waterton and Castle Crowsnest Watershed Natural Areas and is focused on developing and implementing an integrated approach to invasive species management. Ayla is committed to building meaningful relationships with landowners, local conservation organizations and governments, as well as the community at large to conserve biodiversity on the unique landscapes of southwest Alberta.

Ayla started with NCC in July 2022. Conservation and ecological integrity have always been a priority for her, both personally and professionally, which made joining NCC an easy decision. Her love for southwest Alberta and all that it offers fuels her passion to conserve it.

Ayla earned her bachelor of science degree in physical geography from the University of Victoria in April 2022 and joined NCC soon after. Her passion for invasive species management began while she was working as an environmental technician for the Municipality of the Crowsnest Pass. In this role, she was a provincial weed inspector and would assess properties within the municipality for invasive species and work with landowners to develop management strategies. While in university, Ayla worked for the University of Victoria’s Ecological Restoration Club as their director, under the guidance of Dr. Nancy Shackelford. This involved coordinating and executing community ecological restoration events while adhering to site-specific restoration designs and keeping project timelines on track.

When she’s not hunting for invasive species, you can almost always find Ayla playing in the mountains of southwest Alberta, either skiing, biking or deep inside a cave.