Gabriella Richardson is an anthropologist at heart who is interested in researching multispecies relationships and environmental issues such as climate change and species conservation. In October, 2023 Gabriella completed her Master of Arts in Public Issues Anthropology at the University of Guelph. Her Master’s thesis examines people’s perceptions of jaguars and their conservation in Amazonian Ecuador and is based on 10 weeks of participant observation and interviews with rescue-center workers, volunteers, conservations, the Indigenous Shuar Nation, and farmers. Gabriella has also contributed to the Mountains as Homelands chapter in the Canadian Mountain Assessment, the first assessment of mountain systems in Canada which incorporates Indigenous knowledge and academic literature. 

Gabriella has experience in community-engaged work. She is a Volunteer Program Manager at Up and Running Guelph, an organization that supports green exercise. She has led community fundraising initiatives over the past 4 years to support communities in Cameroon, Papua New Guinea, and Nicaragua. Gabriella has also designed and implemented environmental education programs at Los Jaguares Rescue Centre in Macas, Ecuador and Christian Island Elementary school on Christian Island (G’Chimnissing) in Ontario, Canada. 

Gabriella looks forward to doing community-based research and learning with the First Nations that Gakino’amaage serves.