Cheryl Ng: Instructor
An ardent nature lover and visionary thinker, Cheryl dreams of building a more sustainable world through connecting urbanites to nature and mainstreaming social & environmental stewardship. Having worked in environmental education & engagement for 6 years in Singapore, the UK, and Canada, she brings her adaptability and cultural sensitivity to her roles as Engagement Coordinator and Program Coordinator at UBC Forestry. Cheryl currently leads the Cool ‘Hood Champs program in Vancouver, which has trained over 100 local residents to become climate champions in their neighbourhoods since 2020. In response to widespread interest in the program, she and her team are now working on scaling up this program across BC and Canada in the coming years. When not in the office, Cheryl can be found singing her way up BC mountains, cycling around Vancouver’s lovely greenways, or bouldering at the local gyms.
Dr. Stephen Sheppard: Co-instructor
Stephen Sheppard, PhD., ASLA, is a Professor in Forest Resources Management at the University of British Columbia, teaching landscape and climate change planning, community engagement, and visualization. He has served as Director of UBC’s Bachelor of Urban Forestry program and directs the Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP), an interdisciplinary research group which works with communities on developing climate change and energy solutions. He has over 30 years of experience in environmental assessment, aesthetics, landscape planning and public involvement. He has published four books, including Visualizing Climate Change from Earthscan/Routledge. His research interests include engaging citizens in low-carbon resilient communities, sea-level rise planning, energy effects of urban forests, and videogames as an educational tool on climate change. He leads UBC’s Research Cluster of Excellence on Cool Tools: Social Mobilization on Climate Change using Digital Tools.
