Rabeya Shikdar Orpa

Rabeya Shikdar Orpa

Board Director

Rabeya is focusing on a restoration project regarding native plant species re-introduction in post-mine environments (tailings and overburden). Her objective is to gain valuable insight into the process of amendment and fertilizer application to facilitate the native species growth and eventually biodiversity enrichment. Rabeya shares the values of hope, resilience, and reciprocity that are essential to the work of Sierra Club BC.

Rabeya is grateful to be able to conduct her research in Kamloops, a traditional and unceded ancestral lands of the Secwépemc Nation, specifically the territory of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. Her ancestry traces back to Bangladesh, where she was born, raised, and completed her undergraduate studies in Soil, Water, and Environment Science. The rivers, the land, and the tropical ecosystem of Bangladesh have shaped her earliest connection to nature.

In her time at TRU she has also run a campaign as an “Equity Committee Executive” nominee. Rabeya is passionate about being an EDI advocate, focusing on integrating natural resources and human resources. More often, human resources and the natural environment are separated. Like Sierra Club BC, Rabeya believes that these are in fact interconnected and that without one, it’s impossible to take care of the other. Rabeya has also been exploring the integration of scientific knowledge and Indigenous Ecological knowledge, taking cultural narratives and scientific evidence into sustainability-related projects. Rabeya also has a diversity of experiences that will support her work as a board director, including organizing events, fundraising, as well as hosting and facilitating inclusive learning spaces.

Rabeya would like to thank all the non-profit organizations working relentlessly for the environment and sustainability. Like them, she joins them in rooting for a greener future.