Mélanie M. Brochu (she/her/elle) is a Wolastoqewi MSc student in Biology co-supervised by Dr. Vivian Nguyen and Dr. Kyle Plotsky. She holds a BSc in Biology from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. During her undergraduate studies, she explored how Indigenous ecological knowledges can inform biodiversity protection programs at the local and provincial levels. Her current research, as part of the TRIA-FoR and Community-driven Stewardship projects, focuses on co-designing a community-based monitoring framework with partners at Sakitawak IPCA in northern Saskatchewan. The project aims to protect wild rice, while also addressing a novel moth invasion. Mélanie’s research interests include Indigenous-led stewardship, collaborative conservation practice and knowledge braiding across Western and Indigenous sciences.