Dr. Don Carruthers Den Hoed was raised in the foothills of Alberta in Treaty 7 Territory. Of mixed Dutch and British Loyalist ancestry, he grew up in a tight rural community that hiked, camped, explored, and appreciated nature throughout the mountains, prairies, and beyond. Today, he is grateful to live, work, and play on Nexwlélexwm (Bowen Island), where he and Rebecca garden, raise chickens and bees, and help their two awesome kids become good adults.

Don worked for nearly three decades in government parks — first as an interpreter and educator, then in outreach and inclusion, and finally as a land manager and researcher. He left government for academia in 2018 to complete his PhD in interdisciplinary studies, followed by a post-doc in sustainability and conservation at Mount Royal University. His work focused on the role of nature at end-of-life, Stoney cultural monitoring of bison, and transformative parks and conservation leadership (CPCIL). Now a part-time Research Associate at UBC, his scholarship focuses on increasing openness to ethical space and Indigenous knowledge, reconnecting people with nature, holistic conservation, and equity and inclusion in parks and protected areas research and management.

In his role at the IISAAK OLAM Foundation, Don directs the Braiding Knowledges program, which encompasses numerous projects and gatherings. Initiatives under this program support government and non-profit decision-makers as allies of Indigenous-led conservation and the ethical and impactful sharing of Indigenous knowledge in area-based conservation.