Brenda was born and grew up in Jasper National Park. She now lives on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.

She goes by Guiled, Guild, and Guild Gillespie.
'Guiled', however it's spelled, rhymes with "child", "mild", "wild","riled!".
She's often called Beguiled.

Brenda has an B.Sc. in honours zoology and an M.Sc. in environmental education, which she taught while working on curriculum research, development, and evaluation.

She's married to a geotechnical engineer, with whom she's raised two children. She teaches "The Karate Kid" form of karate (with a 3rd degree black belt) to several dozen students at her own dojo.

photo by Don Gillespie
'08 Sep 30

She has numerous publications as Brenda Guild (said "Guiled", rhymes with wild) and Brenda Guild Gillespie.

Green Pilgrims Guide to the Southern Gulf Islands, published June 2006.

She wrote opinion-page columns for three community newspapers, from 1994 - 2005, reaching ~80,000 doorsteps each week.

On Stormy Seas: The Triumphs and Torments of Captain George Vancouver, Horsdal & Schubart, 1992.

The Riverview Lands: Western Canada's First Botanical Garden, co-edited with Val Adolph, Riverview Horticultural Centre Society, 1994.

ENCORE: A Program of Environmental Studies, co-authored with Patricia Keays, BC Mininistry of Parks and Recreation - first prize winner in North America-wide curriculum contest, 1975.

She has worked as a graphic artist, preparing many written and illustrated works for publication.
This includes work as a technical illustrator, principally of fishes and shellfishes .
These images are widely published and disseminated.

To see samples of her fish and shellfish illustrations:
http://www.chartingnature.com/gillespie.cfm%20

Brenda's updated website will include family history.
Please note that the names of some living kin have been changed. Available thus far:
Guild forebears
Grandma & Grandad
Cousin Mae
Parents' love story
Mom & Dad's full story
Mom's parents' story
McKinlay forebears