ORGANISERS
Sponsored by the Wildlife Festival, the OFNC/Fletcher Wildlife Garden
and the Canadian Museum of Nature
This is the third in a series of annual workshops that take place during
the Wildlife Festival, a regional celebration of National Wildlife Week.
Each workshop highlights current issues in wildlife conservation. In
2005, the workshop will feature organisations and individuals who will
share with you the challenges and opportunities they've encountered
through their engagement in protecting wild places.
Biographical Information
Alan Aldred, private land
owner
Diane Aldred was raised from birth on a large family farm beside
Breckenridge Creek, near Luskville, Quebec. She grew up in a natural
wonderland consisting of the Creek itself, the Ottawa River shore,
mixed woodland, cliffs, wetlands and rich open pasture. Nature was
the predominant theme and her happiest place. Diane's career began
as a highschool teacher in Ottawa and Toronto. Later she turned
to local history research in Aylmer, Quebec and vicinity. She published
four books on Aylmer's heritage buildings and life in Aylmer's early
days. Upon returning to the family farm, she set out on the dream
of protecting the diverse and beautiful property as a wild space.
A six-year drive resulted in the creation of the Breckenridge Creek
Nature Preserve in 2002, now under the auspices of the Nature Conservancy
of Canada. Diane passed away in 2003 having realized her dream.
Her husband, Alan Aldred, supported the creation of the Preserve
and now cooperates with the Conservancy and other partners, including
the Museum of Nature, in its management. Alan is a forest ecologist
by profession.
Peter
Hannah, MCIP, RPP, Rideau Waterway Land Trust
Peter is a land use planner with J.L. Richards & Associates
Limited and has over 30 years of experience working within Ontario's
planning system. Recognizing that the regulatory approach to land
conservation was not always successful, he became involved in facilitating
voluntary conservation efforts of private land owners through a
land trust. He has been involved with Rideau Waterway Land Trust
for eight years, serving as President for the last five. He is also
a member of the Board of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA).
Mike
Loewen, PEng, M.A.Sc, ECOS Environmental Committee of Ottawa South
Mike Loewen is an elementary school teacher, professional engineer
and water quality expert with over 15 years of experience in the
environmental field. He is currently the Co-chair of the Environmental
Committee of Ottawa South (ECOS). ECOS's mandate is to safeguard
and restore the environment in Old Ottawa South through community
participation. For the past 10 years ECOS has worked in cooperation
with the City of Ottawa, RVCA and the Canadian Museum of Nature
to cleanup and restore the shoreline and fish habitat of the Rideau
River in Old Ottawa South.
Maria
MacRae, Canadian Wildlife Federation
Maria began work with the Canadian Wildlife Federation in 1995.
At the end of her first year, she took a three-year leave of absence
to work on a conservation project in Papua New Guinea. Upon her
return in 1999 she became the Coordinator of CWF's Backyard Habitat
Programs. Maria looks after the Golden Gardens funding program,
Backyard Habitat Certification Program, CWF demonstration gardens,
and Wild About Gardening website. She also writes for Canadian Wildlife
and creates posters and other education materials for the program.
These responsibilities allow her to share her fascination for all
types of wildlife, from beetles and bats to birds, with the public.
Jackie
Oblak, Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee
Jackie has been a member of the Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory
Committee, for the City of Ottawa since fall of 2001. She is an
environmental educator with the Ottawa Carleton District School
Board's Outdoor Education Centres. Jackie was a founding member
of the Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust (HPELT), based in Belleville,
Ontario. Since its creation this community based land trust has
received land donations and is working towards permanent protection
of the south shore area of Prince Edward County, one of the last
Lake Ontario coastline areas which is relatively undisturbed.
Frank
Pope, Chair, Alfred Bog Committee
Although Frank Pope spent his working life at Statistics Canada
he has had a lifelong interest in nature. The Alfred Bog Committee
was formed in 1985 when he, as President of The Ottawa Field- Naturalists'
Club, and Charles Sauriol of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, convened
a meeting of people concerned about protecting Alfred Bog. Pope
was named Chair at that meeting and has continued in the position.
Norm Ruttan
Norm
Ruttan, Thousand Islands - Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve
Norm Ruttan has worked as the Executive Director of the new Frontenac
Arch Biosphere Reserve and as a Park Superintendent, Visitor Services
Manager and Chief Park Naturalist with Parks Canada. Early in his
career Norm also worked as a High School Science and Biology Teacher
in Hamilton, Niagara Falls and Fonthill, Ontario. Norm has a B.A.
(Science) and an Honours Bachelor of Science (Ecology) from the
University of Western Ontario along with a teaching degree from
the University of Toronto.
DISPLAYS
The workshop featured displays from the following organisations:
• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
• Canadian Wildlife Federation
• Club des ornithologues de l'Outaouais
• ECOS Environmental Committee of Ottawa South
• Fletcher Wildlife Garden
• Ontario Land Trust Alliance
• Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
• Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee
• Parks Canada
• Wetland Habitat Fund
• Wildlife Festival
