Expo 2024 Speakers and Workshops

For over 40 years Jeff Thompson has been a thought leader in Garden Design, Restoration and Native Plant Propagation in Canada. He established Native Plant Source, Ontario's oldest native plant nursery in 1996. His focus has been creating Beautiful, Award Winning, Sustainable and Purposeful Landscapes. Current projects include recreating habitat for threatened species and creating pollinator habitat for local communities and schools.

Ben is an ecologist by training and currently co-Executive Director of the Global Institute of Forest Therapy. For 12 years, he lived in an off-the-grid set up, tracking endangered Blue Racer Snakes and recovery habitat. He now lives in London, ON in an urban property where he has brought back 250 species of native plants.

Janice Ninham is Bear Clan from Oneida Nation of the Thames. She is currently in the Master and Apprentice program paired up with Oneida fluent speaker, Kowaklit Perkins. Janice has been on this language learning journey to become a fluent speaker herself and has completed 4 terms with Master and Apprentice program. She will finish her next round soon through N’Amerind Friendship Centre.   

Janice deeply values ethical and safe space so she can meaningfully share what she has learned on her language journey. Outside of work she is a mother of 4 children who mean the world to her. She enjoys mentoring, guiding, and being there for them to help and shape them into the adults they may become.

The work of reconnection with self, other and the more than human world is the foundation of Dr. Porchuk’s career in consulting and as the Co-Ed of the Global Institute of Forest Therapy, where she supports the work of culture and leadership. She holds a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Social Media

Romola Porchuk PhD. | LinkedIn

Amy Hall - Carolinian Canada: Amy Hall is the Manager of Ecosystem Recovery at Carolinian Canada. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the University of Guelph and is currently completing her Masters of Climate Change at the University of Waterloo. Amy has worked as an ecologist in the environmental sector for several years and has had the privilege of working with a wide diversity of flora and fauna in many rare habitats across the Carolinian Zone. Through her work with Carolinian Canada, Amy has been co-creating the Southern Ontario Seed Strategy in collaboration with a collective of over 60 organizations and experts.

Carole Smith - Kayanase: Carole is Mohawk, Turtle Clan who joined the Grand River Employement and Training Inc (GRETI) team in 2012 and came to Kayanase in 2015. With a background in construction contract administration, project management, and office management, Carole supports the Greenhouse and Ecological Restoration initiatives taking place at Kayanase. She represents Kayanase with the Ontario Native Plant Growers Association and is a participant in the SOSS development forum.

Sarah Winterton - Carolinian Canada: Sarah Winterton’s work with Carolinian Canada focuses on growing a restoration economy in southern Ontario that supports and respects native plants. She is currently helping to develop a southern Ontario native seed strategy and Carolinian Canada’s Conservation Impact Bond. Throughout her thirty plus years in Ontario’s environmental not-for-profit sector, Sarah has worked on a wide range of environmental issues and explored her passion for program design in her roles with WWF-Canada, Environmental Defence, Ontario Nature, and others. She has launched a variety of programs that engage Canadians, including In the Zone: Gardens that help native species thrive, Living Planet @ Campus, Living Planet @ School, Go Wild Community Grants, BlueGreen Canada and Blue Flag Canada. Learning about and gardening with native plants has become a lifelong journey for Sarah, along with her passion for making art, exploring nature, and spending time with family and friends.

Jarmila Becka Lee - WWF-Canada: Jarmila manages programs that engage Canadians in hands-on conservation action, especially in urban areas. During her time at WWF-Canada, Jarmila has worked on many conservation initiatives including advising Loblaw on its 100% sustainable seafood commitment and managing WWF’s species-at-risk work including the long-running Endangered Species Recovery Fund.

Jennifer Nantais - Carolinian Canada: Jennifer helps foster connections between science, community and business for an equitable, sustainable future in the spirit and practice of reconciliation. As the Program Specialist, she works to protect and promote healthy ecosystems and track impact through the In the Zone program; strategize to preserve native plants and seeds through the Southern Ontario Seed Strategy; and help lead the way in a restoration economy through the award-winning Conservation Impact Bond. Her work seeks to strengthen relationships between native plants, biodiversity, the land, and each other.

Larry McDermott, Algonquin from Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, is the Executive Director of Plenty Canada. He was a Commissioner for the Ontario Human Rights Commission and was on provincial and national recovery teams for the American Eel. He's currently a member of numerous organizations, including the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network.

Social Media:

Plenty Canada (@plentycanadaofficial) • Instagram photos and videos

Plenty Canada | Facebook

Dylan has been a greenhouse technician at Maajiigin Gumig for a number of years. He recieved his formal education at Sir Sandford Fleming College in the Ecosystem Management Technician and Technologists programs. His familial ties are to Serpent River First Nations, where his Dad and Grandparents are from. He’s currently on the board of directors for Lambton Wildlife. He’s super passionate about food sovereignty, ecology and restoration.

Social Media

Aamjiwnaang Greenhouse - Maajiigin Gumig "Place where plants start to grow" (facebook.com)

Aamjiwnaang Greenhouse, Maajiigin Gumig (@aamjiwnaang.greenhouse) • Instagram photos and videos

Sciensational Sssnakes!! provides hands-on educational programs for all ages about reptiles and amphibians. Their main focus is on native Ontario species. This is a very important topic because reptiles are the most at risk group of animals in our province. Snakes dominate most of our shows for many reasons. They are almost perfectly designed for hands-on activities. They are safe, clean and easy to handle. They are one of the most misunderstood animals on the planet, and suffer greatly because of this lack of knowledge about them.

Social media handles: @scisnake

The London Children’s Museum curates powerful play experiences through immersive environments, authentic materials, and meaningful relationships. As a champion for children, we advocate for their unique perspectives, contributions, and ways of learning.

Ian Fife - Long Point Basin Land Trust: Ian has a Master’s degree in avian ecology with a specialization in Conservation Biology from Trent University. His wildlife experience has primarily focused on birds but also has experience working with fish and small and large mammals. Ian has experience working in all Ontario forest types as well as prairie, Arctic, Hudson Bay Lowland and Carolinian ecosystems.

Social media handles: 

https://www.instagram.com/lpblt/

https://www.facebook.com/lpblt

Diamond McGahey - Indigenous Guardian at Deshkan Ziibiing: Diamond McGahey is Turtle Clan from Deshkan Ziibiing (Chippewas of the Thames First Nation). She currently works for her nation as an Indigenous Land Guardian out of the Treaties, Lands & Environment Department. She has been working as a Guardian since November 2022. Her role as a Guardian is to build relationship to their lands and the community, bring back land based teachings, and revitalize their culture.

Social media handles: @cottfnguardians

Taylor Deleary - Indigenous Guardian at Deshkan Ziibiing: Taylor Deleary is from Chippewa of The Thames First Nation. She has been working as an Indigenous Guardian for two years now and within this time, she has been more connected to Mother Earth than ever before. As an Indigenous Guardian, she works to monitor and protect traditional lands through Anishinaabe’ Adziwin (Anishinaabe ways of being). When we take care of the land, the land will take care of us.

Social media handles: @cottfnguardians

Dave Pearce - Wildlands League: Dave leads Wildlands League’s Nature Connectivity Project which envisions a protected and connect network from Windsor to Algonquin Park and Georgian Bay to the Kawarthas. Dave delights in the space where thoughtful use and creative conservation benefit ecosystems and communities. This Ottawa Valley lad is a converted Carolinian fan.

Social media handles: @WildlandsLeague

https://www.facebook.com/WildlandsLeague/?ref=embed_page 

For over two decades, Gillian has raised her voice for Nature. She is a plantswoman, certified seed collector and designer dedicated to reWilding, having planted 100s of acres of pollinator habitat (and counting). Taking cues from the bees she's so passionate about; she stops to smell the flowers, keeping her eye trained on the landscape. Gillian shares ecosystem restoration skills supporting First Nations youth guardianship, she's an eager student of Anishinaabemowin.  

Verlin is of the Crane Clan through the line of Kichi Binessi, of the people of Mishi Bungi Sakahiganing. A US Marine infantryman in his youth, he is now a person of many skills with a focus on enriching the lives of Indigenous youth. He has appeared in the film Night Raiders and in the television production, Outlander. He is most proud of the life and creation Minogin Gitigaanis that he shares with his spouse, Gillian and their cat, Morse.

Twitter / X: @Alter_Edenism

Facebook: @AlterEden

Instagram: @AlterEdenism

Kathleen Holland earned BSc in Biology from Western, worked as a Naturalist for 10 years, and in retirement (from Financial Services), started the YouTube Channel Hiking With Kathleen in 2021, which was made into a TV Show by the same name, on Rogers TV, airing across SW Ontario.

Social Media

Hiking With Kathleen (youtube.com)