Labyrinth Walking: A journey of the body, mind, and soul
Workshop Presenter Bio:
Robert Wakulat
Robert is the Managing Director of Courage Co-Lab Inc., where he connects clients to creative processes. He is also a founding law partner at Wakulat Dhirani LLP, a professional services firm embedded at the Centre for Social Innovation where he focuses on supporting social entrepreneurs working to alleviate social or environmental challenges. Robert has often lead workshops on corporate law and/or creative thinking across the GTA with community-based organizations, public institutions, and businesses. This includes recurring guest instructor roles with the School for Social Entrepreneurs and Toronto Artscape’s Launchpad program for creative entrepreneurs. Robert discovered the labyrinth just over 5 years ago and continues to learn each time he completes a journey to the centre and back.
Nature Through Song
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Magali Meagher & Jon Hayes
Magali Meagher is a musician and the founder and co-director of Girls Rock Camp Toronto, an organization that for the past 9 years creates the conditions for girls and non-binary youth to learn about themselves and others through music-making. Along with her passion for music education, Magali has been a Nature Interpreter at the High Park Nature Centre since 2015 where she teaches inquiry based clubs and curriculum-linked school programs in both French and English. Magali has a Masters in Environmental Studies and is currently a teacher candidate set to graduate in April 2020.
Jon Hayes is an outdoor educator and Programs Director at High Park Nature Centre. Jon began the early years programs at the Nature Centre and brings song into the fold whenever possible. Jon also taught at Toronto Botanical Garden, where he was introduced to ukulele. Jon has a Bachelor of Education and has been connecting people with Nature at High Park Nature Centre since 2006. He is particularly fond of moths, trees and wildflowers.
Getting a Better Sense of Nature
Workshop Presenter Bio:
Jacob Rodenburg
Jacob is an award winning educator who has taught at Trent University for 16 years and has been in the field of outdoor and environmental education for more than 30 years. He is the Executive Director of Camp Kawartha www.campkawartha.ca , a summer camp and outdoor and environment centre education centre. Jacob’s passion is in inspiring advocacy for the environment in children of all ages. Jacob has published a number of articles on children and nature and he co-authored an award winning book called “The Big Book of Nature Activities.” Jacob conceived and spearheaded the construction of one of Canada’s most sustainable buildings at Trent University called the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre. This unique facility teaches children and future teachers about sustainable living practices, alternative energy and conservation. Jacob conceived of an environmental framework for children of all ages. Called the Pathway to Stewardship & Kinship www.pathwayproject.ca this initiative offers a coordinated approach to provide children in our community with the experiences they need in order to become future environmental stewards. Jacob was also part of the steering committee that helped establish the Peterborough/Kawartha/Haliburton area as a designated United Nations University Regional Centre of Expertise in Sustainability Education www.rcekawarthas.com
Trade and Consequences
Workshop Presenter Bio:
Bonnie Anderson
Bonnie Anderson is a Outdoor Education and Wellness Coordinator with the Simcoe County School Board. She facilitates outdoor and experiential programs help others create experiences in their communities and beyond their schoolyards. From Kindergarten play spaces to multidisciplinary outdoor education courses, she works with a wide variety of education professionals to make experiences count towards real learning. Being a change maker for environmental and social change she is happy to do her part to make this world a better place.
Naturally Queer: Celebrating difference through Nature
Workshop Presenter Bio:
Natalie Boustead
Natalie Boustead is Foodshare Toronto’s community + CAMH therapy garden coordinator. Natalie is a queer identified cis woman with over a decade of teaching and urban agriculture experience. She is also a trained life coach and facilitates community workshops on emotional communication skills.
Connecting Students to Nature Through Music
Workshop Presenter Bio:
Tiiu Strutt
Tiiu Strutt is an elementary school teacher with the York Region District School Board. She has experience working with the FDK program, as well as a designated Music Teacher for students K-5. In all of her teaching assignments, she has considered the outdoors her number one teaching tool to connect students to curriculum, and to support developing their relationship to the natural world.
Think Like A Plant Then Grow!
Workshop Presenter Bio:
Robert Patterson (https://www.thegrowingconnection.com/)
Following a 30+ year career with the United Nations (FAO) in Africa, the Caribbean, FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, and Washington, D.C., Robert currently lives in Guadalajara, Mexico, operating a social enterprise called The Growing Connection (Canada) & EcoHuerto (Mexico). TGCompany is dedicated to low-cost, practical solutions to malnutrition and poverty through sustainable food production. TGC builds tools for water-efficient, space-efficient horticulture, builds highly productive gardens, and teaches people, families and institutions how to grow the freshest, tastiest and most nutritious fresh food possible. Robert has built school gardens across Canada and on four continents. Robert is a graduate (M.A., international relations) of the School of International Affairs (Ottawa) and the University of Guelph (B.A., political studies, nutrition). Robert grew up on a mixed/dairy farm in western Quebec, but it is many years since he has tugged an udder.
Grow to Your Room – Making low scale growing accessible in the classroom
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Ranu Hamilton & Rosie Sadoquis
Ranu Hamilton – Field to Table Schools Educator Bio: Ranu has been bringing good food education to life for the past 3yrs through successful programs including the Good Food Machine tower garden, Chefs in the Classroom and MLSE’s Fuel for Fun. Ranu has a passion for cooking with kids, using ultra-local, fresh produce and loves seeing students gain the confidence to give new foods a try.
Rosie Sadoquis – Field to Table Schools Educator Bio: Rosie has the practical experience with growing, cooking and teaching about food in the classroom. She has seen the benefits firsthand, of capturing student’s interest and curiosity in nature based activities and making it relevant to them in their day-to-day lives.
Rooted in the Curriculum
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Laura Penney & Susana Goncalves
Laura is interested in sustainable community development, food, and environmental issues. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Arts in International Development and grew to love gardening through volunteering and working on organic farms in Canada, Senegal, Kenya, and Ghana. In her spare time, Laura enjoys experimenting in the garden and the kitchen, from testing potato towers and making compost tea to trying new recipes and fermenting tempeh. As the Gardens Education Coordinator at Ecosource, she is excited to share her passion for growing food, playing in gardens, and learning from others. Susana loves working with youth. She believes that youth have power to create change in their communities and strives to help guide youth in their action and participation in environmental matters. She is a strong advocate for outdoor education and experiential learning.
Susana has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from York University. In her spare time, you can find Susana hiking along Ontario’s beautiful trails, traveling the world, playing soccer, practicing yoga, or cooking delicious plant-based foods.
The Adventure in Understanding. A perspective on Indigenous Knowledge and Reconciliation in Outdoor Education
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Glen Caradus
Glen Caradus in a Trent Univeristy grad. and works at Camp Kawartha and The Canadian Canoe Museum as a history and outdoor educator. He leads a yearly canoe trip for Indigenous and non Indigenous youth called “An Adventure in Understanding.” Glen is also an “eco-puppeteer” and musician with the “Paddling Puppeteers.” He is most likely to be found in his back yard garden and tree nursury.
Fish Skin Tanning in the Classroom
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Amber Sandy
Amber is the Coordinator of Indigenous Knowledge and Science Outreach at SciXchange. A member of Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation, Amber’s work focuses on integrating Indigenous and western science in her approach to conservation, environmental science and education.
Teaching the Human Dimensions of Climate Change
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Sarah Baillie
Sarah Baillie works for The Center for Biological Diversity and is a volunteer workshop facilitator for Population Connection. She has formerly worked in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab at the University of Arizona and also as an Environmental Educator at the Riverbend Environmental Education Center in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. (B.S., Wildlife Conservation, University of Delaware; M.S., Biology, Villanova University; M.P.A., University of Arizona).
How to Organize an Eco-Fair at your School
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Michael Frankfort, Danny Ho & Will Gourley
Michael Frankfort is an elementary teacher at Anne Frank Public School who has a wide range of experiences in science, math, environmental education, social justice and instructional pedagogy. He is the current chair of the York Region District School Board’s annual Eco-Fair called Building Nature Connection and is the chair of the Elementary Curriculum Committee for the Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario.
Danny Ho is a developmental support worker at Aldergrove Public School who currently is involved in many aspects of STEM education initiatives which focus on engagement of students with exceptionalities and learning differences. He is a a contributing member of the Elementary Curriculum Committee for the Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario in the creation and implementation of curriculum resources. Danny is also an avid workshop leader in robotics, a volunteer crew leader for Habitat for Humanity is has recently been showcased as a stem cell donor for Canadian Blood Services.
Will Gourley is an elementary teacher at Adrienne Clarkson Public School who brings to the education landscape much experience with student voice, student engagement and instructional leadership. He is also a TedEd leader who provides multiple opportunities for student and teacher empowerment. Will is a champion of breaking the proverbial four walls of the classroom in order to bring the curriculum and learning experience alive.
Seeding the Future of School Gardens
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Jacob Kearey-Moreland
Jacob Kearey-Moreland is an ecological farmer-educator and seed librarian. He is enrolled in the Masters of Education program at Lakehead University Orillia working on a thesis looking at better supporting educators for the success of garden-based learning. He has over a decade of experience in garden-based learning, community and school gardening, and seed libraries in Toronto, through the Toronto Seed Library and Orillia, where he lives and works on a small scale-ecological-educational family farm.
Youthquake: Empower your students to engage in climate change action projects.
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Lauren Saville & Hannah Faris
Lauren Saville is the Roots & Shoots Manager at the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada. She has extensive experience teaching and facilitating educational programs for young people about science and the environment. With degrees in Evolutionary Anthropology and Animal Behaviour, as well as participating in a wildlife ecology program in Tanzania, Lauren is thrilled to share her knowledge of all things primate and animal related and help inspire a new generation of Jane’s.
Hannah Faris is a recent graduate of Glendon College. She has been the leader of the Roots & Shoots Glendon Chapter for the last 3 years. She helped to organize events like clothing swaps and a sustainable fashion show, and installed a tower garden to support sustainable food at Glendon. Hannah participated in the yearly Roots & Shoots Global gathering at Windsor Castle in 2018, meeting Jane Goodall and Roots & Shoots leaders from across the world to work on sustainability campaigns.
Soundscapes: acoustic explorations with/in our environment
Workshop Presenter Bios:
Vicky An & Rachel Stewart
Vicky An is the Program Manager, Professional Development at Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Vicky organizes adult learning workshops for diverse audiences in a variety of subject areas. Her primary program is the Monarch Teacher Network of Canada, which offers a series of experiential workshops focused on connecting people to nature through explorations of art, science and environmental action. Vicky has worked in environmental education for nearly 15 years. During that time, she has crafted and delivered programs that engage people of all ages in environmental learning and action. Vicky’s work with Monarch butterflies has been the most fascinating aspect of her career in conservation education to date. She continues to be inspired by their incredible story.
RACHEL STEWART’S BIO TO FOLLOW