Young Conservation Professionals

Spring is in the air, and we’d like to thank everyone who expressed interest in the program this year and give a warm springtime welcome to the incoming class of 2012:

Alexis Wood, Toronto and Region Conservation
Allison Hands, Ontario Forestry Association
Cassandra Stabler, Rural Lambton Stewardship Network
Elizabeth Berestecki, Hamilton Conservation Authority
Erin Bullis, Toronto and Region Conservation
Jennifer McCarter, Nature Conservancy of Canada
Karen Alexander, Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation
Kristin Nyborg, Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority
Kyle Lynch, Self-employed
Laura Gibson, Georgian Bay Land Trust
Matthew Millar, Conservation Ontario
Mike Halferty, Ontario Foresty Association
Rebecca Hodges, FarmStart
Sara Chartrand, Ministry of Natural Resources
Skeet Sutherland, Sticks and Stones Wilderness School

Congratulations and welcome to YCP8. We’re looking forward to our first retreat later this week, and gathering the group for a few engaging and productive days in the Beaver Valley. See you at Kimbercote!

The Young Conservation Professionals (YCP) Leadership Program is now accepting applications for 2012, the program’s eighth year. This intensive personal and professional development program is for upcoming leaders in land and water conservation and the environment. More information about program criteria and the process for applying can be found here. The 2012 application deadline is February 1.

The YCP class of 2011 graduated this past Friday during our annual ceremony at the A. D. Latornell Conservation Symposium. Great work everyone. It’s a pleasure to welcome you to the growing ranks of YCP alumni. Congratulations and best of luck to all.

After a successful first workshop on public speaking, participants met once again on May 30th to partake in a program planning and evaluation workshop co-hosted by Sustainability Network at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto.

Program Planning Workshop

The day began with a program planning workshop led by YCP leader Sonia Dong with special guests from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO); Environmental Commissioner, Gord Miller was joined by staff (and previous YCP participant) Jessica Issac. It was great to have both Gord and Jessica with us for the entire morning, as they provided in-depth information on what the ECO does, answered questions about how they got into the environmental sector and provided real-world examples of their program planning activities.

About Gord Miller:

Gord Miller is the current Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Canada. He has served as the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario since 2000, and oversees the implementation of the Environmental Bill of Rights.

As an independent officer appointed by the Ontario Legislative Assembly, Commissioner Miller monitors and reports annually on government compliance with the provisions of the Environmental Bill of Rights. He was reappointed to this position in April 2010 for a third five year term.

Commissioner Miller received his BSc. (Hon.) in Biology from the University of Guelph in 1976 and his M.Sc. in Plant Ecology in 1978. He was born March 27, 1953.

Before his appointment, he worked for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for 14 years as a scientist, manager of training and development, and as a district manager. He has direct experience with numerous environmental issues, including approval and inspection activities, municipal sewage, drinking water, solid waste management, hazardous waste, noise, air pollution and land use planning.

Evaluation Workshop

The fruitful morning session was followed by another wonderful facilitator, Meredith Davis from The STOP Community Food Centre, who led the participants through an evaluation workshop. This session included a presentation on evaluation theory and practical exercises including the use of the Most Significant Change (MSC) technique to help participants evaluate the impact of YCP on their environmental practice.

About Meredith Davis:

Meredith Davis is the Research and Evaluation Coordinator at The Stop Community Food Centre in Toronto. Meredith is a graduate of a master’s program in Rural Planning and Development at the University of Guelph and has an undergraduate degree in International Development Studies and Spanish from Dalhousie University in Halifax. She has worked for Tamarack – An Institute for Community Engagement and The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. Meredith is passionate about good food as a tool for promoting all sorts of good things. She is currently on a mission to discover the secret to making evaluation fun for all involved!

YCP7 participants gathered at the innovative community space at 10 Carden in Guelph on March 31st to practice their public speaking skills.

The workshop helped participants feel comfortable speaking in front of both large and small audiences. Our facilitator for the day was Anika Steblin, a Communication Consultant with AECOM.

The agenda included a discussion about “glossophobia” (fear of public speaking), tips on public speaking preparation, elements of a great speech, body language, multiple opportunities for impromptu speaking practice and constructive feedback from fellow participants and the facilitator.

About Anika Steblin:

Ms. Steblin is a Consultation and Communication Consultant with AECOM.  Ms. Steblin’s experience in coordinating consultation processes and public consultation events, conducting intelligence gathering and research, policy analysis, and technical writing makes her a valuable asset in cross-disciplinary projects.  Ms. Steblin assists with a variety of projects including large municipal infrastructure projects (landfills, drinking water and sewage treatment), contaminated site redevelopment, quarries, wind turbine projects, the Windsor Essex Parkway (a “road through a park”), and much more.  She has experience working with First Nations and in multi-cultural environments.  She has participated in, and coordinated numerous exercises ranging from data collection, to report compilation, production, and presentation.  Ms. Steblin received  her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Political Science with from the University of British Columbia and completed her Master of Environment and Sustainability degree from the University of Western Ontario.  Prior to joining AECOM, Ms. Steblin worked for the Town of Essex as a Sustainability Planning Aide, and as a teacher in Uganda.  Some of her volunteer experience includes participation in Toastmasters (a group dedicated to improving public speaking).