Meet Our Advisory Committee

Maggie Pugh

Maggie is a skilled senior level ecologist with more than 20 years specializing in analyzing and interpreting ecosystems, habitats, and wildlife species.  Her breadth of experience spans private sector ecological consulting, education for post-secondary/ professional technical students, and supervisory / mentoring roles to foster collaboration and partnership.

An experienced project manager in the private sector, she has led and worked on large, multi-disciplinary teams that included ongoing partnerships with government, regulators, environmental non-government organisations, industry, and indigenous groups, to execute short and long-term projects related to protection of sensitive natural environment features (environmental protection) and wildlife considerations. Her work with Species at Risk includes Woodland Caribou, Myotis bats, Tri-coloured bat,  Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Barn Swallow, Bank Swallow, Canada Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Chimney Swift, Common Nighthawk, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Eastern Wood-peewee, Bald Eagle, Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Chat, Black Redhorse, Redside Dace, Silver Shiner, Lake Sturgeon, Pugnose Shiner, Pugnose minnow, Monarch, Mottled Duskywing, Yellow-banded Bumblebee, Jefferson Salamander, Blanding’s Turtle, Snapping Turtle, Fowler’s Toad, Eastern Massassauga, Butternut, Black Ash, American Chestnut, Dwarf Lake Iris, Eastern Flowering Dogwood, Eastern Prairie Fringed-Orchid, Hill’s Thistle, Black Ask, and Kentucky Coffee-tree. Natural Heritage System Policy Review under the Ontario Provincial Policy Statement is another area of expertise Maggie developed during her time as a private sector Ecologist. As the Ecology Technical Lead, Maggie worked with multi-disciplinary teams of planners, engineers, hydrologists, and archaeologists to review existing policy and recommend updates, evaluate natural environment features to recommend areas of environmental protection, and provide policy wording to regulate development activities for a variety of regional municipalities, Urban and Rural Cities, as well as Townships.

An experienced leader of post-secondary and professional technical education, Maggie has a passion for sharing knowledge and throughout her career has sought opportunities work with private sector and traditional educational institutions. As an Instructor with Natural Resources Training Group, she develops and delivers dynamic, engaging classes to indigenous groups, government regulators, and private sector ecologists in topics including Species at Risk, Wetland Assessment, Vegetation Assessment, and Wildlife Mitigation during Construction. As a sessional instructor at Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ontario) and Algoma University (Sault Ste Marie, Ontario), she designed and developed courses in a wide range of topics including Northern Culture and Climate Change, Vertebrate Form and Function, Diversity of Vascular Plants, Biochemistry and Chemistry. As teaching assistant for laboratory courses at the University of Waterloo she delivered laboratory instruction for Vertebrate Zoology, Diversity of Flowering Plants, Applied Microbiology, and Fundamentals of Microbiology.

As a formal mentor in private sector consulting, Maggie guided 2-3 junior staff per year through career and skills goal setting, with quarterly check ins to assess progress toward career goals, work related challenges, and skills development. This formal mentorship role included yearly evaluations and constructive feedback on performance and guidance for skills improvement. As an informal mentor she would provide guidance to junior staff for both routine and complicated project related issues including habitat assessment, permitting considerations, and wildlife habitat analysis and interpretation. As an Instructor with Natural Resources Training Group, she provides career mentoring and guidance to current and former students including indigenous groups, government regulators, and private sector ecologists.

Lena Dedyukina

Lena is a second-year PhD student at the School of International Development and Global Studies at the University of Ottawa. She is an Indigenous woman belonging to the Yakut (Sakha) ethnicity from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) currently living on the unceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory. She has a research background in food security, program evaluation, and community-based participatory research. For her doctoral research project, she examines environmental peacebuilding and Indigenous conflict resolution practices in the North American context, arguing that peaceful nation-to-nation relationship building between Indigenous peoples and nation-states must consider Indigenous ways of knowing and being and the decolonization of settler-colonial power dynamics.

She has a BSocSc degree in Sociology and Indigenous Studies and an MA (thesis) in Geography. For her MA thesis, Lena worked collaboratively with the Paulatuk (Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NWT) community researchers evaluating the cooking circle program funded by Nutrition North Canada through COVID-adapted community-based participatory research. Since 2018, Lena has participated in several co-curricular activities as a Cultural Programming Assistant at Minwaashin Lodge, a Research Assistant for the First Nations community, helping to establish the Indigenous Ally Network student group at the University of Ottawa, Parliamentary Committee Volunteer in the Office of Elizabeth May (Green Party), and as Outreach Assistant for YKHEMP (Health Effects Monitoring Program) with the Laboratory of Dr. Laurie Chan, Faculty of Science. These volunteering opportunities, in addition to several others, such as organizing student conferences and being a part of a graduate student journal editorial team, provided her with a breadth of experiences and knowledge that have enhanced her leadership, research, and communication skills. She is a Vice President of the International Development Graduate Student Association (GDVM), managing the organization’s social media platforms and website.

Lena is a mother to three wonderful children, a lifelong learner, educator, musician, photographer, and a little bit of an artist. She enjoys hiking, kayaking, painting, gardening, and reading in her free time.

Jennifer Medd

Having grown up in Ontario, camping trips to Algonquin Park were frequent, and Jenn’s love for the outdoors grew. Hiking and biking were beloved adventures but Jenn craved more impact on her environment. Jenn discovered a passion for environmental advocacy during her studies at Queen’s University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Inspired by the diversity of Canada’s landscapes, an impromptu journey across the country eventually led her to the West Coast, where Jenn developed a deeper commitment to addressing environmental challenges. Living near the ocean has brought a deep sense of connection to her immediate environment, and nature as a whole. As the Youth Engagement and Leadership Development Lead at United Spirit Nation Network, Jenn leverages her academic background and dedication to inspire and empower the next generation of environmental stewards.

Despite just getting started in her career, Jenn brings expansive professional experience, including a role as Communications Assistant at the Stewardship Centre for British Columbia. In this position, she made significant contributions to community engagement and education initiatives centered on ecological research and sustainability programs. Jenn is an Environmental Professional in Training, with ECO Canada and has spent time connecting and learning from different mentors throughout the program. As President of the Environmental Science Student Council at Queen’s University, Jenn demonstrated strong leadership by managing diverse teams and spearheading sustainability initiatives across campus, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and collaboration.

Beyond professional pursuits, Jenn enjoys exploring the natural beauty of British Columbia through hiking. Actively involved in local environmental initiatives, she is passionate about building connections within her community. In her personal time, Jenn experiments with new recipes in the kitchen and crafts macrame plant hangers for friends and family. As a nature enthusiast, she recently embarked on a road trip that included visits to five national parks, with Yellowstone being a memorable highlight. Her philosophy centers on the belief that everyone can play a role in building a sustainable future, and she is dedicated to inspiring others to take action toward this goal.

Julia is a dedicated environmentalist with a passion for sustainability and conservation. Growing up surrounded by the natural beauty of Ontario’s Algonquin Park and later in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, Julia developed a deep connection to the environment. Her love for outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and swimming, fuels her commitment to protecting natural landscapes and ecosystems.

Julia’s environmental journey began in high school when she traveled to the Bahamas to participate in an intensive marine conservation program. There, she contributed to detailed research projects aimed at preserving marine biodiversity. Her work focused on analyzing data related to the challenges faced by marine ecosystems and developing strategies for their protection. Julia expanded her expertise by traveling to South Africa, where she engaged in a comprehensive environmental survey project. She conducted extensive fieldwork, identifying how wildlife and ecosystems interact, which deepened her understanding of the region’s unique ecological systems.

Julia further honed her knowledge by completing a degree in Environmental Science at Queen’s University, where she took on a leadership role as a member of the Environmental Science Student Council. She worked to raise environmental awareness across the student body, helping to foster a culture of sustainability on campus. As a recent graduate, Julia is eager to apply her academic background and hands-on experience to professional roles in the environmental sector. She remains passionate about advancing sustainability initiatives and protecting the environment.