My passion for the environment and water stems from my upbringing mostly in Northern Ontario, Canada. We spent summers camping in Algonquin Park, winters ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, and hiking all year around. My parents put a lot of emphasise on the natural environment while my brother and I were growing up and the need to keep it clean, protect and undisturbed for people that come after us. This is a way of life in which my husband and I subscribe to  for our boys – camping, hiking- err.. bushwalking, being in nature and teaching them how to respect and treat our natural environment.

So it’s no wonder with this strong foundation I decided to study environmental science at the University of Ottawa in Canada where I completed my Bachelor in Environmental Science and an honours project on the interaction between surface water and ground water in esker systems in the South Nation Conservation Area of Operations. Looking for adventure I moved to Sydney to complete a Masters of Applied Science at Sydney University and the rest they say is history!

While in Canada I worked for the Ontario provincial government and for a conservation authority, which solidified my interest and knowledge in catchments, or what we call watersheds in Canada. My interest in catchment management continued at Sydney Catchment Authority/WaterNSW where I worked in the Science Team and then the Catchments Team. Currently I am the Program Manager at Georges Riverkeeper, a NFP NGO that looks after the Georges River in partnership with our member councils. Working and living in Australia is where I gained my passion for stormwater. What is stormwater? An undervalued resource. A carrier of pollution. The biggest threat to our environment in urban areas. The biggest opportunity we have to reduce our drinking water consumption and protect our natural waterways. I love working through all of these stormwater challenges and opportunities with others and putting people together to make great things possible! 🙂