Our Team

Abby grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and completed her bachelor's degree in sustainability and sociology at Dalhousie University. Prior to starting her bachelor's degree Abby backpacked Australia to explore a different culture and environment. While there, she discovered a passion for working towards a sustainable future, inspired by the state of the Great Barrier Reef, activism to preserve endangered wildlife and inclusivity towards different groups. She hopes to use this passion to strengthen and engage communities in her home province to combat climate change, and is currently working with EAC's clean energy deep canvassing project. When not at the EAC, Abby can be found hiking and exploring local sites across the province.

Anika Riopel is a passionate transportation advocate and ocean education champion.  She believes fiercely in working through partnerships to reduce barriers for a more just and sustainable future. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts and Environmental Sustainability from Dalhousie University and a culinary certificate from Sault College. Prior to moving to Halifax, Anika worked as a curriculum developer and scuba instructor with Connect Ocean in Costa Rica. During her undergrad, she focused on ocean-centric experiential learning, place-based and adult education. She continues to freelance as a SCUBA instructor at Torpedo Rays Scuba Adventures with a specialization in disabled diving. 

Ashleigh has been using bikes as her primary mode of transport since renting one in Berlin in 2009 to see the sights. 11 years, 3 bikes and a BA in Resource and Environmental Studies later, she has travelled across continents to finally pull up at the Ecology Action Centre joining the team as Making Tracks Coordinator. Her absolute favourite thing is experiencing the change in people's confidence and skills in cycling with practice and safety education. Igniting a love for cycling and people who bike in everyone she meets; her goal is to have cycling included as a life skill taught in all schools and see more cycling in road user education.

Ever since he stumbled onto metro plans for his hometown of Ottawa late one night in high school, Ben has been fascinated at how infrastructure and geography shape people's lives. He believes that if done properly, transit and trails can provide independence, and the ability to step out of our geographic comfort zones to share experiences with people and places we might not otherwise interact with. Good transit makes our communities stronger and the world a little bit smaller. When he's not at EAC, you can find Ben knitting, working with Jewish-Indigenous solidarity projects, or developing plant-based versions of dishes traditionally full of animal products.

Hailing from northern New Brunswick, Brandy first discovered her passion for community engagement and fundraising through their work with the Canadian Cancer Society. Graduating St. Thomas University in 2020, Brandy went on to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership at NSCC. While in school, Brandy worked with numerous organizations, including the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. In their free time, Brandy enjoys hanging out in the woods, rock collecting, crocheting, quilting and performing comedy.

Brenna Walsh is passionate about bringing different communities together to strengthen and accelerate climate policy and action. Prior to joining the EAC she worked for five years to build bridges between stakeholders working on local climate action and exploring intersections and co-benefits of climate action from urban planning to health to waste management. Brenna holds a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Maine and PhD from McGill University. When not at work, Brenna can be found running on a nearby road or trail, out walking her dog Sage or exploring her home province of Nova Scotia.

Brittney was born and raised in Belize before moving to Newfoundland in 2017 to pursue her studies. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading and going outside for walks/hikes/anything adventurous. She holds a BSc in Environmental Science and a Masters in Environmental Science, both from Memorial University. Her favourite part of her field of work is the experience she gets from working with such a knowledgeable team.

Chris is a communications professional and experienced environmental campaigner with two decades of experience. He was the Sustainable City columnist for The Coast for number of years and has also authored four books. He has worked at ENGOs in Toronto and Halifax. His work has had a strong educational and community-building components, including delivering online and in-person workshops that have varied from training aspiring writers to informing grade-school children and senior citizens about the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools. He lives in Halifax with his partner, two children and an 80-pound lapdog.

Christina is dedicated to advancing seafood sustainability through policy changes, industry improvements and consumer education. She works as the Eastern Canada representative for SeaChoice, a partnership formed by the Ecology Action Centre, David Suzuki Foundation and Living Oceans Canada. Christina is a graduate of the Master of Marine Management program from Dalhousie University and holds an undergraduate degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph. She was awarded the Marine Affairs Gold Award for her academic achievements and the skills she gained that are critical for marine management.

Claire grew up in Nova Scotia and is passionate about intersectional climate action. She holds a bachelor's degree in Environment and Business from the University of Waterloo and is interested in all things sustainable economic development. Prior to joining EAC, Claire held several roles focused on research and engagement as a co-op student and intern. When she is not at work, Claire can be found playing hockey, hiking, or working on her most recent sewing project.

Claire is an experienced communicator, digital marketer and manager. Prior to joining the EAC team, Claire worked with Engage Nova Scotia as the manager of community relations. With an undergraduate degree in sociology from Queen’s University and an advanced diploma in public relations from NSCC, Claire has overseen the communications function on various public engagements and marketing campaigns to gather community input and drive change. Claire is an avid thrifter, surfer, hiker, and all-around outdoor enthusiast.

For media inquiries, please email or call (902-877-5125).

Passionate about energy, sustainable development and climate change, David Neira joined the Energy Team of the Ecology Action Centre as Energy Coordinator. He is responsible for strengthening and helping to coordinate the Centre's work in energy policy advocacy, research, program development and campaigning, particularly relating to the emerging offshore wind industry. David has experience working with multiple stakeholders to get opportunities from the carbon market, and others finance mechanisms from the climate change international regimen. He has been a consultant in energy, environment and climate change for international entities such as the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Emma grew up on a farm in southwestern Ontario riding horses and constantly being outside. She has always loved the beauty of the world around her and has had the privilege to see many different natural wonders, from visiting Europe and Asia to living in New Zealand and B.C. and finding a home in Nova Scotia. She is proud to be part of an organization that takes action to keep our world beautiful, healthy and sustainable. When not working in admin, Emma can be found gardening, reading and out exploring the Maritimes with her German Shepherd, Wizard.
 

Florence moved to Halifax from Kiel, Germany with her family when she was 13 years old. Florence's favorite thing about canvassing for EAC is talking to people who share her vision of a sustainable and just future. She is working on completing her BA in Sustainability & Gender and Women's Studies at Dalhousie University. And when she's not studying or working, she can be found at home doing crafts and caring for her sweet elderly cat, Lucy.

Helen is an experienced accountant who brings her many years of expertise in bookkeeping, project accounting and general accounting to the EAC.  Helen recently relocated from British Columbia and has now settled in Halifax. She joined the EAC team in 2020.  Environmental issues and awareness have always been part of Helen's life and she is happy to be a part of a team that does such important work in her local community and the province at large.  In her spare time Helen enjoys hiking, photography, gardening and is a multimedia artist.  

Holly grew up in Nova Scotia and has a passion for marine protection. She recently completed a Master of Coastal and Marine Management degree from the University of Akureyri in Iceland, where she completed her thesis on recreational shark fisheries in Nova Scotia. She also holds a BSc in Biology from Mount Saint Vincent University. Prior to this, she has worked as an Environmental Science Instructor for the Whale Camp in Grand Manan, New Brunswick. 

Jessie grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She then moved to the town of Wolfville and completed her degree in Community Development at Acadia University. She loves being active, and running has become one of her favourite hobbies. Jessie has always loved being outdoors, which led her to a love of biking. She believes the best way to get anywhere is by bike! She is passionate about her position as Community Outreach Officer, which allows her to lead the Pop-Up-Bike-Hub Mini and drive the electric-cargo bike, which carries tools for free bike tune-ups and safe cycling education within communities.

Joanna is deeply inspired by the beauty of the natural world and is dedicated to environmental and social justice. She loves a good conversation about the apocalypse, community care, and what it means to bring about truly transformative change. She is also a bit of a language nerd, and her academic background is in Linguistics and Language Studies. Joanna is EAC's Community Engagement Coordinator and has been with the Centre since 2013. When she's not facilitating meetings on Fern Lane, you might find her teaching breathwork and meditation with the Art of Living Foundation, riding her bike, or weaving tiny rugs. 

Born and raised in Warsaw, Poland Julia completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies at the University of Warsaw, mainly focusing on feminist issues in literature. She moved to Nova Scotia in February 2021, and immediately fell in love with living close to the ocean. Finding work with the Ecology Action Centre enabled her to combine her professional experience in data stewardship with her personal passion for protecting the environment. In her free time, she is either doing yoga, cuddling with her cat Beans, or thrifting.
 

Karen spent her childhood exploring the woods and waters of Ontario and Quebec. Her passion for the environment, paired with a lot of hard work, has earned her a BSc. in Ecology, and Masters of Environmental Studies. Since moving to Nova Scotia in 2005, Karen has worked as a conservation planner and biologist and volunteered with the Young Naturalists Club. Karen has training in Wilderness and Remote First Aid, OCC Field Leader (Hiking, and Winter), and Reconnecting with Nature workshop facilitation. When not devoting herself to the EAC’s good work, she can be found in her garden, paddling, cooking up a storm, or laughing with her two wild little boys.

Kortney likes to think outside the box. Fascinated by how people interact with their environments, built and natural, she wants to see how we can creatively imagine the future of our communities. Prior to joining the EAC team, Kortney completed her Master of Planning at Dalhousie University and Honours Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Resource Studies from Trent University. When not at the office, Kortney is usually exploring the Nova Scotia coast with her film camera in tow.

Maggy loves EAC’s complexity, how it lives its values and that it remains sassy even at 50. Her involvement with EAC goes back almost 20 years and includes 10 years as the Managing Director (2007-2017). Maggy has a BA (Philosophy) and BSc (Biology) from Dalhousie University. Her non-profit career spans sub-sectors including entrepreneurship, international development, experiential education and inclusion as well as consulting work in facilitation, strategic planning and conflict resolution. She enjoys poison dart frogs, urban cycling, wooden canoes and being called a scientist by her nieces. 

Marla loves helping people untangle complex problems. She coordinated EAC’s community food programs for a decade before becoming Managing Director in 2017. She has a B.A. and a Master of Environmental Studies. When not at the office, she can be found mucking around in her garden, canoeing, and exploring the city by bike.

As Project Manager of the Kelp Kurious project, Merydie supports small-scale entrepreneurs to develop cultivated kelp products and works to foster the overall development of Nova Scotia’s cultivated kelp sector to become a source of economic development for coastal communities. 

Prior to joining the Ecology Action Centre, Merydie worked in the non-profit sector managing joint federal and provincial funding for socio-economic development projects in Nova Scotia’s Mi’kmaw communities. She also led community engagement on an award-winning coastal restoration project on the North Shore of Nova Scotia and has election and political campaign experience. 

Merydie holds a BA in International Politics and lives on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Together with her husband, she enjoys spending time at the beach and spotting wildlife along the coast.

From spending childhood weekends at her grandparents’ farm, to working in Banff National Park during the summers between school, to WWOOFing (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) in Canada and abroad, and to exploring urban parks during her free time, Mimi continually finds ways to meaningfully connect with nature and engage in life-long learning. Mimi holds a Master’s Degree in Criminology; her research applies concepts from the emerging field of ‘Green’ Criminology (which studies human-caused ecological crimes and harms) and advocates for the protection of, and justice for, freshwater in Canada. 

Mimi works with both of EAC’s Coastal and Wilderness teams.

More comes from a background in farming and research. They have a degree in molecular biology and, post-graduation, spent several years studying plant phylogeny and micropropagation techniques in a laboratory setting. Having worked with and for several urban farms, they hold food work close to their heart. In their role at the Ecology Action Centre, More aims to make both the means and ends of food production more accessible to the community. 

Previously a Senior Coordinator on the EAC's Coastal Team, Nancy Anningson has stepped into a new role with the EAC as Director of Operations and Development! Nancy brings a lovely collaborative spirit, a passion for learning and, as a former managing director of a non-profit, a lot of relevant expertise to EAC’s operations. She looks forward to connecting with you again in this new role. 

Nikita brings diverse work experience specializing in climate change, community mobilization and environmental communications. With her experience working for the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, she keenly understands opportunities and issues in creating and implementing impactful strategies uniquely tailored to all stakeholders' diverse needs. Nikita is a graduate of the Master of Environmental Management Program at the University of New Brunswick and is dedicated to advancing net-zero through environment education, communications and community mobilization. Outside work, Nikita enjoys working out, cooking and volunteering as a social media manager for Carbon Conversations Toronto.

Paula Aceto moved to Nova Scotia from Ontario 5 years ago and has never looked back.  While she began her career in the not-for-profit sector over 20 years ago in Program evaluations and HR it soon became clear that her true passion is fundraising. She has worked for both national and international charities, running grassroot and large-scale campaigns.  When she is not working Paula enjoys hiking, reading and spending time with her family.

Raymond is a long-time member of the EAC team. He has been a leading advocate for protecting natural areas throughout the province and for improving land-use practices for the benefit of biodiversity conservation. Raymond is also a nature photographer, writer, angler and dedicated nature conservationist who has served on many boards and advisory groups, including the national board of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), the Nova Scotia Salmon Association (NSSA) board and provincial Ministerial Advisory Committees on Aquaculture and Off-Highway Vehicles. When not in the office Raymond can usually be found standing waist-deep in one of Nova Scotia's salmon rivers, flinging bits of fur and feather to indifferent fish.

Since rejoining EAC in Jan of 2020, Rebecca has focused on improving the sustainability of our fisheries in Atlantic Canada while also working with communities in the Gros Morne region to ensure sensitive marine ecosystems are protected and our marine resources are used responsibly. In 2006, Rebecca received a B.Sc. in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University, a B.Ed. in 2011 and a Master of Arts in Environmental Policy in 2018 from MUN. In her 15-year career, Rebecca has researched zooplankton and the changes in our oceans developed hands-on educational programs and, offered recommendations to improve environmental and fisheries-related policies and programs at the Provincial and Federal level.

Rowan has been at EAC since 2012, and in that time has had the opportunity to connect with our community in a variety of roles, most recently as Communications Officer. A strong believer in the power of community, Rowan is excited by social and environmental justice, collective care, alternatives to capitalism, and meandering conversations about systemic change and community building. When he’s not at EAC he can usually be found writing, cooking, escaping to the woods, in a comfy chair with his nose in a book, or puttering around on whatever musical instruments happen to be in his general vicinity.

Sarah has a Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) from the University of King’s College. She holds strong passions for environmental education, citizen science, and climate justice, and she is thrilled to work with a team that drives important change. Prior to joining the EAC, Sarah worked as a journalist for radio and online platforms and conducted research and communications for a public policy institute. When not in the office, Sarah can be found trail running, reading, or cooking vegetarian meals.

Scott is passionate about working towards building sustainable, people-oriented and environmentally conscious communities. With his experience in private, public and not-for-profit sectors, he hopes to combine his technical background with his passion for community work and planning to help Nova Scotia work towards achieving its net-zero carbon emission goals in the energy sector. Scott is an alum of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador where he graduated with both a Bachelor of Engineering and a Bachelor of Science. Prior to joining EAC, Scott has worked on several energy projects including hydroelectricity, wind, solar and transmission. Most recently he was employed in southern Ontario as a project coordinator with Windshare Cooperative where he helped investigate potential renewable energy projects in and around Toronto.

Shannon's leads EAC's Marine Program. She has been working in advocacy for 15 years to improve fisheries and aquaculture policy, management and markets around the world to ensure the long-term ecological health of our ocean and support the livelihoods that depend on it. Shannon loves that her varied work takes her to international fishery negotiation tables, to the water with seaweed farmers in the Philippines and now in Canada, to boardrooms with sustainability leaders, and to the streets to protest environmental exploitation and injustice.

Simon’s work the with the EAC Marine team combines campaign development, community engagement and aquaculture policy. Simon helps to coordinate the Healthy Bays Network, a community-led organization working towards healthy marine ecosystems and sustainable coastal livelihoods in Nova Scotia. Prior to the EAC, Simon worked as a diver in B.C., and as a tree-planter, primarily in Northern Ontario. He has a graduate degree in Marine Management from Dalhousie University where his research focused on the social value of marine ecosystems, coastal planning and public participation.

Simone holds a B.Sc. in Biology and a Master's degree in International Development Studies from Saint Mary’s University. Her research interests range from climate change to issues of informal work in the Global South. She has a strong passion for projects aimed at addressing structural inequalities, gained through travel, research and educational experiences. New to Active Transportation issues, she is excited to expand cycling opportunities and resources to underserved communities via the Pop-Up Bike Hub - a mobile DIY bike trailer.

Stephanie has been working with the Active Transportation community since 2007, through ENGOs, universities, and grassroots community groups. She has been with the EAC's Transportation team since 2010 and is intent on helping create communities that support safe, healthy, walkable & wheel-able spaces for all. Stephanie has an MSc in Environmental Management (University of London) and a BA in Philosophy (CBU). She and her family live and work on the beautiful island of Cape Breton; her not-so-secret passions are leatherback sea turtles, attempting to garden, and being outside with her super kids, Oona & Osha. 

Thomas Arnason McNeil is policy researcher and musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is passionate about electric vehicle policy, new mobility strategies, and playing old-time country and bluegrass music. Prior to joining the EAC, Thomas worked for Dunsky Energy and Climate Advisors as an intern. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Dalhousie University and Master of Arts in Sustainable Energy Policy from Carleton University.

Will grew up on a farm along the Petitcodiac River and has been exploring the cliffs and woods of the Fundy coastline their whole life. They have spent the past 5 years working in Municipal Land Use Planning and are passionate about the history and interaction between the built environment and ocean. They hold a B.A in Environmental Studies - outside office hours they’re usually walking along a shoreline camera in hand or training Muay Thai.