The Nature Canada Awards constitute our heartfelt tribute to the hard work and dedication of these amazing individuals. All of our winners have proven themselves to be forces of nature, for nature!
Charles Labatiuk Volunteer Award: Maggie Mileski, Ontario
Maggie Mileski receives the Charles Labatiuk Volunteer Award from Nature Canada Executive Director Emily McMillan.
Maggie Mileski began volunteering at only 8 years old with the Haldimand Bird Observatory, where she was mentored in bird banding to track bird species during their migration in fall and spring. Since then she has volunteered every season and now mentors other volunteers in the program as well as raising awareness via blog posts about migrating birds in southwestern Ontario.
In addition to her work with the Haldimand Bird Observatory, she has been involved with youth programs through A Rocha, a national organization focused on environmental stewardship. She has helped with plantings to promote native species as well as being a part of education programs focused on insect populations. Maggie has also organized community bake sales to raise funds for the Hamilton Conservation Authority and volunteered in numerous community clean-ups through the City of Hamilton.
Nature Canada Volunteer of the Year Award: Deborah Simpson, British Columbia
Deborah Simpson, Nature Canada Volunteer of the Year
Deborah Simpson is a member and dedicated volunteer for NatureKids BC, one of the provincial partners for Nature Canada’s NatureHood program. Naturehood connects kids, families, newcomers, and marginalized communities to nearby nature—and in that spirit, Deborah has guided others to discover, defend and restore nature in Canada for over 7 years. As the main Volunteer Club Leader for the Vancouver Club of NatureKids BC, she has led and organized over 100 explorer days for families in the Lower Mainland. Not only does she inspire families to love and protect nature, but she also mentors other volunteers to do the same!
Throughout her volunteer work, she has created countless community connections, building relationships with other non-profit organizations, stewardship groups and community programs. Through these connections she is deepening the sense of community belonging and building a stronger sense of place with the families she is interacting with. Many of these families are new to the Vancouver area and have discovered and experienced Canadian nature at one of the Explorer Days that Deborah has organized.
Deborah also volunteers countless hours with the Marine Biology Section of Nature Vancouver, focusing on educating and fostering interest in nearby marine life and coastal habitats through a speaker series and nature walks. She is also one of the lead organizers of the yearly “Wonders of the Salish Sea” event, which features educational talks and seminars to educate and connect individuals to the biodiverse and fragile habitat of the Salish Sea.
Conservation Partner of the Year Award: Bird Friendly Regina, Saskatchewan
Members of the Bird Friendly Regina team with Nature Canada’s Conservation Partner of the Year Award, posing with the newly unveiled official bird of Regina painting (Black-capped Chicadee). From left to right: Elaine Ehman, Jordan Rustad, Angela Tremka, Lacey Weekes, Margaret Skeel.
Bird Friendly Regina is working hard to make the city of Regina a safe haven for wild birds.
As a certified city under Nature Canada’s bird-friendly certification program, the City of Regina has worked with Nature Canada’s partners—including Nature Saskatchewan, Nature Regina, and many other community organizations—to achieve bird-friendly status.
The city has implemented bird friendly policies and actions to help birds thrive in Regina, including:
- Establishing a “no-roam” by-law for cats to reduce the impact of cat predation on wild bird populations
- Protecting natural areas such as Wascana Centre, a 2,300-acre urban park which supports 276 species of birds
- Engaging the community of Regina through educational initiatives such as celebrating World Migratory Bird Day and The Get Outside! Club
Nature Canada is grateful for the incredible work Bird Friendly Regina has done to protect our bird populations.
Conservation Partner of the Year Award: Calgary Climate Hub, Alberta
Steering Committee volunteers (from left) Rob Miller, Heather Addy, Calgary Climate Hub Director Jared Blustein, and Permaculture Designer and Project Manager Heather Morigeau pose at the centre of their newly planted mini-forest at Bowness Community Association, Calgary, July 2024.
The Calgary Climate Hub is a volunteer-led organization and a Canadian leader in tree equity (which promotes equal access to trees and forests for all communities). They have held community workshops on the subject and developed a tree equity score to help prioritize city areas in need of increased tree canopy. The Hub’s tree-planting guide is being translated into the languages predominantly spoken in neighbourhoods with low tree equity. This fall, they planted a little forest in one of these neighbourhoods to help improve the area’s tree canopy and raise awareness about community-led tree planting.
Learn more about tree equity at Nature Canada.
Leave a Reply