Let me tell you a little about how I came to start Environmental Insights and why I love working with individuals and groups to empower them to change how they see and make a difference.

I grew up on a farm south of London, Ontario, and my Dad was my teacher and mentor. He passed on his love of the land and respect for the forces of nature, and they've become an integral part of my being. Without this grounding, I shudder to think who or what I would be. In many years of working with environmental organizations and preparing public education programs to put the message out there, I've been frustrated when it seemed so obvious to me that we should care and do things differently.

I finally realized that most people did not have the benefit of my father's wisdom, never walked beside him in the woods, never felt his quiet reverence or saw the interconnections. I created Environmental Insights to help you connect or renew your connection with nature and change how you see.

A bit of history

I'm lucky. I've been able to couple my passion for public speaking with my life-long passion for the environment. As an active environmentalist, educator, nature interpreter, walker and paddler, I have visited wild and beautiful places and met many interesting people who are concerned about the threats to our natural world.

For more than three decades, I've had the opportunity to make dynamic presentations to associations and community groups about the need to reconnect with nature and how to reduce their ecological footprint. These groups include the University Women's Club, Rotary Clubs, Ontario Horticulture Society, Career Access Centre, and many others.

I've been able to work at what I love. I've been Project Coordinator for environmental groups in Ontario and British Columbia, fighting for the preservation of unique wilderness areas, establishing recycling and composting programs and raising awareness about water quality and quantity issues. Developing effective public education programs has always been a challenge.

As an educator, I have taught Pollution Economics to water resource technology students and Environmental Horticulture to Manpower Retraining students. I also taught elementary school. I developed and led public tours for adults and children at the Ontario Forest Research Institute to showcase forest research programs. I've presented numerous community courses about gardening and environmental issues at Sault College. Interviewed on radio and television, I present seasonal and current environmental themes. And I write articles for magazines that Change How You See on such topics as dandelions, the origin of fabrics that you wear, and traditional household cleaners.

As a "student of the world", I'm a graduate of Queen's University (Sociology), London Teachers College and Ryerson University (Landscape Architectural Technology). I established my own landscape architecture business in Northern Ontario. I'm always insatiably curious, always learning and a voracious reader; there's so much more I want to learn about our amazing world, the forces that threaten it and how we can save it.

I think of all of the children who live on this planet, and that's motivation enough for me. I'm the Mother of two daughters; they are the reason I must speak out about these serious issues. I am deeply concerned about the quality of the world they will inherit from me. Recently married, I have the challenge of “greening my husband”, and I'm making progress!

Programs | Presentation Topics | About JoAnne | Testimonials |
Green Tips | Links | HOME