Directors: baxter creek watershed alliance

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Ron Awde has been a huge supporter and driver of the Partners in Conservation work in Fleetwood Creek (a neighbouring watershed of Baxter Creek just west of Millbrook in Bethany). He is always willing to share his knowledge for the benefit of Environmental Non Government Organizations (ENGOs) and has been instrumental in helping BCWA become a well structured and fully incorporated non profit organization. 

Ron first joined the Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) as a director in 2011. He served as the Chair of the KLT Board from 2013 – 2014. Ron has been an active member of KLT’s Development Committee since stepping down as a Director in 2014. He has supported KLT’s work over the years from drafting fundraising policies to supporting community-based fundraising initiatives.

Ron and his partner Robert have a Conservation Easement Agreement with KLT on their Sheidow Farm property. This property, protected in 2017, is part of a large corridor of protected lands in Bethany Hills.

Chris Grayson recently retired as the CEO of Community Living Upper Ottawa Valley and is the former CEO of Community Living Campbellford Brighton. He has lived for four years on McGuire Drive in Millbrook and over 40 years in the Peterborough area.

He is the president and sole proprietor of CGA and Associates Inc. He is a former board member of COIN Peterborough and an economic development committee member of Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Chris is an international speaker and subject matter expert in employment supports for people with disabilities and on Quality Assurance and Accreditation. He received the only Canadian Person Centred Excellence Accreditation with Distinction, one of only six in the world in 2016.

He has acted on numerous provincial Policy development committees and is an accomplished public speaker and with conference coordination skill sets.

He is an avid and active outdoorsman who loves fishing, camping, golfing, and soccer and is a proud Poppa to four grandkids.

David Webster graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Science in Geology in 1986 and acquired his Professional Geoscientist designation in 2002. He initially worked as a hydrogeologist in southern Ontario performing water well development, landfill and septic bed design and contaminated groundwater work. 

Later, David worked in exploration and spent numerous years during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s in Central America exploring for silver with repeated visits to Labrador exploring for nickel and in Ontario developing industrial mineral properties. 

Up until 2020 David spent 18 years working for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources as a hydrogeologist and with Ontario Parks as the Province’s Senior Conservation Geologist in charge of assessing and describing the geology of Ontario’s Provincial Parks, Conservation Reserves and Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI).   

An interest in teaching has led him to Fleming College in the fall of 2020 where he is using his geological, hydrological and hydrogeological expertise by teaching in the Environmental Technical Program. 

George Raab is a Canadian artist and printmaker whose wilderness based etchings have gained an international reputation. His work is included in corporate and private collections world wide as well as major Canadian museums and public art galleries. 

His studies include the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, and his part time Fine Art teaching positions include the Cree School Board, Sir Sanford Fleming College, and Trent University (Artist in Residence).

George has served on the executive boards of various arts and environmental organizations and has travelled extensively.  For the last 40 years he has lived on a small farm in Millbrook with his wife Evelyn. They are the proud parents of two boys. 

Of his etchings he has said, “For the most part they are a cry for the preservation of those wild lands we need in order to know ourselves, and a celebration of nature".

Craig Onafrychuk graduated in 1998 from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology with courses in Indigenous Learning. He obtained an Applied Digital Geography and GIS Certificate from Ryerson in 2005 before completing a Masters in Spatial Analysis in Physical Geography from Ryerson University and University of Toronto in 2007.

Craig is a geomatics professional trained in Ecological Land Classification and Remote Sensing and has worked across private, public, non-government and non-profit sectors. He believes that people and communities benefit from a sense of place. He is keen in nature interpretation, ecological science, traditional knowledge and ethnobotany. He has 20 years of experience in working with topographic data to produce hydrology mapping. He is particularly interested in the hydrological connectivity of streams, water bodies, wetlands, and their groundwater interface through seeps and springs. He has contributed to integrated environmental monitoring and environmental data management across the province having worked in private, non-profit, and provincial government. 

Craig is active in the outdoors enjoying hiking, canoeing, camping and appreciating natural and cultural heritage. 

Graham Whitelaw has over 20 years of experience in the land use and environmental policy fields, ten of those with the Land Use Policy Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment. He has extensive consulting experience providing services to government and the non-government organization sector and is an accomplished facilitator bringing innovation to the policy development process through public engagement processes. 

He completed his PhD in the School of Planning, University of Waterloo in 2006 and joined Queen's University in 2007. He is currently a volunteer Director with the Save the Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition and the Oak Ridges Institute for Applied Sustainability. 

Jane Zednik is a former resident of Millbrook having resided in the area since 1987. Jane lives on almost 25 acres on the Oak Ridges Moraine where 1000s of trees, including species at risk and Carolinian species and various other native plants, have been planted as part of a long-term ecological maintenance program. As a rural resident dependent on groundwater sources, she is keenly aware of the need for watershed conservation and protection. 

Jane has been a long-time active advocate for increased natural heritage conservation and protection - especially on the Oak Ridges Moraine. She played a key role in the 2009-2010 “It’s About Water” campaign which involved the local community, various local and outside organizations, environmental advocacy groups, politicians, experts, as well as indigenous communities. 

She is previously a member and chair of the Port Hope Tree Advisory Committee and an active member of the North American Native Plant Society (NANPS), Seeds of Diversity Canada (SODC), and Northumberland Land Trust (NLT). 

Dr. Noel Kerin grew up in a farming family in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland. He is a graduate in medicine and biochemistry from the National University of Ireland and McGill University (Occupational Health Sciences). He holds a fellowship designation from the Canadian Board of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Noel is also a member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the Canadian Occupational and Environment Medical Association of Canada. 

He practices medicine in the fields of occupational and environmental medicine.  In this field he has worked with many of the toxic agents that affect water systems. He is the lead physician studying occupational diseases at General Electric (GE) and Ventra Plastics, Peterborough, Ontario since 2004. The GE investigation is the largest worker toxicology study conducted in Canada. His work in organizing national conferences in occupational and environmental medicine has allowed him to work with international experts in the fields of occupational and environmental health. 

Dr. Kerin has firsthand knowledge of the results of industrial pollution of water in such places as Peterborough, where there was major pollution of the water basin of the Little Lake/Otonabee River system. These experiences have encouraged him to want to work further for our clean water. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC).

Dr. Kerin and his family’s work in the community has involved being a spokesperson for the Lung Association in the “second-hand tobacco exposure in children” debate and an organizer of the Breath of Hope Relay fundraising. He has been a member of and Chair of the Board of the Asthma Society of Canada. 

Barb Heidenreich is a professional land use planner and specialist in ecological economics. Her forty year planning career encompasses the positions of: Manager of Projects Planning with the Region of Durham; Member, Ontario Municipal Board; Executive Director, Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy; Common Grounds Manager, Land Trusts & Conservation for Evergreen; Natural Heritage Coordinator for the Ontario Heritage Trust. 

She has provided consulting services to First Nations in Labrador and British Columbia on community economics and land claims and developed business plans for conservation land trusts for both Calgary and Edmonton and their surrounding regions. 

Barb has held teaching and research positions as an Associate Professor with Trent University and as Centre Director for Boston University’s accredited School for Field Studies in Bamfield B.C. She has conducted research, consulted, presented and taught on the linkages between the environment and economy, valuing ecological goods and services and all aspects of natural areas conservation. 

Her experience in the non-profit sector, the private business sector, in all three levels of government: regional municipal, provincial and federal, has given her a unique insight into using a partnership approach to natural heritage conservation. 

Ron Awde has been a huge supporter and driver of the Partners in Conservation work in Fleetwood Creek (a neighbouring watershed of Baxter Creek just west of Millbrook in Bethany). He is always willing to share his knowledge for the benefit of Environmental Non Government Organizations (ENGOs) and has been instrumental in helping BCWA become a well structured and fully incorporated non profit organization. 

Ron first joined the Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) as a director in 2011. He served as the Chair of the KLT Board from 2013 – 2014. Ron has been an active member of KLT’s Development Committee since stepping down as a Director in 2014. He has supported KLT’s work over the years from drafting fundraising policies to supporting community-based fundraising initiatives.

Ron and his partner Robert have a Conservation Easement Agreement with KLT on their Sheidow Farm property. This property, protected in 2017, is part of a large corridor of protected lands in Bethany Hills.

George Raab is a Canadian artist and printmaker whose wilderness based etchings have gained an international reputation. His work is included in corporate and private collections world wide as well as major Canadian museums and public art galleries. 

His studies include the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, and his part time Fine Art teaching positions include the Cree School Board, Sir Sanford Fleming College, and Trent University (Artist in Residence).

George has served on the executive boards of various arts and environmental organizations and has travelled extensively.  For the last 40 years he has lived on a small farm in Millbrook with his wife Evelyn. They are the proud parents of two boys. 

Of his etchings he has said, “For the most part they are a cry for the preservation of those wild lands we need in order to know ourselves, and a celebration of nature".

Gillian di Petta has lived on Zion Line for over 25 years and grew up developing a connection with nature in the Baxter Creek Watershed. With an educational background in Ecosystem Management & Horticulture, Gillian has a wide variety of volunteer and professional experiences. This includes work with various levels of government, First Nations, NGOs and Not-For-Profits. 

She has hands-on experience in forest inventory, wetland monitoring, organic farming, and trail maintenance. In 2017, Gillian joined the team at the Alderville Black Oak Savanna; a Not-For-Profit focusing on critical grassland restoration, under Alderville First Nation leadership. During her time at the Black Oak Savanna, she has developed the Mitigomin Native Plant Nursery from the ground up; combining a deep-rooted passion for plant cultivation with her love for preserving and restoring nature, by producing ecologically-appropriate plants for ecosystem restoration projects. 

When she’s not enjoying her days at the Black Oak Savanna, Gillian enjoys backcountry camping, snowboarding and tending to her gardens. Gillian has joined the Board for the Old Millbrook Jail Lands Association with the goal of using her experience and passions to ensure this property remains a public-use nature reserve, while also restoring its ecological integrity. 

Jane Zednik is a former resident of Millbrook having resided in the area since 1987. Jane lives on almost 25 acres on the Oak Ridges Moraine where 1000s of trees, including species at risk and Carolinian species and various other native plants, have been planted as part of a long-term ecological maintenance program. As a rural resident dependent on groundwater sources, she is keenly aware of the need for watershed conservation and protection.   

Jane has been a long-time active advocate for increased natural heritage conservation and protection - especially on the Oak Ridges Moraine. She played a key role in the 2009-2010 “It’s About Water” campaign which involved the local community, various local and outside organizations, environmental advocacy groups, politicians, experts, as well as indigenous communities.   

She is previously a member and chair of the Port Hope Tree Advisory Committee and an active member of the North American Native Plant Society (NANPS), Seeds of Diversity Canada (SODC), and Northumberland Land Trust (NLT). 

Chris Grayson recently retired as the CEO of Community Living Upper Ottawa Valley and is the former CEO of Community Living Campbellford Brighton. He has lived for four years on McGuire Drive in Millbrook and over 40 years in the Peterborough area.

He is the president and sole proprietor of CGA and Associates Inc. He is a former board member of COIN Peterborough and an economic development committee member of Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Chris is an international speaker and subject matter expert in employment supports for people with disabilities and on Quality Assurance and Accreditation. He received the only Canadian Person Centred Excellence Accreditation with Distinction, one of only six in the world in 2016.

He has acted on numerous provincial Policy development committees and is an accomplished public speaker and with conference coordination skill sets.

He is an avid and active outdoorsman who loves fishing, camping, golfing, and soccer and is a proud Poppa to four grandkids.

Mark Davidson and his family live in Millbrook and are proud to be a part of this incredible community. His career has provided experience working closely with municipalities, regions, environmental groups, utilities, road authorities and water ways; to build relations and gaining project approvals.   

Mark is an avid outdoorsman, he loves many sports and hobbys that take place in the great outdoors. He takes pride in his volunteer work with OFSC (Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs) preparing trails and securing land use agreements. 

He has planted hundreds of trees to improve and diversify his mostly forested property.  He believes a “boots and the ground and shovel in hand” approach is his best way to contribute to the BCWA. He feels that together we can help preserve sensitive areas, while enriching the aesthetics, value and social aspects of our community. 

Barb Heidenreich is a professional land use planner and specialist in ecological economics. Her forty year planning career encompasses the positions of: Manager of Projects Planning with the Region of Durham; Member, Ontario Municipal Board; Executive Director, Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy; Common Grounds Manager, Land Trusts & Conservation for Evergreen; Natural Heritage Coordinator for the Ontario Heritage Trust.

She has provided consulting services to First Nations in Labrador and British Columbia on community economics and land claims and developed business plans for conservation land trusts for both Calgary and Edmonton and their surrounding regions. 

She has held teaching and research positions as an Associate Professor with Trent University and as Centre Director for Boston University’s accredited School for Field Studies in Bamfield B.C. She has conducted research, consulted, presented and taught on the linkages between the environment and economy, valuing ecological goods and services and all aspects of natural areas conservation. 

Her experience in the non-profit sector, the private business sector, in all three levels of government: regional municipal, provincial and federal, has given her a unique insight into using a partnership approach to natural heritage conservation. 

Mike Howard is originally from Northern Ontario with his formative years in Peterborough. His career began as a truck driver before transitioning into warehouse and transportation management. This background afforded Mike the opportunity to explore most parts of Ontario’s geography and demographics. His admiration for the rural settings that he observed inspired him to move to nearby Millbrook where he has resided for the past 31 years. 

Mike and his wife have raised three children who have all chosen to remain in the area, thus further solidifying Mike’s commitment to enhance our community. Over the years Mike has actively volunteered with the Millbrook Lions Club, Figure Skating Club, and the local minor hockey organization. 

His participation with these organizations has provided the opportunity to meet many fellow residents of the area. Having enjoyed the benefits that the community has given him and his family, and having watched the expansion of the GTA for over 30 years, it is his belief that responsible growth is necessary and rural landscapes should be protected and incorporated responsibly into this growth. 

Steve Horner is semi-retired after a 40-year career in the plastics industry (injection moulding). He spent the last 12 years as General Manager of Sigma Moulders Located in Scarborough, Ontario. 

After visiting the Millbrook area for several years after his son moved to Fraserville, he and his wife decided they wanted to move from Ajax to retire in this beautiful area, “This Green and Pleasant Land”. 

One of his kids and grandchildren live in this area and he loves to walk the area’s hilly lands and see and feel the beauty of the landscape. Steve is in the process of self- teaching to be a landscape painter. 

Steve shares the vision for the environment and educational use of the Jail Hill lands and looks forward to being an active Board Member helping to accomplish the goals of Association.