Online Presentation

Presenter: Matt Bolding
Ecologist and GIS Professional, Invasive Species Program Coordinator, Ducks Unlimited Canada (Eastern Region)

Invasive Phragmites australis is an invasive grass that has had a devastating impact on the environment in Ontario and continues to cause a serious impact on both our natural ecosystems and on our human infrastructure. Phragmites management is costly and requires several years of effort, both in management and monitoring for the potential re-invasion of Phragmites into previously managed areas. A new tool for use in Phragmites management, biological control, was approved for release in Canada in 2019 following two decades of research. This presentation will speak to how the biological control agent functions, and the status of the efforts to integrate biological control into our existing Phragmites management toolkit.

Speaker Profile
Matt Bolding has been involved in wetland research for over a decade, working across Canada in many different habitats, including the Prairie Pothole Region, Rocky Mountains, and the Great Lakes. He has led numerous research projects in Ontario dealing with invasive species management, species at risk, and coastal wetland restoration in the marshes of Long Point and Rondeau, on Lake Erie. Matt started at Ducks Unlimited Canada in August 2023 and coordinates Ontario’s invasive species program, which includes supporting research into biological control for invasive Phragmites,the development of new tools to track aquatic invasive European water chestnut and water soldier and coordinating collaborative Phragmites management in Eastern Ontario for the Ontario Phragmites Action Program.

Online Presentation

Presenter: Pat Lucey 
Gardening Instructor, Canadian Organic Growers

This engaging talk by an experienced organic farming specialist has been tailored specifically for the home gardener. Learn practical tips and techniques to grow healthy, chemical-free plants while nurturing your soil and nourishing your health. If you are looking to be inspired and to deepen your knowledge, this session will provide practical and eco-friendly strategies for a thriving organic garden. Join us for what promises to be a very diversified and interesting session.

Speaker Profile
Pat Lucey, a retired software engineer, grew up in a gardening family, with parents who were raised in gardening families, and they were all organic gardeners (although they would not have been familiar with this term back in the first half of the 20th century).  Pat and her husband Gary have been active in the organic farming and gardening movement for over 35 years, and have raised their kids out in the country on their organic homestead farm.

Presenter: Peter Tilley 
CEO, Ottawa Mission

Speaker Profile
Peter Tilley has been the CEO of The Ottawa Mission since June 2013. The Ottawa Mission is one of Canada’s largest and most innovative downtown shelters for the homeless, providing a full range of services to those in its sector.

Prior to The Mission, Peter served for 14 years as the Executive Director of the Ottawa Food Bank, leading that organization to become recognized as one of the most visible, progressive and respected food banks in Canada. 

Peter has served as a part-time professor at Algonquin College, where he taught Non-profit Management and Strategic Planning & Leadership. Peter was a 2012 and 2017 Ontario Premier’s Award nominee; in 2017, he was recognized as one of Algonquin College’s top Alumnus members at its 50-year celebration ceremony.

He currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Ottawa Inner City Health and is on the board of the Alliance To End Homelessness Ottawa.

Peter volunteers with several Ottawa-based organizations. He is the Father to an amazing daughter, Samantha, and has recently been blessed with a beautiful granddaughter, Skylar.

Presenter: Nelson Coyle
Carlington Community Health Centre (Board Director) and Founding Member of the Healthful Food Working Group

Speaker Profile
Nelson Coyle is an agricultural economist and a retired professional agrologist. He held policy and communications roles at the Canadian Dairy Commission, Chicken Farmers of Canada, the House of Commons office of the federal NDP Agriculture and Food critic and the National Farmers Union.

Nelson grew up on a small egg and market garden farm near Roseneath in Eastern Ontario. He has had an allotment garden on Kilborn Avenue for 40 years and began volunteering as a gardener in the community after early retirement in 2011. He is a founding member of the Healthful Food Working Group which is a joint project of the Carlington Community Association and the Carlington Community Health Centre.

Presenter: Carla De Ciccio 
Director of Marketing, Growcer

Speaker Profile
Carla De Ciccio leads marketing at Growcer, where she helps scale purpose-driven initiatives that make local food production more accessible and sustainable. With nearly 15 years of experience across technology, higher education, and healthcare, she has focused her career on growing organizations that drive social impact.

Carla holds an MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Ottawa and believes the most meaningful work happens when communities, ideas, and people grow together.

Presenter: Cecilia Lee 
Ottawa Horticultural Society Board Member and Co-Coordinator of the Community Impact Program

Speaker Profile
Cecilia Lee, is an Ottawa Horticultural Society Board member who has played a key role in the past year in co-leading the Society’s Community Impact Program, where financial assistance has been provided to various organizations in Ottawa, some of which involve community gardens where food is being shared with food banks and those in need.

Her interest in gardening stems from childhood where her family had a home garden to grow produce not easily found in the Maritimes, where she grew up.

Presenter: Rachael Wilson 
CEO, Ottawa Food Bank

Speaker Profile
Rachael Wilson is the CEO of the Ottawa Food Bank.  She has  been a member of the Ottawa Food Bank’s executive team as the Director, Communications & Development for over five years. Prior to joining the Ottawa Food Bank staff team, Rachael held high-level positions within the charitable sector for most of her 20-year career. As a Certified Fund-Raising Executive, Rachael is well-versed in what it means to be a leader in this landscape.

Since joining the Ottawa Food Bank, she has played an integral role in the strategic planning process and setting the direction for the organization, while also providing strategic counsel to Food Banks Canada as it relates to fundraising and best practices.

Prior to shifting priorities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachael helped make great strides in lobbying the City to implement a Poverty Reduction Strategy and helped to bring the issue of food insecurity in temporary emergency shelters to the table. She has also worked in partnership to ensure food security was part of the last federal and municipal elections.

Rachael was born and raised in Ottawa. Although she has left a few times she always comes back to her hometown. She lives here with her husband, two children and her golden retriever, Rosie.

In-Person Presentation Featuring a Panel of Six Community Leaders, Experts, and Service Providers

Presenter: Tom Robson
Coordinator, Community Harvest Farm (The Ottawa Food Bank)

Speaker Profile
Tom Robson has played a key role in the Community Harvest Farm coordinating  the operations for the past 6 growing seasons. The Community Harvest Farm, one of the Ottawa Food Bank’s active programs, produces over 150,000 lbs of mixed produce per season, to increase the quality and quantity of fresh and healthy food that is being distributed to emergency food programs across Ottawa. Moreover, the farm is “people-powered”  by engaging over 1,100 volunteers per season, who collectively provide over 5,000 hours of service to support the farm’s goals.

Prior to the Community Harvest, Tom spent many seasons working for vegetable farms in the charitable and education sectors.

In-Person Presentation

Presenter: Matthieu Morin
Food, Plant and Animal K9 Officer, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

Join us for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) works to protect Canada’s environment and agriculture.  In this unique presentation, a CBSA officer– partnered with a highly trained detector dog– will demonstrate how they work together to prevent the introduction of invasive pests, plant diseases and prohibited soil or plant materials at our borders.  Learn about the critical role these canine teams play in protecting our gardens, farms and ecosystems from biosecurity threats and discover what you can do to support this vital mission.

Speaker Profile
Matthieu Morin, an experienced Food, Plant and Animal K9 Officer with expertise in the subject of importation of food and plants, has over 15 years experience sharing his knowledge with various audiences.  Over these past several years, he has delivered  demonstrations and educational talks to a wide range of audiences, including the public at universities, high schools, fairs and other community events as well as internal stakeholders at CBSA. His experience and engaging presentation style have helped raise awareness about the importance of biosecurity and the role of border services in protecting Canada’s agriculture and environment.

In-Person Presentation

Presenter: Nancy McDonald
Master Gardener of Ottawa-Carleton and Member of the Ottawa Horticultural Society

Nancy McDonald, Master Gardener, will shed a new light on how we can enjoy the fruits of our gardening labor in a different way.  Join us for a flavorful gardening talk that explores the culinary magic of herbs and edible flowers. Learn how to grow, harvest and use these aromatic and colorful plants to elevate your cooking and add beauty to your plate. You’ll discover creative ways to incorporate garden-fresh ingredients into everyday meals and special occasions.

Speaker Profile
Nancy McDonald grew up on a farm on PEI and learned the practical aspects of gardening from her parents. Her love of flowers came from spending time in her grandmother’s beautiful mixed garden. After 42 years of a very fulfilling nursing career, Nancy’s thoughts turned to retirement and volunteer opportunities. She has been a member of the Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton for 15 years.  As a Master Gardener, Nancy completed the Pollinator Steward Certification in 2024. She is a member of the Ottawa Horticultural Society and continues to enjoy her small suburban garden and the birds, bees and butterflies that visit. She also enjoys making flavorful recipes in her kitchen using herbs and edible flowers from her garden.

Presenter: Mary Crawford
Master Gardener of Ottawa-Carleton

Speaker Profile
Mary joined Master Gardeners of Ottawa Carleton in 2020 and finds this group to be an excellent match for her lifelong passion for the natural world and sharing that passion with others. She enjoys making presentations as well as writing articles for Trowel Talk and publications such as Fifty-Five Plus.

Topics range from precision pruning and starting herb gardens to the history of traditional tobacco and the beauty of New York’s High Line park. She has come to realize you never know where plant love will lead you.

Presenter: Odette McIntyre
Master Gardener of Ottawa-Carleton

Speaker Profile
Odette’s passion for horticulture began in Ste. Anne de Beaupré, Québec. working alongside her father in the family garden. She studied in plant science and ecology at the Institut de Technologie Agricole. After graduating, she worked at the Montréal Botanical Garden for four years before moving to Toronto, where she served in a York Region municipality until retirement.

Odette’s gardening career has focused on sustainability and cold-climate production, experimenting with plant varieties and cultivation techniques. She joined Master Gardeners in 2013 in Toronto. Since relocating to Ottawa to be closer to her grand-daughters,Odette has shared her knowledge through presentations and workshops to several local gardening groups, the Ottawa Public Library Gardening Programs, the Ottawa Home & Garden Show and other community events. She is now the Coordinator of meetings for the Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton.

Presenter: Lee Ann Smith
Master Gardener of Ottawa-Carleton

Speaker Profile
Lee Ann is rather unique among Master Gardeners (MG): unlike most Master Gardeners, she did not grow up under the guidance of a gardener. Both her parents hated all forms of yard work and her sister declares that any hole she digs for a plant is a grave! Despite the rough start, Lee Ann has been happily creating gardens both at home in Richmond and at her cottage for over 40 years.

When she isn’t gardening, Lee Ann is writing, often about gardening. She is the author of two non-fiction history books, many magazine articles, and is also an award-winning poet.

In-Person Presentation

Presenter: Carol Pasternak
Carol Pasternak, MBA, LLB, CPT  

Explore the secret lives in your yard or nearby natural area.  Through graphic macro photography and videos, you’ll see insects hatching, eating each other, transforming, parasitizing, courting, and even farming!   Take a break from the news.   Butterfly expert and author Carol Pasternak will dazzle you with her passion, humour, and brilliant photography, then stay to answer all your questions.

Speaker Profile
Carol Pasternak, MBA, LLB, is an author, photographer, and sought-after Motivational Nature Speaker. She has been raising butterflies on her dining room table for 40 years and never gets tired of it. Her first book, How to Raise Monarch Butterflies: A Step-by-Step Guide for Kids, has sold 60,000 copies and inspired a new generation to grow native plants. In her newest book, 5 Butterflies, Carol merges her mottos — Discover it. Love it. Protect it. and It’s Gotta Be Fun — to ignite people’s love of nature through the raising of butterflies.

In-Person Presentation

Presenter: Emma Terrell
Owner, The Urban Botanist, Ottawa

This inspiring and informative talk will showcase this speaker’s passion for plants and creative greening solutions. She will explore the world of indoor and outdoor plants, offering practical tips and fresh ideas to help you bring more greenery into your life. She’ll also highlight the many fascinating uses of moss– from living art pieces to natural design elements– and how this humble plant can transform spaces and support sustainability. You might have seen Emma showcasing her creations on CTV morning news and in other venues, so come and visit us for an in-person look at her creative journey Her energy and expertise will leave you feeling motivated to grow!

Speaker Profile
Emma Terrell, known as the The Urban Botanist, is a passionate plant enthusiast dedicated to bringing greenery into urban spaces, whether indoors or outdoors. Based in Ottawa, she offers engaging workshops, living wall installations and plant education aimed at reconnecting people with nature.