Leora Berman is The Land Between founder and of The Land Between charity. Leora has been leading and developing large scale ecological projects for nonprofit groups and governments for 20 years. She began by studying Economics and English at McMaster University, but did not feel fulfilled with this learning and so pursued a focus in Hydrology and Environmental science at Sir Sandford Fleming College. She has since worked with governments and as an educator for the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Rural Affairs, with large charities of Wildlife Habitat Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada for wetland, landscape and species conservation; and she has worked privately in hydrogeological consulting, for septic designs, dam building, shoreline restoration and also goose control. As the Founder and COO of The Land Between, Leora is focused on building relationships, awareness and capacity. She is dedicated to grassroots, Indigenous and democratic systems and governance. Leora also runs a private consulting firm that develops and supports social sector efforts in her communities.
Ally Lahey is a graduate with two majors in both Biology also Psychology from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. Ally is the Citizen Science Coordinator for The Land Between charity. Ally has worked with Cornell University, and was lucky to be mentored by Dr. Janis Dickinson—the head of Citizen Science at the institution. Ally has an appreciation and passion for Citizen Science. Ally feels that this powerful tool can change our world for the better. Ally has also participated in a variety of research projects and has been published in research journals. Ally enjoys promoting science to members of the public.
MaryJane Proulx is an Anishinaabeg/Scottish woman who recently joined The Land Between team as the Cultural Heritage Coordinator. MaryJane’s work with The Land Between focuses on the incorporation of First Nations history and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in multiple projects across the landscape. During the winter months of 2019-2020 MaryJane will be volunteering with The Land Between while attending school.
Throughout her academic career at Trent University and Fleming College, MaryJane has been working to promote and support Indigenous perspectives as a researcher, writer and historian. She holds a Bachelor with Honours in History and Environmental Resource Studies, as well as a diploma in Ecosystem Management Technology. MaryJane has worked as an Artisan Interpreter and Tour Guide at the Canoe Museum for the past 3 years, carving paddles and teaching visitors about Indigenous-settler histories through the story of the canoe. She has also volunteered with Peterborough Green Up and the Rice Lake Plains Joint Initiative doing ecological work. MaryJane’s ultimate goal in both her personal and academic career is to bridge cultures through ecological problem solving and story-telling.
Brittany Stoneman is an ecologist who graduated from the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) program at the University of Guelph with a specialization in Geography and Geomatics. Brittany attained a post-graduate diploma in Ecosystem Management from the School of Environmental & Natural Resources at Fleming College. Brittany’s experience includes field research, biological inventories and environmental sampling and the ability to identify Ontario’s native, non-native and invasive flora and fauna. Brittany volunteered as a Wilderness Resource Conservation Technician with Askari Wilderness Conservation Program in Limpopo, South Africa from January to April 2019. She assisted with data capture in the field for herbivore population monitoring and the spatial demography of large game. She also assisted with Cheetah rehabilitation, Nyala breeding and nocturnal mammal monitoring using radio telemetry for tracking. She is also very fortunate to have contributed to alien plant control, habitat restoration and erosion control. Brittany is our Species at Risk Technologist, helping landowners to improve their properties to support declining species in the region.
