SSEA Partners Reception
2023 Awards Event
Severn Sound Environmental Association (SSEA) held their annual Partners Reception on April 5th, 2024, at the Elmvale Community Centre in Springwater Township. Each year we recognize those who are dedicated and truly interested in improving the Severn Sound Watershed and area. At the event, SSEA presented four awards recognizing environmental champions.
SSEA was honoured to invite local artist and member of the Order of Canada, John Hartman, as a guest speaker for this event. John has spent his career celebrating the natural environment through his artwork, capturing the rugged natural shorelines of Georgian Bay, and inspiring the next generation of Canadian artists.
EVENT SPONSORS
Thank you to Elmvale Foodland, HGR Graham Partners LLP, Springwater Garden Centre Inc., Hidden Habitat, Windlee Farms Maple Syrup, Huronia Nurseries Ltd., EGO’s Garden Centre, and SGS Canada Inc. for sponsoring our event this year and to the Township of Springwater Staff for providing outstanding support for this event held at the Elmvale Community Centre.
SSEA AWARDS
The 2023 Awards for this year’s event include the Severn Sound Environmental Legacy Award, the Severn Sound Sustainability and Stewardship Champion Award, the Severn Sound Student Environmental Champion Award, and the Severn Sound Environmental Volunteer Champion Award.
Severn Sound Environmental Legacy Award
The Severn Sound Environmental Legacy Award recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to Severn Sound and its watershed. These people inspire others through their actions, passion and commitment and have left a legacy that encourages others to become environmental champions. This year’s Environmental Legacy Award was presented to David Hawke!
David Hawke
David has been involved with teaching, researching, and sharing information on the local environment for 45 years and was recognized for his lifelong commitment and profound impact on the Severn Sound region. After working with a local land surveying company early on in his career, David became a naturalist at both the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre and Tiny Marsh Nature Centre. He has experience managing 51 properties associated with the Couchiching Conservancy Land Trust, and in recent years, David has worked with Lakehead University to provide environmental programming to high school students through the Ontario Youth Naturalists Program. Since 1989, David continues to write weekly nature columns that have appeared in several publications. His goal in promoting environmental education is to create an informed community, and SSEA is honoured to acknowledge his work and dedication to accomplishing this goal.
David Hawke is presented with the Severn Sound Environmental Legacy Champion Award. Pictured left to right: SSEA Board Chair Steffan Walma, SSEA Executive Director Julia Cayley, Recipient David Hawke, SSEA Board Member Lori Hutcheson, and Federal MP Adam Champers.
Remembering the Legacy
The past award winners are shining examples of the positive impact that individual efforts can have on the environment. They have played a vital role in protecting and restoring Severn Sound, promoting a culture of environmental stewardship, and motivating others to get involved. The Severn Sound Environmental Legacy Award acknowledges and honors these outstanding individuals for their valuable contributions to preserving and improving the environment and ecosystems of the region. In 2022, the first Severn Sound Environmental Legacy Award was presented to Keith Sherman. It was through his determined leadership that the SSEA was created and sustained well after Severn Sound was delisted as an Area of Concern. Legacy Champions are: Keith Sherman (2022) and David Hawke (2023). .
Severn Sound Environmental legacy award champions
SSEA Sustainability and Stewardship Champion Award
The Severn Sound Environmental Sustainability and Stewardship Champion Award recognizes an individual or group that has contributed to the stewardship of the Severn Sound environment through the demonstration of outstanding leadership, creativity and innovation in forging sustainability in the watershed and ecosystem. There are two recipients this year: Roy Patenaude and Meg Whitton.
Roy Patenaude
Through his community led initiatives to stop the spread of invasive species and restore native species habitat in Penetanguishene, Roy has been instrumental in local environmental stewardship efforts. In 2019, Roy met with SSEA staff to review and develop a plan for invasive phragmites removal in Rotary Champlain Wendat Park. Roy supported volunteer events and grant applications, and this coordinated effort was successful in significantly reducing returned growth each year. Roy has also been involved with other initiatives to decrease invasive species spread in additional areas of the town, has supported native species planting efforts through active engagement and monitoring, and played a role in the recent adoption of an environmentally inspired mowing policy by the municipality.
Roy Patenaude is presented with the SSEA Sustainability and Stewardship Champion Award. Pictured left to right: SSEA Invasive Species Program Coordinator Patrick Jackson, SSEA Board Chair Steffan Walma, SSEA Executive Officer Suzanne Marchand, Recipient Roy Patenaude, and Federal MP Adam Champers.
Meg Whitton
Meg is a strong advocate for the environment as a community and media leader. She is a dedicated supporter of SSEA and a board member for Living Green Barrie. Through her positive and persistent outlook, involvement with gently used clothing swap events and her significant waste diversion efforts working to achieve zero-waste for Festival du Loup, Meg has proven to be an exceptional leader in sustainability.
Meg Whitton is presented with the SSEA Sustainability and Stewardship Champion Award. Pictured left to right: SSEA Board Chair Steffan Walma, Recipient Meg Whitton, SSEA Executive Director Julia Cayley, SSEA Board Member Brian Bochek, and Federal MP Adam Champers.
SSEA Student Environmental Champion Award
The Severn Sound Student Environmental Champion Award celebrates and recognizes an individual that has shown enthusiasm, energy, initiative and commitment toward the environment, and serves as an inspiration to other students. Has implemented action through a campaign or project that has raised environmental awareness or led to environmentally friendly change in the student’s class, school or community. Aligns their environmental beliefs with their actions and behaviors at school and at home. This year SSEA recognizes J.J. McTague from St. Theresa’s High School!
JJ. McTague
J.J. has always been interested in helping and improving our local environment. Through his involvement with the St. Theresa’s High School environmental club (Green SREAK), he has accomplished just that. Not only did J.J. play an integral role in helping St. Theresa’s achieve Gold EcoSchools status for the 2023 school year, he also participated in many positive environmental actions including school yard tree planting and cleanups, winter clothing drives, and Earth Day campaigns. J.J. also raised over $300 in e-waste recycling to purchase bird, bat, and bee homes as well as trees and shrubs for his school yard. J.J. is a great example of how determined individuals can make a big difference.
JJ. Mc Tague is presented with the Severn Sound Student Environmental Champion Award. Pictured left to right: SSEA Board Chair Steffan Walma, SSEA Tree Plant Program Specialist Travis van Engelen, Recipient JJ. Mc Tague, Board Member Roberta Bald, and Federal MP Adam Chambers.
Severn Sound Environmental Volunteer Champion Award
The Severn Sound Environmental Volunteer Champion Award celebrates and recognizes an individual or group that has been involved with a volunteer initiative to help improve the Severn Sound watershed and ecosystem. This year SSEA recognizes members of the Farlain Lake Community Association.
Farlain Lake Community Association
The Farlain Lake Community Association was formed in 2008 to protect, preserve and enhance Farlain Lake and its watershed in Tiny Township. SSEA would like to recognize citizen science members Scott Dales, Emily Thorne, Barb Columbus, Mike Johnson, and Mark Simpson for their efforts on completing weekly water samples between May – September to aid with the 2023 Farlain Lake Algae Causation Study. These contributions are crucial to maintaining a healthy lake ecosystem!
Members of the Farlain Lake Community Association are presented with the Severn Sound Environmental Volunteer Champion Award. Pictured left to right: SSEA Board Chair Steffan Walma, Tiny Township Mayor David Evans, SSEA Student Sarah Song, recipients Emily Thorne, Mark Simpson, Mike Johnson, Barb Columbus, Brian Columbus, and Federal MP Adam Champers (not pictured: Scott Dales).
A Part of our History
Over a span of 20 years and an original part of our history, the renowned biologist and avid naturalist, Bob Whittam was celebrated through the Severn Sound Bob Whittam Environmental Award. The Award was brought to fruition by Keith Sherman, Executive Director of the Severn Sound Environmental Association in 1999 to honour Bob’s commitment to the Severn Sound ecosystem through his work at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, with the Trumpeter Swan Reintroduction Program and as Severn Sound Remedial Action Plan Public Advisory Committee Chair. The Award recognizes individuals or groups who are dedicated to improving the Severn Sound watershed and who exemplify environmental advocacy and stewardship of the Severn Sound ecosystem. The Bob Whittam Environmental Award was first presented by Bob Whittam and SSEA in 2000 to Fran Westman. Other Bob Whittam Award Recipients include Brian Jones (2001), Margaret Killing (2002), Peter Dupuis (2003), Sara Knight (2004), Dr. Si Lowry (2005), Bob Bowles (2006), Stephen Ogden (2007), André Claire (2008), Huronia Woodland Owners Association (2009), Andy Fletcher (2010), John Boucher (2011), Wendy and Jeff Bumstead (2012), Bill Sweenie (2013), Peter Andrews (2014), Terry Breckenridge (2015), Lynn Short (2016), Pat Woodford (2017), Ron Reid (2018), Scott Warnock (2018), and Sandy Agnew (2019).
