Six organizations and individuals were honoured with Essex Region Conservation Awards for their contributions to creating a sustainable future of the Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island region at ERCA’s Annual General Meeting, hosted January 23, 2025.
“It’s very inspiring to have the opportunity to celebrate so many organizations and individuals who have made an incredible impact on the environment,” said Molly Allaire, who was acclaimed as ERCA’s Chair. “We thank them for all of their contributions.”
Winners included:
Architectural Conservancy of Ontario – Windsor Essex Branch – The John R. Park Homestead Award The John R. Park Homestead Award recognizes an individual or group for their contributions to the preservation of human and/or natural history in the Essex Region. We are pleased to present the 2024 John R. Park Homestead Award to the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario – Windsor Essex Branch.
The Windsor Essex Branch of the ACO is a volunteer organization that utilizes an initiative-taking approach to heritage preservation. It lobbies local government and property owners for the preservation of built heritage that is at-risk of demolition or significant change that would alter original architectural features.
Some of their most urgent work involves encouraging heritage designations under the Ontario Heritage Act. In the wake of Provincial Policy that will delist properties of heritage interest, they have been working to identify vulnerable properties and have lobbied Heritage Planners and Councils to ensure they are designated before deadline; after which they could be demolished without notice. This advocacy work has also resulted in the 2 year extension of this deadline .
The ACO led local participation in Doors Open in Windsor since its launch in two thousand and two. They have helped to expand the local Jane’s Walk Festival to include Essex County, making it one of the largest Jane’s Walks in Ontario.
In 2024, the Windsor Essex Branch of ACO celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over the past 3 decades, it has helped to preserve many heritage buildings. . It also offers other supports, such as assisting with an architectural assessment for Heritage Colchester, providing advice for the Lesperance Cabin in Tecumseh, and preserving original wood cladding for the Esdras Parent House in Windsor. The Branch has used its Preservation Works! program to help provide guidance for the conservation of heritage properties as well as assessment for future adaptive reuse.
ACO Windsor-Essex has also been a long time supporter of and donor to the significant restoration effort at the John R. Park Homestead.
Preserving built heritage within our community fosters civic identity and pride as it draws attention to the local history and diverse cultures of a community, while providing environmental, economic, cultural, and tourism benefits. For its ongoing commitment to heritage conservation, it is our pleasure to recognize The Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Windsor Essex Branch with the John R. Park Homestead Award.
Andrew Pula – Education Award The Conservation Award for Education is presented to Andrew Pula. A geography teacher at Belle River High School, for the past twenty-five years as an educator, Andrew has been engaging his students on environmental issues, and coordinates opportunities for them to get involved in stewardship and outreach in the region. He is the teacher lead for the school’s eco team and exposes his kids to outdoor education, runs programs in the school’s greenhouse, and has partnered with ERCA in a variety of ways.
Andrew also coordinates the Environmental Specialist High Skills Major program to allow his students to gain an enhanced understanding of environmental issues and to ‘learn while doing’ to develop skills in the environmental field. He has brought his students to numerous community restoration field trips at sites across the region to plant native species, restore and connect fragmented habitat while improving the overall health of local watersheds . Similarly, Andrew has both collaborated with ERCA and independently led litter cleanups in the Belle River watershed, making a significant impact in the community while teaching his students about the importance of maintaining a healthy watershed.
Outside of the classroom, from 2007 to 2016, he volunteered his time on the Source Water Protection committee, where his experience and knowledge helped promote the protection of our local drinking water sources. In addition, Andrew has spent hundreds of hours planning, scoping out locations and executing the South Coast Adventure Race, the region’s only adventure race which ERCA hosted for a number of years.
Andrew truly inspires his students with his personal dedication to the protection and restoration of the environment – he ‘walks the talk’, and has educated thousands of young people to become passionate environmental stewards. He is a wonderful role model to his students, - in the field, in the classroom and in life, and we are most pleased to honour him with the Conservation Award for Education.
Wayne King – Volunteer Award Wayne King has been a dedicated steward of Hillman Marsh – one of the most biologically significant wetlands in Ontario - for his whole life. Having grown up in the area, he has been a first-hand witness to the changes in the marsh for decades. As changing water levels, more intense and frequent storms, and our changing climate compromised the long-term sustainability of the marsh, the barrier beach that protects it, and the dyke that protects the inland from the potential of catastrophic flooding, Wayne became a passionate advocate for intervention.
Wayne began to monitor, measure, and photograph the rapid changes, and reported these changes to ERCA, and in the report he authored entitled 'The Destruction of Leamington's East Beaches'. His provided photographs over the decades have assisted ERCA and consulting engineers in evaluating the rate of deterioration and options for the marsh’s restoration. He founded the Leamington Shoreline Association to bring landowners together to better understand the challenges in this area, and to collaboratively advocate for its restoration. He has helped to bring awareness and lobby for a restoration plan to various levels of government, the media and across the community. The importance of his grassroots approach cannot be overstated.
Today, Wayne sits as a volunteer on ERCA's Steering Committee for the Hillman Marsh Restoration Plan, where he continues to contribute his observations, local knowledge, and insights that have been vital to the success of the Restoration Plan and the significant funding for its Phase 1 implementation. His commitment to preserving Hillman Marsh is a legacy that will benefit the Essex Region for generations to come, and for his longtime efforts, we are pleased to recognize Wayne King with the Conservation Award for a Volunteer.
Green Sun Rising – Volunteer Award Established in 2008, Green Sun Rising is Southern Ontario's oldest solar technology company, focused on solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, electric vehicles, and off-grid energy sources. As a supplier of complete solar systems, Green Sun Rising has developed more than 500 grid-connected solar PV systems across Canada.
In addition to its significant impact in the quest to transform to a clean energy system, Green Sun Rising and its founders, Klaus Dohring and Tanja Nuske, have initiated and participated in countless volunteer activities in support of their mission.
As a pioneering force in combining solar PV with Elective Vehicle charging, they formed an EV association called EV4Solar, and provide an EV charging station at their solar carport for those who need a quick charge. As founding members of the EV Society Windsor-Essex, they have also played a vital role in advancing sustainable transportation and are actively engaged with Bike Windsor Essex.
Green Sun Rising has been supporting a wide variety of tree planting and environmental education events across the region for decades. No matter if planting trees in Leamington at the Solcz Family Foundation Forest, along the Greenway Trail system or at Earth Day, Green Sun Rising, and in particular Klaus, can always be found with shovel in hand. In fact, last year, Green Sun Rising was the co-sponsor of the Earth Day Tree Planting event in Windsor, where nearly 2,000 trees were planted.
Klaus, on behalf of Green Sun Rising, was also an important volunteer contributor to both the City of Windsor and the County of Essex Community Energy Plans. He is a frequent and sought-after guest speaker at a variety of environmental events across the region and beyond.
Green Sun Rising has also been a proud and invaluable member of the YQGgreen Group since its inception. Their contributions span numerous impactful initiatives, including the Annual City of Windsor Earth Day, Bryerswood Earth Day, Devonshire Recycle Day, YQGgreen Earth Hour, YQGgreen Expo, and more.
Tanja and Klaus and the entire Green Sun Rising team truly embody what it means to live sustainably, and their passion and leadership continue to inspire us all. For these reasons and more, we are so pleased for the opportunity to honour Green Sun Rising for their many volunteer contributions with the Conservation Volunteer Award.
Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary – Environmental Achievement Founded in 1904, the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary has been a staple in the world of conservation for over 120 years. In fact, Jack Miner himself was dubbed the ‘Father of Conservation’ by the Minneapolis Journal in 1906. With a century-old legacy of conservation-focused community outreach, the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary has worked tirelessly in the realm of conservation.
In particular, over the last few years the sanctuary has worked to enhance the education component of its mandate; to deliver quality outdoor education programming; to effectively integrate education into their ever-evolving annual events; to develop strong conservation partnerships; and to connect with visitors of all ages through their conservation efforts.
Since Fall 2022, the Jack Miner Learning Centre has become a community engagement keystone. This learning environment provides visitors young and old with opportunities to understand nature through experiential learning activities. It was built to inspire wonder and honour the conservationist legacy of Jack Miner. Since its opening, the Learning Centre has welcomed over 8,500 visitors.
The Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary has also partnered with ERCA on a number of restoration activities. In 2022, we worked with the Sanctuary to convert a portion of an old hay field into 5 acres of native meadow habitat in support of pollinators and other wildlife. And last year, we worked together to create 14 acres of new habitat, including a wetland, native prairie grasses, and approximately 11.5 acres of afforestation.
Kennedy Woods, which located at the Sanctuary, is one of the region’s most diversity-rich forests. It includes 5km of trails, which feature a Storyboard Trail that provides a unique way for visitors to understand the importance of environmental stewardship through First Nations culture and tradition.
The Sanctuary has a partnership with 50 Ducks which tracks the paths of ducks and geese with GPS, blending conservation and education, and contributing to a larger research mission. It also hosts annual events, such as National Wildlife Week - a nation-wide celebration of wildlife conservation that was originally inspired by Jack Miner’s work; and the Migration Festival.
Without a doubt, The Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary is committed to the legacy of conservation inspired by its founder, and we are most pleased for the opportunity to present them with the Conservation Award for Environmental Achievement.
Gina Pannunzio – Dennis Chase Staff Award The Dennis Chase Staff Award honours longtime staff member Dennis Chase and recognizes those who demonstrate the traits that Dennis upheld: dedication, commitment, conscientiousness, kindness to colleagues, enthusiasm, pride in a job well done, and good humour.
Gina Pannunzio has been ERCA’s Partnerships & Outreach Coordinator since 2017. In this role, she works with countless volunteers, community groups, businesses large and small, and all levels of government. She has planned and implemented countless community tree planting and watershed cleanup projects, marsh monitoring activities, and more.
Gina’s dedication to environmental conservation is beyond compare, and she is an absolute pleasure to work with. She is friendly, passionate about what she does, and willing to go the extra mile to ensure a job well done. Every task she does with a smile on her face and her positive energy is contagious. When things go a bit sideways – as they can when dealing with outdoor stewardship activities in all kinds of weather - she is always there to offer a solution and look on the bright side. Gina has incredible professional talents in many areas; her knowledge is impressive; her organizational skills and penchant for perfect project management is unparalleled; and she is a partnership pro! But, most important, is her dynamic personality. She is quick to share a laugh and is always thinking of creative ideas to make both events and the environment better.
Here's what some of her colleagues had to say:
She is in absolute all-star and the Detroit River is better as a result of having her actively involved in the program.
Gina is passionate and dedicated to her work here - truly a lover of nature - and is also a kind, compassionate, sincere, and caring person!
Gina is an absolute delight to work with! She is well organized, has a cheerful disposition, is always smiling and is passionate about her work, which shows on a continual basis.
In fact, Gina had the fortunate blessing and honour of working with Dennis before she pursued conservation as career path. She began as part of the seasonal maple crew at the Homestead. She was stellar from the start, and went on to work with Dennis as part of the tree planting crew, where she easily became his favourite. Dennis’ legacy of warmth and optimism continues on in Gina in the bright smile she carries everyday into our work place, and we believe he would be so pleased to see Gina receive this well-deserved award, in his name.
There’s no question that Gina embodies the characteristics upon which the Dennis Chase Staff Award was founded – optimism, kindness, and conservation, and we are delighted for the opportunity to honour her with this award.
You can download and read ERCA’s Annual Report below
or watch the corresponding Annual report video .
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