The Humber Arboretum and Centre for Urban Ecology is pleased to welcome the following new staff to our team:

Valerie Leaist (aka Will-o'-the-wisp), Operations Assistant

For two years Valerie was both a behind-the-scenes organizer and front line contact as the Scheduling and Customer Service Assistant at the Centre for Urban Ecology, where she helped school groups, camp families, learners, and visitors alike take advantage of all the Arboretum has to offer. In early 2018 she moved into her full-time role as Operations Assistant, where she now helps ensure that all the many facets of the Humber Arboretum run smoothly. She holds a B.A. (Honours) in Classics & English from McMaster University and a diploma in Office Administration, Executive Assistant, from Mohawk College.

Valerie enjoys learning new things, being creative, and exploring new styles of art and writing. She loves artistic and outdoor activities like sitting around a campfire, watching the lights play off of the Athenian Acropolis at night, and standing by a river while a breeze whips around her.

Reid Williamson (aka Tamarack), Sr. Nature Interpreter

Growing up in a rural area, Reid was fortunate enough to always be exposed to the natural world. Wandering barefoot through the creeks and trails beside her home fueled her passion to protect wild spaces and help others to connect to them.

Reid graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and Minor in Sociology. Being part of the co-op program, Reid did the majority of her work placements in outdoor education and has experience working with both the Durham and Toronto District School Boards.

Reid is currently working to expanding her knowledge of plants and herbalism, friction fire, bird language, and animal tracking.

Sharon Dahan (aka Ivy), Customer Service Representative

Sharon began at the Centre for Urban Ecology as a workstudy Office and Events assistant in 2017 before graduating from Humber College with her Diploma in Cosmetic Management and being hired by the Arboretum as a regular staff member in 2018. She previously obtained a Legal Secretarial Studies Attestation of Collegial Studies from O’Sullivan College of Montreal and has experience both in customer service and as a legal secretary.

Sharon loves campfires and feeding chickadees, and is a huge foodie who loves to bake and discover new cuisines. She also loves the idea of making her own cosmetics and skincare as inspired by a workshop she took part in that was taught by Tamarack.

Tanisha Rajput (aka Sunflower), Nature Interpreter

Having grown up an urbanite, Tanisha has a great appreciation for the role that a nature connection can play in honing creativity, and physical and mental health.

She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Science and Minors in Economics and Biology and a Certificate in French. After working in a couple of roles as an environmental educator, she realized her passion for the great outdoors, and thus acquired a Masters of Environmental Science from University of Guelph.

Apart from being outdoors, Sunflower also enjoys poetry and is currently trying to be an instapoet, leads a volunteer group called Rotaract Club of Brampton, and loves to dance!

Lucas Allen, Jr. Horticulture Technician

Lucas may have only joined the regular staff in 2018, but he certainly isn’t new to the Arboretum. While studying at Humber College Lucas was employed as an Arb workstudy student in 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2017. During that time he eagerly took on a wide variety of tasks but mostly he assisted with the Arboretum’s many landscaping projects.

Lucas has a Landscape Technician Co-op Diploma and a Fitness and Health Promotion Diploma from Humber College, along with a Bachelor of Applied Science Kinesiology from the University of Guelph. He’s collected coins since he was seven years old and enjoys going to his family’s cottage and staying active through hiking, swimming, wakeboarding, snowboarding, and going to the gym.

We’re so happy to have them on board! We would also like to welcome the fantastic team of student gardeners, camp counsellors, and other work study students who have joined us for the summer season.

For more information on Arboretum staff, please see: humber.ca/arboretum/contact/staff-directory.html

Alexandra (Alix) Link
Director, Humber Arboretum and Centre for Urban Ecology

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