About Us
Ecopa Environmental was established to meet two needs within the field of natural resources management. Firstly, our commitment lies in delivering comprehensive training for environmental professionals. We prioritize practical field experience coupled with a solid grasp of natural history and pertinent legislation, ensuring that our trainees are well-equipped to navigate real-world scenarios and challenges.
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Our mission is to empower environmental professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to protect and manage natural resources sustainably.
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Secondly, Ecopa stands out for providing high-quality environmental consulting services that guarantee assessments characterized by reliability, transparency, and trustworthiness. Our seasoned team brings a wealth of experience and boasts a robust background in various aspects of environmental assessments. This includes expertise in data collection, ecological land classifications, wetland evaluations, ornithological and wildlife surveys, field botany, and OBBN.
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We partner with leading organizations, agencies and consulting groups to drive sustainable environmental solutions.
Paul Ashley is the founder of Ecopa Environmental and a professor at Fleming College. He has extensive knowledge of ELC, EIA, wetland evaluations, ornithology, and wildlife ecology and has taught these subjects to hundreds of students. With over 20 years of experience with the Canadian Wildlife Service's Protected Areas Program, as an ecosystem scientist for Parks Canada's Eastern Arctic National Parks and a tenure as a senior terrestrial ecologist for Hatch (a consulting engineering company), Paul brings a wealth of practical environmental expertise to his workshops and consulting services. Additionally, Paul is a member of the Ontario Association for Environmental Impact Assessment and has years of international experience, having developed and taught courses in ecological monitoring and environmental impact assessment in Ontario and for the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary and Vienna, Austria.
Doug McRae is an experienced ornithologist with over 40 years of working with birds and wildlife and has led over 100 birding tours worldwide. He conducts field trips and workshops on bird identification and has participated in numerous research programs focusing on shorebirds in the Hudson Bay Lowland. Through Shrew Solutions Inc., Doug provides biological assessments and expert testimony at environmental review hearings. He recently started teaching Ornithology and Wildlife courses at Fleming College.
Mike Oldham worked at the Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC), from 1993 to 2021. He has conducted botanical surveys throughout the province from the Carolinian Zone to the Hudson Bay Lowland. Mike served on the COSEWIC Vascular Plants Subcommittee for more than 20 years and as Ontario’s provincial representative on COSEWIC. Mike has also worked as a botanist and ecologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in district and regional offices in Aylmer, London, Richmond Hill, and Chatham, as well as for conservation authorities and as an independent environmental consultant. He is a founding member of the Field Botanists of Ontario (FBO) and has been an associate editor of the FBO Newsletter (now Ontario Plant Press) since its inception. Mike is a Research Associate with the Canadian Museum of Nature and an Emeritus Research Associate with NHIC.
John Knight is an esteemed instructor with over 30 years of experience at Fleming College, where he has garnered multiple awards for his exceptional teaching. His expertise lies in wildlife ecology and management and environmental impact studies. In addition to these specializations, John possesses a comprehensive understanding of forestry, ornithology, aquatic ecology, and natural history. Before embarking on his teaching career, he successfully operated his own environmental consulting firm and held various positions within the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Shawn Morgan is a GIS specialist who actively implements and designs GIS systems, a field he has dedicated himself to since 1994. He has taught GIS at Fleming College, Conestoga College, and the University of Waterloo. With decades of international consulting experience, Shawn collaborates with private and government agencies across North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Shawn focuses on making data accessible to professionals outside the GIS or IT fields. He delivers practical solutions for biologists, foresters, enforcement officers, urban planners, and others who need to collect and manage data. His expertise lies in explaining the "how" and ensuring its execution, driven by his passion for teaching everything from the basics to advanced spatial data science.
Barb Elliot is a certified taxonomist in identifying aquatic insects to the Family level with the Society of Freshwater Science, a North American-wide accreditation body. She is also a provincial trainer in the OBBN (Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network) protocol. Since 2008, she has offered training and certification opportunities in OBBN to hundreds of students and resource professionals.
Barb holds a B. Sc. from the University of Guelph and a Master’s degree from Athabasca University and was instrumental in developing the Ecosystem Management Program at the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences at Fleming College in Lindsay, Ontario. She received the Pascal Award for Excellence in Teaching from Fleming College where she taught for 28 years and the Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2017, she received the Environmental Excellence Conservationist Award from the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority in recognition of her many years of volunteer work in the environmental field, and, in 2021, the American Fisheries Society Outstanding Mentor Award in recognition of her contribution to the development and education of students. Most recently, she was the joint recipient of the Joyce Chau Ecospark Legacy Award for Environmental Leadership in June of 2023. She now owns and operates her own environmental consulting business.
Sam Pethick is a highly skilled GIS cartographic specialist who is an expert in all things mapping. With his knowledge of GIS technologies, combined with his exceptional attention to detail, Sam is an invaluable asset to the company. He is dedicated to producing high-quality maps and visualizations that accurately and effectively communicate complex information. Whether it's creating custom maps or conducting spatial analysis, Sam is always up to the task and ready to deliver results that meet and exceed our client's expectations.