President

Risa Zaleski is a graduate of Queen’s Engineering (Applied Math) and spent her 35-year career working as an IT project manager and program director. After moving to Prince Edward County to retire from corporate work, Risa found her second passion at the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory. Starting as a volunteer at the station extracting birds from nets during spring and fall migration, she developed an unforeseen passion for birds and birding and is honing her bird identification skills. Risa joined the Board as Secretary in 2023, and in 2024 transitioned into the role of President. She is excited to help coordinate the advancement of PEPtBO’s mission to protect birds and their habitat through research, advocacy, and education.

Vice President

Mira Furgoch has been a PEPtBO board member since 2022, where she serves as a volunteer coordinator, is involved with event planning and the Banding, Research and Training committee. Mira volunteers regularly at PEPtBO's banding station and is an NABC certified and permitted bird bander. Mira has volunteered with various banding operations since 2013. She is a bird lover and believes strongly in PEPtBO’s mission, and hopes to see it grow in its contribution to research and the banding community.

Treasurer

Born and raised in Montreal, Dale Boyd has lived half her life in Vancouver and spent much of her working career with the Canadian Stock Exchanges. With a background in finance, she managed both trading and trade settlement operations for Vancouver and Calgary. In 2002, she was transferred to the Toronto Exchange to help develop new trading products and act as international event coordinator for the President. She and her husband built their dream home in Prinyers Cove, Prince Edward County, where they retired in 2008. Now widowed, she lives in Picton with her two “fur-kids” and joined PEPtBO in 2018.

Secretary

Karyn Hyjek is a seasoned communications leader with expertise in marketing, public relations and branding. She has worked in a variety of sectors, including government, nonprofit and public for a number of large organizations. What began as a way to spend time with her family on birding excursions throughout Canada, Central and South America and Tanzania, developed into a true interest in birds and their preservation. A long time visitor and now homeowner in the County, Karyn is excited to play a more active role in the community and help PEPtBO achieve its goals.

Director

Nina-Marie Lister is Professor of Urban Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University where she directs the Ecological Design Lab. A Senior Fellow of Massey College, she is Visiting Professor of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University. Lister was awarded the Margolese National Design Prize for her work in ecological design and she holds honourary membership in the American Society of Landscape Architects. As co-editor of The Ecosystem Approach and Projective Ecologies, and author of over 100 scholarly articles and professional papers, Lister’s research connects people to nature in cities through design for climate resilience, biodiversity recovery and wellbeing. A recipient of the Canada Green Building Council award, Lister was nominated among Planetizen’s Most Influential Urbanists. NML loves learning about birds with PEPtBO where you can find her in the banding lab on weekends!

Director

Jessica Cowan-Dewar, MSc (she/her) joined the PEPtBO board in June 2023. Her early days growing up in rural Southern Ontario, the years she spent guiding wilderness expeditions across Northern Canada, and her formal academic training in tropical research are all rooted in a deep appreciation of the natural world. Jessica is highly motivated to use her skills - writing/editing, qualitative research, teaching, advocacy, and inter-personal - to contribute to bird and habitat conservation.

Director 

After decades as a scripted content executive at major Canadian broadcasters, Tara Ellis set up her own production company – 3B Content Inc. – to develop and produce comedy and drama series. Her first comedy series Hey Lady!, directed by Sarah Polley for CBC Gem, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Festival. Her recent comedy series Nesting – about alternative families, not birds! – was directed by Emmy-award winning Allana Harkin and premiered on Crave in December of 2023.  In addition to producing and learning more about birds, Tara is active as a career coach, mentor and screenwriting instructor at UofT’s School of Continuing Studies. Tara splits her time between Long Point Road near Milford and Toronto.

Director 

Born and raised in Prince Edward County, Gavin Christie and his wife, Erin, retired to live permanently at his family home on the shores of the lower Bay of Quinte in the spring of 2023. Gavin’s interest in natural history led him to train to be a fisheries ecologist and to pursue a career protecting and restoring our Great Lakes. His work with international commissions, provincial and federal government agencies focused on developing science and applying that science to actions to prevent invasive species, to conserve habitats, to protect species at risk, and to sustain fisheries. Gavin is inspired by the energy and commitment of everyone involved in PEPtBO and proud to be working with PEPtBO to deliver science to help protect birds and our natural heritage.

Director

Brian Joyce’s love for nature and birds began at an early age but really took flight at university in his Chordate Zoology class and later as a volunteer at Long Point Bird Observatory.  He took his knowledge and applied it in his future positions as a Park Naturalist and Outdoor Education Coordinator at school boards and conservation authorities.  In 1995, with his colleague Eric Machell, they started the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory. Now entering its 30th year it is one of the most successful stations in Canada.

Director 

Phil Mercier is a graduate of McGill University in Wildlife Biology and served as Station Manager at PEPtBO for three years. His experience in fundraising through station events, combined with strong public speaking skills, fuels his excitement for PEPtBO’s growth as Chair of the Fundraising Committee and Co-Chair of the Banding, Research, and Training Committee.

Director

Julie White provided leadership in the charitable sector for over thirty years including the Levi Strauss Foundation, The Trillium Foundation, Philanthropic Foundations Canada, The Canadian Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Julie is also one of the founders of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, established to improve the economic lives of women across the country. Her extensive volunteer experience includes the Advisory Board for Nonprofit Management at the Schulich School, the Advisory Board for the School of Policy Studies at Queens, and the Foundation for Active Healthy Kids. Julie received the Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Governor General for her service to Canada in 2012, and was recently honoured with the Paul Harris Award for public contribution by the Picton Rotary.

Director 

Nick Bartok grew up in central Ontario on the doorstep of Algonquin Provincial Park and has been birdwatching since childhood. After completing a BES at the University of Waterloo with a thesis on Trumpeter Swans in Ontario, he moved to Yuma, Arizona to conduct research on secretive marsh birds along the Colorado River and at the Salton Sea. Nick completed an M.Sc. at the University of Western Ontario studying Least Bittern populations and habitat associations at Long Point, Ontario. Nick now lives with his wife and two children in Kingston, Ontario. He works as a wildlife biologist and regularly leads bird ID workshops and birding tours. He is a certified trainer level bird bander with the North American Banding Council and has led banding workshops and birding tours in Belize.