First Contact

My 10-plus years of work in the trades has made me a bit of a workhorse who strives in a constantly shifting and fast-paced environment. This, as many teachers would agree, is exactly the environment we work in every day. I believe in giving back to our community. For the last several years, our classes participate in a variety of building projects for our community. We have built an obstacle for the Cancer Society’s Git’Er Done Mud Run, which took place at Wilderness Tours. We’ve done picnic tables for the City of Pembroke, 30-plus feet of dock for the rowing club, rebuilt the benches for our waterfront boardwalk and completed our first timber frame project (an 8’ x 10’ pavilion) for Little Lakes Park in Beachburg. I also belong to the Renfrew County Home Builders Association, where local contractors and business owners meet to discuss the industry. In the future, I’d very much like to create projects that can continue to help our local communities, but in bigger and better ways.

I believe the most important thing that faculty can pass on to our students is to stay safe while working in the industry, and to always make sure to do the job right the first time. Completely avoidable workplace injuries happen all too often in the trades. We’re working very hard to teach our students how to identify dangerous situations and how to handle those situations on the job site. We train our students to take pride in their work and do our best to show them the advantages of creating something that will not only look fantastic but will hold up to the test of time.

Matthew has 17 years of both public and private sector experience in network administration, application development, disaster recovery, security and strategic planning.  

Kristi was raised in the small rural town of Campbellford, ON. Living across from Ferris Provincial Park, she quickly found her love of nature, roaming the forests and learning about wildlife.  A deep passion for animals leads to countless hours spent tagging along with local veterinarians and outdoor enthusiasts, learning about animal care and treatment, camping, canoeing, and bush-craft.

This early experience lead Kristi to Trent University, where she obtained an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, with a major in Ecology. She is currently enrolled in courses on Avian health and welfare, and Equine nutrition, and has her sights set on obtaining a masters degree in an environmental field.

Since graduating, Kristi has held diverse positions in the environmental industry, including working for Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. She has over 16 years of experience as a Biologist and Project Manager and is on the Executive of the local Ducks Unlimited chapter.  Her current position with Ontario Resource Management Group has included projects ranging from small habitat protection plans, through to multi-million dollar hydroelectric facilities. She has worked with individual landowners, private companies, Provincial and Federal government agencies, First Nations, NGOs, and large corporate developers. Kristi has extensive experience in the identification of flora and fauna, Species at Risk surveys and permit applications, Ecological Land Classification analyses, Ontario Wetland Evaluations, Aggregate Resources Act planning and assessment, and Wildlife habitat management and mitigation. 

Kristi joined Algonquin College in 2012 as a professor of Ecology for the Environmental Technician program. Currently, she also teaches Environmental Chemistry, as well as Wildlife ID for Naturalists in the Outdoor Adventure Naturalist program, and Ecological Land Classification training for the Forestry Technician and Urban Forestry - Arboriculture programs.  As someone currently employed in the Environmental industry, Kristi knows the field and lab skills and training that new graduates need to be successful. She willingly passes on her knowledge to her students, and is always open to spirited discussions on environmental and ecological issues!

Born and raised in Pembroke, Ontario, Shandy has unparalleled knowledge of the local area; its residents, industries, and environmental landscapes. Her love of travel and adventure, however, have led her to visit over 25 countries including extended periods living and working in Germany, Mexico and Barbados. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology that she obtained from Nipissing University in 2008. One of her true passions is marine biology, which brought her to study abroad for a semester in Barbados, and led to employment with the University of the West Indies’ Barbados Sea Turtle Project. Years later, Shandy joined a coral reef research expedition in Mexico where she spent 6 months scuba diving to assess coral community health and diversity on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Shandy enjoys everything outdoors, including hiking, mountain biking, skiing, scuba diving, and even a little surfing when given the opportunity.

After spending as much time abroad as she could, Shandy finally settled back home and switched her focus to terrestrial and aquatic biology, which led to employment as a Species at Risk Technician with the Department of National Defense and various positions within the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry (MNRF). Shandy has spent 6 summers working at the MNRF as the Stewardship Crew Lead for the Youth Ranger program in Renfrew County and has worked with many community partners in the planning and implementation of environmental stewardship projects. Projects ranged from building wood duck boxes, monitoring and tracking endangered turtles, banding geese, performing fisheries assessments, tending pine plantations to harvesting crops on an organic farm. Shandy is heavily involved with the local community, having participated in various environmental stewardship projects in her free time and routinely organizes and assists with local charitable fundraising and educational events.

Shandy began working at Algonquin College in 2012 as the Field and Lab Technologist for the Environmental Technician program. She ensures that student’s labs run smoothly and she is well versed in both field sampling equipment and laboratory analytics. Her passion and knowledge of flora and fauna eventually led to her teaching courses at Algonquin College in botany and wildlife. With a welcoming personality and always wearing a smile, Shandy is a great point of contact for students experiencing academic issues, seeking advice, or just wanting someone to talk to.