Welcome to our “Meet the Team” Series! We thought it would be nice to get to know the folks behind our programs, and over the coming months we’ll be asking our staff some fun ‘get to know you’ questions and sharing the results here!

First up in the series are Ariel and Mel, both from our Sustainable Transportation Team, and Amy, our Lead Pathfinder with the First Nations Waste Minimization Team!

Amy

  • What inspired you to get into environmental non profit?

Being able to work with like-minded folks and do meaningful work.

  • What are you most looking forward to at Green Action Centre in the coming months?

I am looking forward to supporting northern Manitoba First Nation communities with backhauling recycling materials from their communities, taking a bike maintenance  &  repair workshop, and the outcomes of the strategic planning process,

  • What is your favourite meal to cook?

My favourite meal to cook when I have time is lasagna.

  • What is your favourite Winnipeg hangout spot?

One of my favourite Winnipeg hangout spots is Across the Board game cafe.

Mel

  • What inspired you to get into environmental non profit?

I have always been an environmentalist, but as someone working in the arts I wasn’t sure if I’d have the skills to work for GAC. But, at a previous position I was the coordinator for the Commuter Challenge and that’s how I learned about all of the great stuff GAC was doing. As someone who was commuting on my bike and via transit for the most part, I knew that Winnipeg had A LOT of work to do, and so I applied!

 

  • What are you most looking forward to at Green Action Centre in the coming months?

Spring is always an exciting season with so many activities and events, not just with our programs, but with our colleagues at organizations like Bike Winnipeg. It’s always nice to see more and more people getting around on their bikes and by walking, year over year. The snow is finally melting and I’m already seeing new faces riding around with big smiles!

  • What is your ideal Saturday?

Take the dog for a run in the sunshine, then have all day to curl up and read. A magical being would get all of the housework done in this ideal world …

 

  • What is your favourite book?

I loved Children of Tomorrow by J.R. Burgmann as someone interested in cli-fi, which came out last year. My favourite book that I go back to often is Fall On Your Knees by Anne-Marie Macdonald. It’s such a great family saga set in Canada by a writer who I first encountered as a playwright, but whose novels I grew to love, too!

Ariel

  • What inspired you to get into environmental non profit?

My focus in school was in environmental studies and I really liked the idea of working to inspire folks to live more sustainably so Green Action Centre was a perfect place for me!

 

  • What are you most looking forward to at Green Action Centre in the coming months?

We have lots of great projects coming up in the next few months but I love participating in Bike Week. We always have a booth and it is a fun way to start the day.

  • What is the best vacation you’ve ever been on? Why?

I finished my degree the same year my little sister completed hers and we celebrated by spending a few weeks in the UK. We had so much fun visiting museums, going to pubs, and just getting lost. I got really sick half way through but it did nothing to dampen my spirits. My favourite place was the city of Oxford. It was just absolutely beautiful.

 

  • What is your coffee order?

It depends where I am getting my coffee from but I love an oat milk cappuccino or a simple drip coffee with a splash of cream .

 

Stay tuned for Meet the Team – Part 2! If you want to read all of the staff bios, visit our staff page!