Let's Connect!
General Inquiries
Phone: 705-326-1620
Email: courtney@couchconservancy.ca
Mailing Address:
Box 704
Orillia, Ontario
L3V 6K7 Canada
Office Address:
1485 Division Road West
Orillia, Ontario
L3V 0X6 Canada
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, our office is closed to the public with staff working from home and at the office. You can contact us in three ways:
- Phone the office (we check the answering machine daily)
- Email staff directly
- Make arrangements to drop off or pick up items via our mailbox or storage room at the office.
Executive Director – Mark Bisset
Email: mbisset@couchconservancy.ca
Contact me about land protection and acquisition, financial info and questions about strategy.
What I love about working at the Conservancy: The privilege of doing work that is aligned with my personal values.
Indulgence: boats and sailing magazines
What I wanted to be when I was a kid: Explorer
When you’re not at the Conservancy, what do you do with your time: Mess around in sailboats, canoe, camp, cycle, garden, read, ski, snowshoe, swim, weep for the Toronto Maple Leafs and occasionally build things that refuse to be level.
Administrative Assistant – Courtney Baker
Email: courtney@couchconservancy.ca
Contact me about general inquiries, booking spaces, exploring options to protect your property, and the Wine Club! If you aren't sure who to talk to, talk to me first. I will put you on the right track.
Indulgence: Giving sugar to my nieces and nephew and watching mayhem ensue.
What you love about working for the Conservancy: Everything! It is my dream job, and the conservancy community is smart, fun, caring, laid back and unstoppable. Our supporters and volunteers inspire me every day.
Favourite Nature Reserve: I could never choose. They each have a beating heart, they are all beautiful and precious.
Fundraising & Engagement Manager – Tanya Clark
Email: tanya@couchconservancy.ca
Contact me about donation options such as Membership, Monthly Giving, Stock Donations, Heartwood Fund, Corporate Partnerships, fundraising for nature and more. I also coordinate the Carden Challenge. If you haven't received your charitable receipt for your donation, I can help with that too.
What I love about working here: The community. I love that this is ultimately community work. When I protect nature, I do so for all members of the community.
Favourite Nature Reserves: Thomas C. Agnew Nature Reserve & Adams Nature Reserve near Washago. Both lovely in different ways (Agnew is a longer walk, which I like) BUT beware of mosquitoes though! They are awful in the spring/summer.
Most rewarding experience: protecting 730 acres and over 4km of the Black River. We had over 100 people attend the unveiling of the Ron Reid Nature Reserve. A very good day!
Engagement Organizer – Samantha Vessios
Email: engage@couchconservancy.ca
Contact me about taking your first step towards protecting precious nature in our region. I support new volunteers with their application process, coordinate the Ambassador Program, and Passport to Nature Program.
When you’re not at the Conservancy, what do you do with your time: Travel the world, hike, garden, bike, snowshoe, create, thrift, renovate our 1975 cottage in the city, listen to my husband sing outside of the shower, daydream.
Indulgence: Chips!
Favourite Nature Reserve: Alexander Hope Smith for the fall colours, Agnew in the winter, Grants Woods for the thousands of spring Trilliums, and Sweetwater!
Stewardship Team
Conserved Lands Manager – Dorthea Hangaard
Email: dorthea@couchconservancy.ca
Contact me for help if you're one of our neighbours, if you have an easement with us, or you're an organization we partner with. I'm also responsible for supervision of the stewardship team, fundraising, grant administration, habitat offset projects, and communications related to stewardship of our nature reserves.
Special Projects: Sundial Creek, Copeland Forest Friends.
Favourite Nature Reserve: I love to launch my kayak at Ron Reid Nature Reserve and paddle up the Black River to Ragged Rapids.
Conservation Biologist – Toby Rowland
Email: toby@couchconservancy.ca
Contact me for help with your community science monitoring activities including Bats, Reptiles, Salamander & Vernal Pools, the Carden Bird Blitz, and the Grassland Bird monitoring program.
I provide training and field orientation, and also help private landowners establish community science monitoring on their property through our Landowner Stewardship program.
Conservation Analyst – Aiesha Aggarwal
Email: aiesha@couchconservancy.ca
Contact me for help with the Avenza Mapping app, and community science monitoring activities including Frog Calls, Monarch Monitoring, Water Monitoring, and Wildlife on Roads.
I provide training and field orientation, and make maps to support acquisition and stewardship of Conservancy Nature Reserves, including our public trail maps.
Reserve Steward - Brandon Guoth
Email: brandon@couchconservancy.ca
Contact me for help with property maintenance issues and our invasive species control program. I coordinate the land stewardship and maintenance teams.
Favourite Nature Reserve: Adams. The Canadian Shield terrain is varied, rugged, and beautiful.
Carden Coordinator
Ron Reid
Email: ronreid@couchconservancy.ca
Bookkeeper
Kathy connor
Terry-Lynn HazletT
Email: info@couchconservancy.ca