Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Erin has a love of water and can often be found swimming in the ocean, reading on the beach, or hiking along a coastline. After obtaining an undergrad in science and her law degree from the Schulich School of Law with a specialization in Health Law & Policy, Erin worked at a boutique health law and professional regulation firm in Toronto for half a decade. Driven by a concern for the ways that human-driven environmental change is harming the health and well-being of humans, other species, and the Earth’s natural systems, she left legal practice to pursue an LLM in Global Sustainability & Environmental Law at the University of Ottawa. Erin is currently completing her PhD in environmental law and engaged in research and community initiatives related to environmental rights, climate justice, and planetary health. Most recently, she represented Friends of the Earth Canada as an intervener in the first human rights-based climate change lawsuit in Canada to have a hearing on the merits and supported a United Nations’ consultation on children’s rights and the environment as a member of the Global Network for Human Rights and the Environment. Erin has previously volunteered with Ecojustice, the University Health Network’s research ethics board, the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program, and as a judge for springboard and platform diving competitions at the provincial and national level.

Chris Konczal Ortenburger has had a ecological bent since her childhood in Virginia, enjoying animals and nature, and getting involved in conservation projects. After graduating from veterinary school, she came to Prince Edward Island for a short-term job at the Atlantic Veterinary College. Family life, homeschooling and homesteading were primary occupations for the next years, in addition to volunteer and community involvement. Opposing a misguided highway project in 2012 near the Bonshaw woods was a fast education in citizen-engagement and environmental legal issues, and though the highway was built, she helped form the Citizens' Alliance of P.E.I. to keep communication going and foster positive change. She produces a daily newsletter of events, consultation opportunities, and articles related to democratic and environmental issues.

An Ontario transplant to Nova Scotia, Meggie studied International Relations at Carleton University but was drawn to Halifax for her Masters in Resource & Environmental Management at Dalhousie University. During her Masters, she worked on risk-mitigative research involving critical cold-water coral species on the Scotian Shelf. A lover of the outdoors, she has also spent work terms with the federal government in Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, and Cape Breton Highlands. Meggie is a current law student at the Schulich School of Law, where she is involved with the Environmental Law Students’ Society in advocating for student engagement in environmental justice.

Toby Czarny is a second year student at the Schulich School of Law. Having studied Environmental Governance and Biology at the University of Guelph, he is passionate about environmental law issues and has been thrilled to be involved with East Coast Environmental Law in both a pro bono and working capacity. Much of his volunteer work has centered around environmental law and advocacy. During undergraduate studies, Toby was the Academic Liaison for the Environmental Governance Students' Society, connecting students and environmental professors through interactive events and routine communications. At Law School, Toby was a Section Representative for the Environmental Law Students' Society (ELSS), and has continued participation in the ELSS as a Student Representative for the ECEL Board and member of the ECEL Fundraising Committee. Toby has worked as a volunteer pro bono student and as a summer legal researcher with ECEL and focused his time researching coastal law and policy for Atlantic Canada.

Marquita was born and raised in Nova Scotia, with deep family roots on the south coast of Labrador. Inspired by firsthand experiences of how vital healthy oceans are to coastal communities—and by early education on the human impact on the environment—she pursued a Bachelor of Management with a major in Environment, Sustainability and Society from Dalhousie University.

For more than 13 years, she has led projects and programs across the government, for-profit and non-profit sectors, with the past seven years focused on ocean-related solid waste management and circular economy. In 2020, she co-founded the Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada (FGCAC), an environmental nonprofit tackling marine waste challenges in the Atlantic Canadian seafood sector. As Co-Executive Director and a PMP®-certified Project Manager, she co-leads the organization alongside 40 multi-disciplinary member organizations.

In addition to her project work, Marquita brings nearly a decade of experience in nonprofit governance, including service on the board of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission. She is committed to making the East Coast a place where communities thrive—and where people can live, work, and play in balance with nature.

Paul Foley - Born and raised on Fogo Island off the northeast coast of Newfoundland/Ktaqmkuk, Dr. Paul Foley is a Professor at the Environmental Policy Institute at Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook. Paul received a PhD in Political Science from York University in Toronto in 2012 after completing a Master of Arts in International Development Studies at Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Arts in History at Memorial University. He teaches in areas of environmental politics and environmental policy, and his interdisciplinary research supports critical approaches to fisheries and oceans knowledge across ecological, economic, social, and governance dimensions. He is currently engaged in several Ocean Frontier Institute research projects, including as co-Principal Investigator of the Future Ocean and Coastal Infrastructures (FOCI) collaborative research initiative.

Dr. Patrícia Galvão Ferreira is an Associate Professor with the Marine & Environmental Law Institute at Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University. Dr. Galvão Ferreira’s research centres on transnational environmental law and justice, with particular interests in international climate law, climate justice, climate finance, and sustainable food systems. She is the co-editor of the 4th edition of the Canadian Environmental Law and Policy Coursebook, published by Emond and author of publications addressing a variety of topics, including international law, international environmental law, climate justice, climate finance, environmental justice, law and development, global governance and human rights.

Nick Knutson - An Acadian from Clare, Nova Scotia, Nick currently lives in Annapolis Royal with his partner Brittni, their two cats, and their rescue dog. Nick got his JD from the French Common Law Program at Université d’Ottawa in 2016 and his MSc in Conservation Biology from Acadia University in 2021. Within the larger field of environmental law, Nick is particularly passionate about the conservation of biodiversity and how we can use legal tools to support species at risk.

Keith MacMaster, a proud Cape Bretoner, obtained his Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University in 2003, his MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University in 2007, and his Doctorate in Laws (PhD) in 2024. He has practiced law in Nova Scotia and Ontario and has also been a licensed financial planner, working for law firms and financial institutions.

Maria Panezi is an Associate Professor at UNB Law. She received her LLB at the University of Athens in 2005 and her LLM at NYU Law in 2006; she was admitted to the Athens Bar in 2007. She obtained her PhD from Osgoode Hall Law School, during which time she was also a teaching assistant at Osgoode Hall and a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School.

Dr. Sherry Pictou is a Mi’kmaw woman from L’sɨtkuk (water cuts through high rocks), known as Bear River First Nation, Nova Scotia. She is an Assistant Professor in the Faculties of Law and Management at Dalhousie University focusing on Indigenous Governance. Dr. Pictou is also a former Chief for her community and the former Co-Chair of the World Forum of Fisher Peoples. She is a member of the The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Task Force on Indigenous and Local Knowledge. Her research interests include decolonizing treaty relations, Social Justice for Indigenous Women, Indigenous women’s role in food and lifeways, and Indigenous governance.

Sophia Sidarous is a land defender and water protector known for her Indigenous rights and environmental advocacy. Her dedication has brought her travelling throughout Canada and even on the international stage at the UN headquarters for the International Day of the Girl.

Sophia is one of the 15 plaintiffs suing the Canadian government for inaction on the climate crisis in LaRose v. His Majesty the King [2019], formerly Her Majesty the Queen. She is a grassroots organizer, notably during the Wet'suewet'en crisis, as well as others like treaty rights disputes, police brutality, etc. Sophia graduated with a Juris Doctor from the Schulich School of Law in 2024, and specialized in Indigenous and Aboriginal laws, and Criminal Justice. Prior to that, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa.