Session 1: To Apply or not to Apply – That is the Question: A Perspective on Environmental and Regulatory Planning

Speaker: April Ziegler, P. Biol., Regulatory Planner

You’ve heard it before, and we will say it again! Engage your environmental team early in your project planning. But what does that even mean? Is there such thing as too early? (Hint: the answer is no). In this introductory webinar, we will walk you through a fictitious project example through the lens of environmental planner including a discussion around project schedule and how it relates to the potential regulatory permitting requirements. This project has it all! Wetland impacts, watercourse crossings, vegetation impacts, contaminated sites, and more! This webinar will set the stage for sessions two (Environmental Site Assessments) and three (Pre-construction wildlife surveys).

Session 2: Environmental Site Assessments – What Environmental Impacts Are In Your Project Area?

Speaker: Brent Schmidt, P. Geo., Geoscientist

This webinar will go over the purpose of Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) and why you should know what lies beneath the surface of your project area. We will walk you through the basics of ESAs and how we assess the potential for contamination on your project. Through this process, we can set you and your project up for success from beginning to end. These steps mitigate the possibility of running into unknown contamination during a project which could cause project delays, contractor scope changes, and cost overruns. Through our case study, we will show you what we look for during the feasibility, planning, and design stages, and common problems that arise during construction related to soil contamination. Join us as we talk about the mystical world of contaminated sites. 

Session 3: What You Need to Know About Pre-Construction Wildlife Sweeps, Nesting Birds and Your Project  

Speaker: Brett Bodeux, P. Biol., Terrestrial Ecologist

Pre-construction wildlife or bird nest sweeps are increasingly common tasks to support construction projects and preliminary activities, such as geotechnical investigations. However, there is still a lot of uncertainty about the process and how wildlife sweeps fit in to projects or activities. This webinar will go over the fundamentals of pre-construction wildlife sweeps and address the what, why, when, where, and who that's involved. It will include a discussion of the potential outcomes and impacts of a pre-construction wildlife sweep on a project, and provide insights about potential mitigation measures that might be employed. The webinar will help project managers, planners, and team members to understand the basics of pre-construction wildlife sweeps so that they can confidently incorporate and manage these sweeps as part of their projects.

Due to unforeseen circumstances we have postponed our scheduled April 12 webinar. We are very excited to present this webinar to you and will keep you posted with a new date as soon as possible.

The facilitator for our webinar series is Sandra Meidinger, P. Biol., R. P. Bio., Sandra is a Professional Biologist in both B.C. and Alberta and the manager of our Environmental Division in the Alberta North office. She has been in consulting for over 20 years and she moved from our B.C. office in 2013 to grow and manage our environmental team here in Edmonton. Sandra enjoys the fast pace of working in consulting and the talented team she gets to work with every day.

Sandra also sits on the Consulting Engineers of Alberta Environmental Committee and is a Director on the Edmonton and Area Land Trust Board.

April Ziegler, P. Biol., is a Professional Biologist with a focus on environmental regulatory compliance and environmental assessment. She is known for her ability to work with the regulators and solve complex regulatory problems for our clients. April leads our regulatory team within the Alberta North office and is often called upon for all things big and small.

April is also passionate about giving back to the communities she lives and works. She spent time serving on the Leduc Environmental Advisory Board and is actively involved in our Partners for Life Blood Donation and the United Way Fundraising Committee.

Brent Schmidt, P. Geo., is a geoscientist specializing in geology and hydrogeology (including contaminant and regional hydrogeology). With over 10 years of experience in environmental consulting and working within multiple market sectors, there isn't much that Brent hasn't seen. Brent is our "go to" for all things contaminated sites and he has a way of getting things done.

Brent isn't always out digging in the dirt. You can also find him playing outdoors, wherever possible, with his wife and dog.

Brett Bodeux, P. Biol., is a terrestrial ecologist with over 12 years of experience in environmental consulting. He has extensive experience in wildlife and vegetation ecology, including species identification, habitat assessments, ecological land classification, species at risk mitigation, and pre-construction wildlife sweeps and monitoring.

Outside of work, Brett is often found building nesting boxes and banding owls with his Dad or at the baseball field with his buddies. He is also enjoying passing down his love of wildlife to his 7-year-old daughter, and his nieces and nephews.