Denise Hennebury

What do you love most about your profession? Why did you choose this career?

I believe that protecting our environment, our culture and our economy, all starts with connecting to our shared world. These are the three pillars of sustainable development. In a society where we have lost this connection organically, we need to foster it in ways that are more broadly available, though opportunities that are accessible to anyone interested and can reach our youngest member of society and help build a life-long connection with the earth. I love the moment when I see young people and their adults, overcome fears and hesitations towards connecting with nature. Anytime we draw closer to the natural world, we better are able to understand, respect and ultimately protect it. I have known all my life I wanted to work to help protect the environment. What that looked like changed over the years. However, the more I had the opportunity to work with teachers, then children directly, in this mission, the more I realized that is where the change lay. By inspiring everyday people to connect with nature they will become more receptive to the changes we need to make to move forward in the change-making advice of the scientists who don't always have the same charisma to stir the heart.

When did you realize you wanted to work in STEM or Skilled Trades?

I remember being nine or ten and doing research with a friend of mine about how spiders make webs. This was just for fun. So I guess a love of ecology has always been in my heart. In order to advocate or work with the environmental movement, you need to be able to navigate the science behind the mission. I have always been fascinated by how our species got to where we are today, and how we are connected to the greater cosmos. The humbling nature of this reality gives new meaning to environmental protection and sustainable development. I may not have known all this when I was studying spiders, but I have always known I wanted to help others love nature as much as I did.

Why do we need more women in STEM and Skilled Trades?

People all along the gender spectrum see the world a little differently. Our individual genetic makeup, neurodiversity, life experiences, privileges, biases and biology cast different lenses on the world. Yet we still live in a world where a small sample of that broad human experience is designing experiments, building new technologies and exploring new frontiers. As a scientific community, teams work on projects and share their results, the community then counts on other teams to take up the challenge of duplicating the work to test the results. The greater the diversity of people doing this work, the more inclusive the final results will be. We need greater gender representation (among other diversities) in all fields to ensure the work we do represents the whole of the human experience so we can find innovative ways to meet the needs of everyone!

How do you think the school you went to influenced your career?

Biology, Math and Language Arts were my favourite subjects in school.

What does your typical workday involve? Can you work remotely? (indoors/outdoors, office/plant, travel time, teamwork/solo work)?

During program days I work directly with families to encourage nature exploration and connection in all seasons through family-based, child-led programming. Our programs are hour-long and all outdoors and include invitations for play and lots of free exploration. We use music and routine to help the children build a sense of safety and confidence in this place-based learning opportunity. On non-program days I engage in the business side of being an entrepreneur. Building a social media presence, advertising, cleaning and preparing equipment, book-keeping, registration and communications.

Who is your role model? What is it about this person that inspires you?

I have been fortunate to have had a number of personal connections through my life fostering my love of nature and sharing about it. Girl Guide leaders, family friends, teachers, professional colleagues who have inspired my current journey and younger volunteers I worked with along the way. My passion was always elevated when I spoke with others who were compassionate yet earnest in wanting to push myself and others just past our comfort zones because that is where we grow. Inspiration is everywhere.

What do you do for fun? What are some of your hobbies/activities?

I was a Girl Guide throughout my youth and was a leader for over 20 years. These days I love to walk, hike and go camping with my family. I enjoy reading and discovering more about gender diversity, neurodiversity and how life experiences change how we see the world. I write a little poetry and enjoy doing puzzles and puzzle-type games.

What superhero do you relate to most?

I was rather entranced by Supergirl as portrayed in the TV series. She has a core belief system that she holds strong to, yet she makes mistakes and must own these. She is willing to keep learning and will adjust to new information. Family and friends are of the utmost importance to her, yet she finds it challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Whenever we are engaged in work that is from our heart that balance can be hard. So it just means we have to work a little harder to prioritize taking time for ourselves and our loved ones.