Researcher Keynote
Dr. Chantel Markle (UW)
Dr. Chantel Markle is a wildlife ecohydrologist and conservation biologist with expertise in the protection and management of threatened wildlife and wild spaces.
Chantel specializes in interdisciplinary and collaborative research, integrating a combination of spatial and landscape ecology, GIS, remote sensing, and hydrology approaches to drive evidence-based decision making in wildlife management and environmental policy. Her research focuses on understanding the effects of climate-mediated disturbances on habitat use and function, detecting and predicting change in climate refugia and enhancing resilience to climate change through habitat restoration. She will share her experience with restoration, especially effective approaches for reptiles and turtles.
Practitioner Keynote
Jessica Linton (NRSI)
Jessica Linton is the Chair of the Ontario Butterfly Species at Risk Recovery Team and a key practitioner working on the recovery of the Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis).
Jessica is a Biologist and Senior Manager at Natural Resource Solutions Inc. with over 18 years of consulting experience and leads NRSI’s Species at Risk Service Sector. Between 2021 and 2024, the Ontario Butterfly Species at Risk Recovery Team released more than 1400 Mottled Duskywing pupae, caterpillars, and adults into Pinery Provincial Park. The work has been covered by major media and the 2024 documentary Butterflies on the Brink, narrated by Sarah Harmer. Jessica’s keynote will discuss the Mottled Duskywing, and challenges and successes experienced along the way.
Ontario Ecological Restoration Conference 