Ian Blainey

Experience

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  Willowgrove

  Jul 2010 - Aug 2012

  Lifeguard and Swim Instructor

  My responsibilities included providing lifeguarding services for children attending the day camp as well as teaching swimming lessons to groups of children aged 3 to 15 years old. In addition, I was responsible for maintaining the facilities in and around the pool area, including chemical balance and change-room cleanliness.

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  Town of Newmarket Aquatics

  Sept 2010 - Apr 2012

  Lifeguard and Swim Instructor

  My responsibilities included lifeguarding public and private swimming activities, administering first aid if needed, and planning and teaching swimming lessons or children aged 2 to 16 years old.

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  University of Waterloo

  Jan 2013 - Dec 2013

  Lifeguard and Swim Instructor

  My responsibilities included providing lifeguarding services for both Varsity student swimming teams, as well as public swimming periods for the general public. In addition, I was also responsible for preparing and teaching swimming lessons to adult students attending the University of Waterloo.

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  Willowgrove

  Apr 2013 - Aug 2013

  I was responsible for the hiring and overseeing of every Lifeguard and aquatic staff member at Willowgrove Day Camp. Responsibilities included planning swimming instruction for children aged 3 to 16 years old, organizing swimming related paperwork and filing systems, providing training for lifeguard employees, and general leadership around campers as well as colleagues. I was responsible for planning and teaching outdoor education lessons to elementary school level children from JK to Grade 8. The lessons took place on a 100 acre farm in Stouffville, Ontario owned by Willowgrove, and included programs on aquatic larvae, insect, and animal identification, as well as general outdoor and skill development activities.

  • Aquatics Coordinator

    Apr 2013 - Aug 2013

  • Outdoor Education Instructor

    Apr 2013 - May 2013
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  University of Waterloo

  May 2014 - Dec 2014

  My responsibilities include a wide range of preparatory tasks for course labs that use the facilities including collecting and borrowing out equipment owned by the lab. In addition, I am responsible for aiding students with soil and water analyses, and sampling methods which follow ELC and OSAP sampling protocols. I have taken on a number of individual projects and am always looking for ways to improve the Ecology Lab. I determined undergraduate and employer interests in hard skills ecology courses including plant identification. I began research into employer preference for new hire skills, and University of Waterloo alumni environment job experience. Finally, I accumulated data from student surveys, and determined the best topics for new practical skills environment courses, leading to the creation of a new plants of Ontario course.

  • Ecology Lab Assistant

    Jan 2014 - Dec 2014

  • Applied Ecology Course Research Assistant

    May 2014 - May 2014
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  Ziptrek Ecotours Inc.

  Jun 2015 - Sept 2015

  Ecotour Guide

  I provided in-depth ecological education tours to guests in the treetops of old growth coastal temperate rainforest. In addition, I outlined ecological principles and sustainability in the context of the Natural Step for a wide variety of guests. During tours I maintained a strong focus on safety with zipline operation while being a welcoming and approachable guide

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  Environment and Climate Change Canada - Canadian Wildlife Service

  Jan 2016 - Aug 2016

  Worked as a Protected Areas Technician co-op student performing site and habitat maintenance activities including invasive phragmites control, marsh water level control, and species at risk monitoring. Heavy equipment was used regularly including mud motor and tractor operation. I helped prepare and organize regulatory packages, and research/analyze wildlife regulations related to species at risk management. I closely interacted and consulted with SARA, MBCA, WAPPRIITA, and CWA. Finally, I worked to develop compliance promotion materials designed for stakeholders of all the above mentioned federal acts.

  • Protected Areas Technician

    May 2016 - Aug 2016

  • Compliance Promotion and Regulatory Development Officer

    Jan 2016 - Apr 2016
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  Parks Canada

  May 2017 - now

  I work at Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP) in the Resource Conservation department. My primary area of work is with the Impact Assessment team. I complete pre and post-construction impact assessment monitoring for assets and ecological restoration projects within the park. I also act as an Environmental Surveillance Officer on all active worksites. Additionally, I assist in the Resource Conservation operations by leading the Integrated Pest Management work within the park and have been developing the park's capacity to deal with invasive species. Finally, I assist in the response to human-wildlife conflict situations and hazard tree identification throughout RNUP. Show less

  • Resource Management Officer II

    Apr 2022 - now

  • Resource Management Technician II

    May 2020 - Apr 2022

  • Ecosystem Monitoring and Restoration Student

    May 2017 - Apr 2020
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  University of Waterloo

  Sept 2017 - Apr 2019

  Teaching Assistant
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  University of Toronto

  Jun 2019 - Aug 2019

  Forest Monitoring Crew Lead

  Conducted and oversaw field inventories using the Vegetation Sampling Protocol (VSP) within forest patches in the City of Mississauga with one other team member. Used GIS software to manipulate vegetation, property layers and create sampling maps for randomized plots. Created sampling plans to optimize sampling efficiency based on site location and vegetation community type.