Unity Youth Advisory Board

MEET THE 2024
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD!

Our youth volunteers are 16-30 years old, active and interested in water and climate change, education, community engagement. They're committed to work on reconciliation and support UNITY.

Meet the Team!

Zanele Chisholm

She/Her

Zanele Chisholm

Zanele Chisholm is a recent graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University with a major in English and a specialization in Global Storytelling. As a multi-disciplinary artist, Zanele is passionate about the power of interdisciplinary leadership in creating equitable, balanced communities that can work in harmony with each other and their environments. Zanele believes in the power of Indigenous Wisdom to reconnect people and reimagine our world through a more expansive and inclusive lens. As a volunteer with the Canadian Conservation Corps, Zanele worked with the local water charity, Elk River Alliance to help repair a section of the Elk River riparian zone through a tree planting initiative. Zanele is passionate about community building, storytelling, and personal empowerment through trusting in our unique expressions of knowledge and wisdom. She believes conversations are at their best when each seat at the table represents a unique view. She is excited to contribute as a 2024 Youth Advisory Board Member with Waterlution and looks forward to being a guardian of the land.

Rabia Durrani

She/Her

Rabia Durrani

Rabia Durrani is currently studying at Wilfrid Laurier University and is actively involved in her local community. Her passion for social advocacy and volunteerism inspired her to join the YAB Team. In her free time, she enjoys camping, reading books, writing, photography, and anything Star Wars.

Annie Wei

BC, AB

She/Her

Annie Wei

BC, AB

Annie (she/her) is from Edmonton, Alberta, on the Treaty 6 territory and traditional lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Métis, Dene, and Nakota Sioux Nations. She is a Kinesiology graduate from the University of Alberta and is passionate about empowering young people to lead healthy and authentic lives through engaging in nature-based activities and health advocacy. Annie is excited to work closely with youths and communities to enhance water conservation and environmental sustainability efforts through the UNITY program.

Joshua Thoreson

He/Him

Joshua Thoreson

Joshua Thoreson is a grade 10 high school student living in Delta, British Columbia. He is very involved in community activism, and is passionate about leading advocate youth programs to help engage youth in climate education. Joshua has been an advocate for equal access to resources around the world, one of the main focuses being access to fresh water, which inspired him to join the Waterlution YAB. Apart from advocating for the climate, he enjoys hiking, writing, and volunteering in his neighborhood, and taking in the natural beauty of British Columbia.

Lindsee Clark

She/Her

Lindsee Clark

Lindsee Clark is a fisheries research technologist at the Marine Institute in St. John’s. Newfoundland and Labrador. Here, she researches aquatic invasive species mitigation and eelgrass conservation and restoration in Placentia Bay. She is a proud member of NunatuKavut and spends her free time honouring this part of her identity by spending as much time as she can on the land and sea with her trusty dog, Fig, by her side.

Bhabishya Khaniya

He/Him

Bhabishya Khaniya

Meet Bhabishya Khaniya, an accomplished scholar and researcher focusing on sustainable water resource management systems. With a wealth of experience in this field across Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Canada, Bhabishya holds a bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering, a master's degree in sustainability management, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in environmental engineering. Dedicated to making a difference, Bhabishya is committed to bringing positive change to both local and global communities through innovative solutions, collaborative efforts, and a steadfast commitment to sustainable development.

Kieran Maingot

They/Them

Kieran Maingot

Kieran, based in Tiohtiá:ke / Mooniyang, is currently the Manager of Communities, Climate Transitions at the Tamarack Institute, where they support and coach +20 communities across so-called Canada working toward just and equitable climate futures. Their interests and involvement in the climate movement are ever-evolving and presently focused on areas including, but not limited to, responding to climate grief and anxiety, community organizing and advocacy, environmental racism, Indigenous knowledges and leadership, and youth climate projects. Their background is in sociology, and they also hold a masters in non-profit leadership. In their work, they have a particular interest in exploring “multisolving” solutions that connect the climate crisis to other realities like poverty, access to healthcare, and policing and criminalization. Interest in these interconnections comes in part from Kieran's diverse community work which has bridged many of these interrelated challenges from supporting the fight for decent working conditions to housing and status for all.

Harmanpreet Singh Grewal

He/Him

Harmanpreet Singh Grewal

Harmanpreet holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from Punjab Agricultural University, India. He also holds a master's degree in Bioresource Engineering from McGill University in Canada. During his master’s, Harmanpreet trained at the Ohio State University for five months as part of a research exchange program. Harmanpreet’s research focuses on water resources management in agriculture. His master’s research involves water quality modelling using data from Ohio, with the goal to improve the existing models. He is particularly interested in water policy, management, and governance, and represented the province of Quebec at the Student and Young Professional Committee of the Canadian Water Network. Through his research on water quality modelling, and his active involvement in water policy, management, and governance, he strives to contribute to the development of sustainable practices and policies in agriculture.

Rachel Lewis

She/Her

Rachel Lewis

Rachel spent most of her life living in the Maritimes, on Canada’s East Coast. Rachel knows her love for water began at a young age because she has many fond memories of spending time by the ocean. Rachel has an academic background in geology and environmental sciences. Rachel recently moved North, to Yellowknife. She works for the Government of the Northwest Territories, within the Department of Environment and Climate Change.

Rae Landriau

Them/They

Rae Landriau

Rae Landriau is a graduate student at Carleton University pursuing an MSc. in physical geography. Their research is on legacy drilling waste sites in the western Canadian Arctic. Their project is in collaboration with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Inuvialuit Land Administration and NSERC PermafrostNet. Passionate about sharing their love for science and nature, Rae founded the Create Change Collective, a community-based organization dedicated to making environmental education more accessible. Through artistic mediums, they engage individuals in climate action. Rae has authored two books, “Running Water” (2022) and “Colouring for Conservation” (2024), distributing over 450 physical and 1000 electronic copies free of charge across Canada ensuring low-barrier accessibility to environmental education resources!

Zoe Tanner

She/Her

Zoe Tanner

Zoe (she/her) proudly calls Montreal, Quebec her home, nestled on the vibrant lands of the Kanien’kèha Nation and the Anishinaabeg people, also known as Tiohtià:ke. Armed with an Environmental Science degree from McGill University, she’s on a mission to forever play outside, blending her love for the great outdoors with a zest for learning from every corner of life. Whether she’s frolicking in the wilderness or working with the next generation, Zoe is stoked to dive into the UNITY program, making waves in water conservation and eco-enthusiasm with a sprinkle of her signature zest.

Aidan Williams

He/Him

Aidan Williams

Aidan Williams from Kingston, Ontario is currently in his 3rd year of the business program at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Aidan is a well-versed traveler who has been a part of many beach-cleaning operations in various countries such as Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. The issue of clean water is very important to Aidan as he has seen first-hand the impacts of pollution on developing countries and how easy it is to contaminate a water source.

Shashwat Murawala

He/Him

Shashwat Murawala

Shashwat Murawala (he/him) was raised in Scarborough, Ontario residing on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishinabewaki, Haudenosaunee, and Wendake-Nionwentsïo. He is a Computer Science Student at the University of Waterloo, living and working on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. He is specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Business, Human Computer Interaction, and Software Engineering, while also minoring in Psychology and Cognitive Science. He enjoys photography, playing sports, and going on hikes in his free time. Shashwat has a strong passion for technology and human service, making it his life goal to utilize his abilities to make a positive impact on the world.

meet the project lead

Laurence Ethier

Project Lead - Youth Programs

Have more questions? Reach out to laurence.ethier@waterlution.org

WATERLUTION STATEMENT

Waterlution designs water-centric projects that offer creative water-focused public engagement and education opportunities and give youth multiple opportunities to receive training, develop transferable skills and gain leadership experience/innovate by designing multidisciplinary and creative approaches to water awareness. Our organizational values are Respect, Lifelong learning, Inclusiveness, Kindness, and Empathy, Youth Advisors will need to share these values to be part of the volunteer team.

Waterlution welcomes and values diversity and diverse knowledge and perspective. We encourage applications from underrepresented groups, this includes Indigenous People, members of a visible minority group, women, LGBTQ2S+ and individuals who face accessibility issues.

This project is partially funded
by the Canadian Government

MEET THE 2024
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD!

Our youth volunteers are 16-30 years old, active and interested in water and climate change, education, community engagement. They're committed to work on reconciliation and support UNITY.

Meet the Team!

Zanele Chisholm

Rabia Durrani

Annie Wei

Joshua Thoreson

Lindsee Clark

Bhabishya Khaniya

Kieran Maingot

Harmanpreet Singh Grewal

Rachel Lewis

Rae Landriau

Zoe Tanner

Aidan Williams

Shashwat Murawala

meet the project lead

Laurence Ethier

Project Lead - Youth Programs

WATERLUTION STATEMENT

Cautious Optimist

Integration of 2S-LGBTQIA+ Newcomers and Immigrants through sports and recreation

The Power of One Seed

From Seed to Donation: A Community Food Initiative

From Soil to Spirit: Rooted Reflections

Waterlution Blog

Integration of 2S-LGBTQIA+ Newcomers and Immigrants through sports and recreation

The Power of One Seed

From Seed to Donation: A Community Food Initiative

MEET THE 2024YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD!

Our youth volunteers are 16-30 years old, active and interested in water and climate change, education, community engagement. They're committed to work on reconciliation and support UNITY.

Meet the Team!

meet the project lead

Laurence Ethier

Project Lead - Youth Programs

WATERLUTION STATEMENT

Cautious Optimist

Waterlution Blog

MEET THE 2024
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD!