The Minds Behind EcoAdventures
Our Advisory Team and the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association’s EcoAdventures Committee have been integral to designing EcoAdventures programming bringing together the diverse expertise needed to create our experiences that are safe, environmentally responsible, culturally respectful, and truly engaging! Our Advisors who have backgrounds in ecology, conservation, outdoor leadership, and Indigenous knowledge, help ensure activities protect natural habitats, follow best practices, and respect the land and communities connected to it. Our Advisory Team also comes from a diverse background right here on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula further strengthening our community partnerships and collaborations.
Current Advisors
Dr. Mike Sehl
Dr. Mike Sehl is a dedicated conservationist and the Board Lead for EcoAdventures at the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association (BPBA). A former clinician with over 30 years of experience at St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener, Mike now channels his passion for nature into environmental education and sustainable tourism.
A longtime seasonal resident of the Bruce Peninsula, Mike’s connection to the region goes back more than 40 years—ever since his wife first introduced him to its rugged beauty. As a grandfather, he is deeply motivated to preserve the peninsula’s unique ecosystems, ensuring that future generations can enjoy and protect this ecological treasure. Under his leadership, EcoAdventures offers guided tours and immersive wilderness experiences—such as Snowshoeing to the Grotto, hiking, innovative Outdoor Escape Rooms and fun Fat Bike Tours—all designed to educate participants about the peninsula’s ecology in a fun and meaningful way. Mike strongly believes in the power of experiential learning: “through education everyone can become ambassadors for the environment, we can protect, preserve, and sustain a Peninsula that is worthy of the world stage.”
Mia Toose
Mia Toose brings over 15 years of experience supporting outdoor and adventure-based organizations in Ontario, BC, the Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos, and The Bahamas, and has chosen Northern Bruce Peninsula as her home since 2019. An explorer at heart, she lets curiosity lead the way—often asking “what’s over there?” while SUP paddling, scuba diving, hiking, camping, bushwhacking, cold-water dipping, and exploring the Peninsula’s shoreline and forests above and below the surface. Mia is a strong advocate for cold-water safety on the Great Lakes, informed by firsthand experience on her solo expeditions around the Peninsula. A certified dive professional and SUP paddler with extensive experience in local waters, she is passionate about connecting residents and visitors to the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula in ways that support sustainable tourism. As Office Manager of the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association, Mia supports EcoAdventures administratively and contributes volunteer time to outdoor experiences.
Caley Patrick Nadjiwon Doran
Caley Patrick Nadjiwon Doran is an Indigenous land-based guide, educator, and community leader rooted in the Saukiing Anishinaabekiing (Saugeen Ojibway Nation) territory. Currently based in Sauble Beach, Ontario, Caley brings deep cultural knowledge, passion for nature, and a commitment to land stewardship to his role advising EcoAdventures programming and in our collaborations and development of the Saugeen Sojourn, as well as a Guide for our various tours.
After a successful 20-plus-year career in the hospitality industry where he managed restaurants and large teams, Caley chose a new path that aligns with his ancestral heritage and reverence for the natural world. Today, he serves as an Anishinaabe Interpretive Guide with the Cape Croker Park Anishinaabe Cultural Experiences program, leading hikes and land-based learning experiences across Saugeen Ojibway Nation territory.
Caley also contributes his expertise as a board member of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network, where he supports efforts in environmental education, cultural interpretation, and ecological conservation.
With a unique blend of leadership, Indigenous knowledge, and outdoor guiding experience, Caley helps shape meaningful, respectful, and grounded EcoAdventures experiences on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula that connect people to land, culture, and community.
Founding Advisory Team & Guides
Rick Roman has been living on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula for 36 years. When he was 27, he and his wife Wendy purchased 50 acres of land, selectively harvesting enough cedar trees from the forest to handcraft the log house they now live in.
Rick is passionate about the natural world and particularly the peninsula. This passion has led him down paths as a natural builder, environmentalist, and outdoor guide. He has been building and teaching natural low-impact construction for 3 decades. He was active in the peninsula's environment group (BPEG) for many years, as a board member, as chair, and as part of the media committee. He sat on the Bruce County Community White Cedar Working Committee to establish better forestry practices for the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula. Rick has been working with the Biosphere Association for the last ten years in various roles, from developing and maintaining their websites to supporting their initiatives both as an administrator and at the project level for the Septic Program and the EcoAdventures Program.
EcoAdventures is dear to Rick's heart. For five years, he worked to develop, promote and guide tours up and down the peninsula. He is pleased to see the program continue to grow with a new generation of guides whose goal is to give visitors a deeper understanding of this special place.
Elizabeth Thorn retired to the Bruce from Ottawa in 2008 and immediately became involved with the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association, which she chaired from 2010 - 2026. She is also a Director at Large for the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory. Elizabeth was the CEO for two national not-for-profits and used her extensive management experience to lead the Biosphere Association to achieve its goals of building community commitment and capacity for conservation and sustainable economic development while achieving concrete goals.
During her tenure as Chair of the Board, the Biosphere’s conservation achievement highlights include leading the community to develop its first Conservation and Stewardship Plan, the multi-year Six Streams Protection and Restoration Initiative, the Identification and Control of Phragmites project, multi-year efforts to protect the Bruce’s Dark Sky and a new forest re-connectivity project.
Rod Steinacher spent his career as a science and outdoor education teacher and is an avid birder, astronomer and photographer and wilderness explorer. He has served for several years as the President of the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory and provided input into the Bird Atlas and participated in countless bird counts. He is a seasoned astronomer and leads star gazing sessions on the Chi-Cheemaun ferry and workshops on photography. He has devoted countless volunteer hours to conservation on the Bruce.
Laura (Sagermann) Burnside moved to the Bruce Peninsula in 2016, and has fallen in love with the spectacular landscape and natural beauty of the area. She is passionate about nature interpretation, education and sustainable tourism, and is excited to support the Biosphere association as a board member. Laura has a background in teaching, and specialized in Outdoor Education at the Queen’s Faculty of Education. She is currently in the position of Product Development Officer with Bruce Peninsula/Fathom Five National Parks, and is working to develop sustainable tourism initiatives and quality visitor experiences to build connections with visitors.
Daryl W. Cowell was born in Hamilton, Ontario where he attended McMaster University in the geology and physical geography program. He specialized in karst geomorphology - the study of the formation of caves and associated landforms.
He began to study the geology and karst of the Niagara Escarpment and the Bruce Peninsula through his undergraduate and Masters’ theses research. Daryl worked for Environment Canada between 1976 and 1989 on several national and international projects but since then worked as a geoscience consultant with two environmental firms he co-founded. He moved to the Tobermory area in 2002 where he now works as an independent geoscience consultant. His work experience covers much of Ontario as well as northern and central Manitoba, northern Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Internationally he has worked in Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Uruguay, Romania, and Nigeria. He has given numerous guided walks, presentations, and courses within the local area and published a number of scientific papers. In 2004, he co-authored a book on the Geology and Landforms of Grey and Bruce Counties produced by the Owen Sound Field Naturalists.
Don Wilkes was raised in the foothills of Alberta and passed his university years studying biology at the University of Alberta. He had a 36-year career in National Parks and worked in 5 different parks including one in Australia. Don finished his career as the Manager of Interpretation and Visitor Service for Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park. At the end of his career Don particularly enjoyed coordinating the development of the exhibits for new visitor centre for the Parks. Don is now retired and resides in Tobermory.