Latornell Conservation Symposium Professinal Development Events
The Latornell Professional Development Program provides valuable opportunities for learning, career advancement, and networking within the environmental sector. The program organizes events and workshops that bring together individuals interested in experiential learning, networking, and professional growth.
A series of events will offer meaningful opportunities for students and professionals at all career stages to connect, share, and learn from one another. Whether it’s a single conversation or a lifelong professional connection, the program aims to foster lasting relationships.
For more information about the Latornell Professional Development Program, please email latornellpd@latornell.ca.
Join our 2025 Events!
Event: Conservation in Agriculture
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: University of Guelph, Landscape Architecture Building, 50 Stone Rd. E. Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 (Campus Map)
Admission: All participants will receive free admission to the Guelph Arboretum on the day of the event.
Parking: Campus parking is free on weekends. Attendees should parks in Lots P10 or P12 which are closer to the Landscape Architecture Building. View the parking map.
Accessibility: The facility is accessible.
Description: The event will include a discussion with farmland experts. During the panel discussion, you’ll hear from mid-senior level professionals from various industries across the environmental stewardship space:
- Sara Epp – Assistant Professor and Latornell Chair in Environmental Stewardship, University of Guelph
- Martin Straathof – Executive Director, Ontario Farmland Trust
Key highlights: Presentation by farmland conservation experts; networking with mid-senior level professionals from conservation organizations; career advice and tips geared towards attendees’ interests.
This event is for students and early career professionals. Lunch will be provided.
Event contact: Elizabeth Wren, Latornell Conservation Symposium, latornellpd@latornell.ca.
REGISTRATION: Registration will open soon!
Event: Celebrating 30 Years of Watershed Management
Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025
Time: 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area Outdoor Centre, 1641 Perth Rd., Glenburnie, ON K0H 1S0
Admission: All participants will receive free admission to the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area on the day of the event.
Parking: Free parking is available on-site.
Accessibility: The Outdoor Centre is an accessible space. The walking tour of the Conservation Area will be on accessible trails (partially paved, partially compacted gravel).
Description: The event will include a discussion with watershed management experts and a walking tour. During the panel discussion, you’ll hear from mid-senior level professionals from various industries across the environmental stewardship space:
- Michael Dakin, Supervisor, Development Review, Cataraqui Conservation
- Elizabeth Wren, Supervisor, Community Outreach & Education, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Key highlights: Walking tour; presentation by watershed management experts; networking with mid-senior level professionals from conservation organizations; and career advice and tips geared toward attendees’ interests.
This event is for students and early career professionals. Lunch will be provided.
Event contact: Elizabeth Wren, Latornell Conservation Symposium, latornellpd@latornell.ca.
REGISTER: Registration will open soon!
Past Event Photos
Latornell Professional Development Program
What is the Latornell Professional Development Program?
The Latornell Professional Development Program fosters opportunities for learning, career growth and networking within the environmental sector. The program hosts events and workshops to connect individuals interested in experiential learning, network building, and the broad aspects of professional development. A series of events and activities are being worked on to create opportunities for students and professionals at all career stages to purposefully connect, share experiences, and learn from one another. Your experience with this program may be a single conversation, or it could be a life-long professional connection.
Professional Development and Mentorship Program Background
The Professional Development and Mentorship Program was launched on the 20th anniversary of the Latornell Conservation Symposium. Arthur (Art) Latornell believed in sharing ideas and experiences with young people and cared about the younger generation learning about natural resources and the environment.
The Latornell logo was designed to represent the significant aspects of Art’s life and legacy. The logo is a silhouette of an ancient tree, representing the conservation of natural resources and Art’s longstanding interest in the natural world. When viewed in the negative, however, the white areas formed by the trunk contain the profiles of two people, a young student and an older man, with their heads lowered as if studying something on the ground. This view of the logo represents Art’s belief in the importance of mentoring and teaching, which he practiced in his lifetime, and which continues through his bequest in the Latornell Programs.
The Professional Development and Mentorship Program initially focused on fostering opportunities for career growth at the beginning of your career, midway through, or for any continuous learner who enjoys connecting with new people of all ages with common interests. Quickly, however, we began to hear from many participants about the program’s value in terms of furthering their knowledge, experiential learning, and career development. This led to this initiative being renamed the Latornell Professional Development Program, within which mentorship still plays a crucial role.
Principles of the Latornell Professional Development Program
The following points outline the key principles and intent of the Latornell Professional Development Program.
RESPECT FOR OTHERS
Participants will show respect for one another similarly to how we share a common respect for the environment. Please keep an open mind and be receptive to new insight and knowledge from all experiences, even if they differ from yours. Be respectful of others. Be professional.
TWO-WAY STREET
Professional development within the bounds of this program is a two-way street. This is an opportunity that can benefit both parties. Managers can learn much from talking to and listening to junior staff and vice versa. A mentor can learn from their mentee, just as a mentee learns from their mentor.
ORGANIC
Professional development should be free-flowing and professional. There are no rules other than the principles outlined here. Mentors and mentees who meet through this program can decide how and when to connect, depending on their life demands.
MANY WAYS OF LEARNING
The way that people learn and perceive is very personal. Understand that your professional development mentor or mentee may learn and perceive the world differently than you.
PAY-IT-FORWARD
If you have ever benefited from the knowledge and experience of a mentor, colleague, or senior professional within your field, you know how valuable that experience was to you. It may be your turn to pay it forward to a colleague who may be seeking a similar experience.