Employee Spotlight: Get to Know the Team
Serena Maki
Lead Trainer
Meet Serena Maki, Lead Trainer, a 2015 addition to the Blue Heron Environmental team with more than 25 years of experience in environmental compliance, toxicity laboratory work, and environmental training across Ontario.
Serena’s career spans roles in mining operations, consulting, and environmental laboratories, where she has developed and delivered compliance programs, led Environmental Management System initiatives, and supported water, sewage, and mine effluent treatment operations. Her extensive background includes field monitoring, regulatory interpretation, ISO 14001 auditing, emergency response, and the management of large-scale environmental budgets.
At Blue Heron, Serena applies her expertise to train and mentor environmental professionals, Indigenous communities, and industry partners—helping build capacity and strengthen environmental stewardship across the region.
We asked Serena to answer a few questions to help our clients get to know her better.
We continue to share the stories of the remarkable additions to our hard-working team at Blue Heron Environmental (BHE). In the past few years, we’ve hired a number of new professionals to help reach new heights for our business.
To showcase the people who make up Blue Heron, we sat down with team members to ask them a few questions about their professional career — and a few personal ones too.
#mining #forestry #biophysical #compliance #environment #teambuilding #Sudbury #Redlake #TBay #ThunderBay #Timmins #Ontario
HOW DID YOU FIRST LEARN ABOUT BLUE HERON ENVIRONMENTAL?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A Lead Trainer?
I love it when participants engage in our training with their experiences, and with other participants.
WHAT IS ONE MYTH ABOUT BEING A Lead Trainer THAT YOU’D LIKE TO CLEAR UP?
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
IF YOU COULD PICK UP ANY NEW SKILL IN AN INSTANT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
GOT ANY FAVORITE QUOTES?
“It takes all kinds of people to make this world go around.”
– Mabel Kvaltin
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO IN THE NEXT YEAR THAT YOU’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE?
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE YOU’VE EVER VISITED?
Upcoming Training Events
This 1-hour webinar is intended to provide information about provincial and federal environmental legislative changes that have occurred in the mining sector. We will also look at changes that may be coming in the next year to provide participants with compliance updat...
Learn why breeding bird surveys and nest searches are performed, the legislation that enforces these studies, and the protocols that guide these activities. Gain insight into the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA) and learn how to how to identify nests with e...
Learn to effectively navigate the permitting & compliance requirements for mining & exploration projects in Ontario. Receive a comprehensive overview of the environmental responsibilities that exist within the framework of a modern-day mining operation. Among the topi...
Our practical hands-on workshop is designed to provide training for environmental technicians hired by industry to monitor environmental management practices at mining operations in Ontario. Students will experience an overview of fieldwork monitoring, environmental ...
Discover the various types of environmental inspections typically conducted by internal personnel at industrial sites, including inspections of waste, chemical, and fuel storage areas.
Learn why particular inspections are required (i.e. regulatory vs. site-...
The MDMER course is a detailed review of the regulatory requirements and associated guidance documents providing an in-depth review of the criteria for compliance, monitoring and reporting requirements.
Participants will review the regulation itself ...
Which Regulations Apply?
Phone-A-Friend highlights the experts clients rely on when questions don’t come with clear answers—starting with regulatory applicability and compliance clarity.
Job Posting – Env Technician
Blue Heron Environmental is seeking three Environmental Technicians to join our Compliance and Technical Services Team in Timmins, Ontario.
Ice Safety Considerations
Working outdoors means ice is often part of the job. Whether you’re surveying wetlands, conducting environmental monitoring, or travelling remote access routes, understanding ice thickness and safety is critical to keeping you and your team safe.