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?
I met Linda when I was doing a contract at the Falconbridge Strathcona Mill-she was assisting with implementing ISO 14001 certification, and I was helping them to prepare for it.
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?
I’d like to clear up that as a trainer I try to provide as much information and correct answers that I can, but whatever I can’t answer I know many people that I can call on.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
I worked for a Community Support program; cleaning and landscaping for senior citizens in my area that still owned their homes.
IF YOU COULD PICK UP ANY NEW SKILL IN AN INSTANT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I’d like to learn how to successfully pick a lock. I think that comes from all the detective shows that I have been watching since I was a kid!
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?
I have a vintage trailer that I would like to restore. It would be great to start and finish that project!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE YOU’VE EVER VISITED?
Agawa Bay-Lake Superior Park
Upcoming Training Events
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-driven req...
This course introduces participants to key techniques and best practices for surface water monitoring.Content covers field safety and preparation, sampling equipment and methods, QA/QC procedures, sample handling and preservation, chain of custody, storage and laborator...
Internal environmental auditor training helps environmental practitioners to determine whether their operations are in compliance with Federal and Provincial environmental regulations.This two-day workshop provides a review of environmental regulations in Canada and Ont...
Common to most construction projects and industrial sites, fuel storage is an area of high risk for spills and potential harm to the environment. This session will review the regulatory requirements in detail for fuel storage, and best practices for managing fuel st...
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 dat...
This workshop is designed for Environmental Practitioners in the mining and pulp and paper industry to understand how to plan for emergency response drills under federal and provincial requirements (E2, SPCP, and MDMER/PPER).As a group, participants will develop a drill...
