Canadian Urban Forest Network

Dr. Adrina C. Bardekjian MFC, PhD

Director, Research and Engagement & CUFN Chair

Dr. Adrina C. Bardekjian is a seasoned urban forestry researcher, educator, and writer with nearly two decades of experience in the field. She holds a Master of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto and earned her PhD from York University, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Bardekjian’s academic work explores the social dimensions of arboriculture and urban forestry, focusing on topics such as identity, labour dynamics, and women’s leadership and equity within the field. She has contributed to numerous publications, including serving as an editor for the influential book Urban Forests, Trees and Greenspace: A Political Ecology Perspective. To broaden her outreach, she has also created engaging short films, such as Women Branching Out, to share her research with wider audiences. As co-creator of the discussion series Where Women Choose to Walk: Paths to Improving Cities and Nature, Dr. Bardekjian fosters dialogue on gender and environmental issues. In addition to her research and outreach, she is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Forestry & Conservation, Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto. Recognized for her contributions, Dr. Bardekjian has received several prestigious awards, including the Society of Municipal Arborists Award of Achievement and the International Society of Arboriculture’s Honourary Membership Award. Currently, she leads the Research and Engagement department at Tree Canada, driving strategic initiatives and collaborations like the Canadian Urban Forest Network and the National Urban Forest Conference.

Nadia Pedley Chan

Pacific Representative

Manager, Trees and Landscape, Planning and Development Department, City of Surrey

Nadia Chan has worked in urban forestry for 20 years in municipal, consulting and non-profit settings. She is the Manager, Trees and Landscape with the City of Surrey’s Planning and Development Department. Nadia is currently on the executive of the Invasive Species Council of British Columbia and BCIT’s Forest and Natural Areas Management Program Advisory Committee. She is a past Director with the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.

Anthony Daniel

Québec Representative

Anthony Daniel is a biologist who has been working in the field of urban forestry for 25 years. Since 2005, he has been employed by the City of Montreal, where he has held various positions, including arboriculture inspector in two boroughs, research officer at the Jardin botanique and the Service de l’environnement, and, since 2009, planning advisor in the Division Forêt urbaine du Service des grands parcs, du Mont-Royal et des sports.

His current work involves developing strategies and implementing action plans to improve Montreal’s urban forest. He develops programs, policies, and regulations and contributes to awareness campaigns. He also establishes and coordinates partnerships with numerous internal and external partners.

Anthony actively participates in various events organized by the City’s partner organizations to support innovative initiatives and showcase the expertise developed by the City. One of his notable contributions to urban forestry is developing Montreal’s approach to mitigating the impacts of the emerald ash borer on its urban forest. Considered a success, Anthony is often invited to present this approach in Quebec, Ontario, and the United States.

Before working for the City of Montreal, Anthony was a phytoprotection consultant in Greater Montreal. One of his businesses, Arthropodia, won three prestigious awards during the 2002 edition of the Quebec Entrepreneurship Contest. He also co-authored a book published in 2005 on alternatives to pesticides for managing common garden pests.

Dr. Danijela Puric-Mladenovic, PhD

CUFN Steering Committee Member

Danijela has a B.Sc.F and M.Sc. F (majors in Landscape architecture/ urban forestry)   from the University of Belgrade, Serbia, and a PhD from the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto.  Danijela has been involved with a wide range of urban forestry research activities and applications at the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, where is she holds a status of Assistant Professor (status only). Danijela has been involved in different aspects of urban forestry for over 25 years, from academic science and research, teaching,  developing practical applications to  working with community groups. Besides expertise in urban forestry, she has developed a proficiency in landscape and green system planning, dendrology, vegetation and spatial analysis, predictive modeling and mapping, application of GIS and remotely sensed techniques to forest management and mapping, and in  developing and implementing   urban forest innovatory and monitoring protocols.

Dr. Peter Duinker

Atlantic Representative

Peter Duinker was raised on farms in Ontario and then got degrees in agriculture (BScAgr, Guelph), forest ecology (MES, Dalhousie), and forest management (PhD, UNB). He held the Chair in Forest Management and Policy at Lakehead University during 1988-1998. He then became a Professor in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University from 1998 to 2019. For ten of those years, he was the School’s Director. He is now Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie.

Peter taught and researched a wide range of themes, most of which deal with forests and environmental assessment. Peter got involved in urban-forest issues when, following Hurricane Juan, Halifax put together its Point Pleasant Park Restoration Task Force in fall 2003. He then joined the team preparing the Point Pleasant Park Comprehensive Plan to help with the forest sections. With his students and research assistants, Peter and city staff prepared Halifax’s first Urban Forest Master Plan in 2012. He continued his collaboration with the city until 2022 by providing ongoing monitoring and research in support of plan implementation. Peter’s investigations on urban forests, with his students, addressed diverse topics including citizens’ values, planning, conservation of urban old-growth, naturalization of urban forests, effects of sub-division development on urban-forest biodiversity, effects of climate change on urban forests, establishment of urban orchards, canopy development in urban greenspaces such as cemeteries and golf courses, and others.

At his home in downtown Halifax, Peter is gradually removing the Norway-maple canopy and replacing it with native species associated with Acadian old-growth forests. Peter shares a home with his wife Maggie and, when not chasing scholarly and consulting pursuits, enjoys home-brewing, choral-singing, cycle-touring, home-renovating, high-score golfing, and tree-hugging. With a cadre of junior colleagues, Peter runs a website for dissemination of urban-forest information to the public – www.halifaxtreeproject.com.

Allison Craig

Ontario Representative

Allison is an ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist® and Registered Professional Forester in Training with over a decade of experience working in private consulting, municipal government, and the non-profit sector. She holds a Master of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Forestry where her research focused on emerald ash borer management in municipal parks. She is passionate about helping communities prepare for and respond to invasive species threats utilizing field data and science-based strategies. Currently, she leads a team of forestry consultants at BioForest, and oversees a variety of projects focused on invasive species management, urban forest assessment, and public engagement. Allison is also Chair of the Editorial Review Committee at City Trees Magazine. She was recognized by the Society of Municipal Arborists with the Award of Merit in 2022 for her contributions to municipal arboriculture and urban forestry.

Kyla Maslaniec

Prairies Representative

Kyla Maslaniec has been an urban forester at the Forestry and Peatlands Branch of the Manitoba Government for over 25 years. She completed her education at Brandon University and the University College of the North before joining the Forestry and Peatlands Branch. Throughout her tenure, she has focused on forest health, invasive forest pests, and urban forestry. Presently, Kyla oversees the provincial Dutch Elm Disease and Urban Forestry Program, along with regulatory portfolios such as the Arborist Regulations. Additionally, she serves as a founding member and current member of the Board of Directors for the Manitoba Urban Forest Council.