Meet Our Team
Our incredible company continues to strive to be an Indigenous Centre of Technical Excellence
GARY PRITCHARD
GINIW (GOLDEN EAGLE)
FOUNDER
Conservation Ecologist & Indigenous Engagement/Placemaking Specialist from Curve Lake First Nation, Ontario.
PAOLA
CUEVA
(SHE/HER)
JUNIOR ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICIAN
Paola Cueva was born and raised in Lima, Peru, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication.
KAT
NOLAN
(SHE/THEY)
AQUATIC ECOLOGIST
Kat (Irish/French-Canadian settler) recently joined 4 Directions of Conservation Consulting Services as an Aquatic Ecologist while completing a Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph.
Aaninguaq Peterson
(SHE/HER)
GIS SPECIALIST
Aaninguaq recently joined the 4 Directions team as a GIS Specialist after completing her BSc in Forest Conservation Science and Indigenous Studies at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about effective scientific communication and increasing accessibility to ecological knowledge and practice.
GARY PRITCHARD
GINIW (GOLDEN EAGLE)
FOUNDER
Conservation Ecologist & Indigenous Engagement/Placemaking Specialist from Curve Lake First Nation, Ontario.
Gary loves to connect and educate through nature, especially with wildlife photography and storytelling. He believes we can all make conscious decisions on how we impact Mother Earth and the next seven generations. He spends much of his time educating the youth about “All Our Relations,” his favourite students being his two children.
Gary often acts as the bridge between the Indigenous Community and the western style of governance, having successfully collaborated with many stakeholder groups, institutes, government agencies, Indigenous communities, and political organizations to address environmental concerns and identify practical solutions.
PAOLA CUEVA
(SHE/HER)
JUNIOR ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICIAN
Paola Cueva was born and raised in Lima, Peru, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication. Paola has over eight (8) years of work experience developing various communicational campaigns for clients such as Nestle, Kimberly Clark, and AB InBev. While working on sustainability campaigns, she fell in love with the environment and started pursuing a different educational path. Paola participated in sustainability courses and obtained a Design and Management of Social Projects diploma from Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru in 2019. In 2022, Paola decided to change careers and moved to Ontario where she is now enrolled in the Environmental Technician program at Fleming College.
KAT NOLAN
(SHE/THEY)
AQUATIC ECOLOGIST
Kat (Irish/French-Canadian settler) recently joined 4 Directions of Conservation Consulting Services as an Aquatic Ecologist while completing a PhD in Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph. Kat spent their youth moving throughout the Kootenays, a mountain range in Interior British Columbia, where Kat developed a love for being in nature, especially near water. Their experiences learning on the land in a rural community grounded Kat’s understanding of environmental conservation and Indigenous rights, which Kat carries with them and continues to learn about throughout their professional and academic career. Kat moved to Guelph, Ontario, in 2016 to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity and Mathematical Science from the University of Guelph, where they have lived and studied since. Kat’s current PhD research in the Hanner and Heyland labs at the University of Guelph focusses on developing microalgal isolation and DNA sequencing methods to assess harmful algal blooms in freshwaters. Kat’s publication record spans fish community monitoring, aquatic microbiology, and the disproportionate impacts of climate change on Northern and Indigenous communities. Through this work, Kat has collaborated with many industry partners and government organizations, including the mining and nuclear sectors, conservation and municipal authorities, and private companies. Kat is passionate about social justice and environmental stewardship, motivated by their experiences working alongside and within equity-seeking groups and bearing witness to human-driven environmental change. At Four Directions of Conservation Consulting, Kat draws on their aquatic expertise as well as their experiences working with equity-seeking groups to advance protection of aquatic ecosystems and Indigenous rights in Ontario.
Aaninguaq Peterson
(SHE/HER)
GIS SPECIALIST
Aaninguaq recently joined the 4 Directions team as a GIS Specialist after completing her BSc in Forest Conservation Science and Indigenous Studies at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about effective scientific communication and increasing accessibility to ecological knowledge and practice. Aaninguaq is also part of the leadership team for FREED (Field Research in Ecology and Evolution Diversified), an organization that offers field research and naturalist experience to BIPOC undergraduate students. Her education and experience have shown her that community building and sharing is the bedrock for positive ecological change—community science rocks!
Most recently, Aaninguaq worked as part of a research team within the Geography Department at U of T. Utilizing her GIS skills, she built an interactive map showing archival extraction and development in Treaty 9 (James Bay) territory. The process of visually mapping Geological Survey archives demonstrates the cumulative impacts on various communities in the early 20th century (and today). Bringing field data to life for others and encouraging wider curiosity in spatial mapping tools powers her career goals and interest.
Outside of the lab, Aaninguaq is an avid naturalist and backpacker. With more field guides than fiction handy on the shelf, her passion for ecology and species identification has launched a career in conservation. Whether it’s climbing a 46er in the Adirondacks or canoeing at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station, “outdoors” is her favorite place to be!
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