Jim is a thirty-year veteran of the professional fire service and has augmented this career as a water rescue instructor, river and fishing guide, bear monitor, and flora and fauna enthusiast.
Born in Ottawa, Canada, Jim has left footsteps and paddle swirls throughout the continent and around the world: hiking, biking, diving, and paddling in Australia, Africa, Central and South America, and Europe. From his early years surveying the sub-Arctic with the Government of Canada, to exploring the Great Barrier Reef as a SCUBA guide, Jim found a passion in being engaged by the power and wonder of our natural world.
A unique opportunity in 2017, he joined the operations team of the CanadaC3 expedition which circumnavigated all three of Canada’s coastlines via the Northwest Passage. He and his wife currently spend the winters in the tropics engaging in programs with the marine institute in coral restoration and fish counts. Among his hobbies, he manages a large wetland complex west of Ottawa, focusing on the enhancement and diversification of native species. He is an avid fisherman, hunter, gardener, beekeeper, and musician.