Our Team

Atlantic Water Network has a small but mighty team of avid water monitors. We draw upon the work of past students, employees and volunteers who have brought the Network to where it is today. Read the bios below of our current team who works to provide resources and equipment to our Community Partners throughout Atlantic Canada.

Emma Wattie

Director

Emma Wattie has worked intimately with the numerous stewardship organizations who utilize AWN’s resources and training for the last five years. Emma has over seven years of data collection and management experience and has collaborated closely with organizations in the effort to build Atlantic Canada’s water monitoring capacity. Emma is a proud Maritimer and loves any excuse to get outside, especially if her dog can join! In her spare time she’s an avid reader, knitter and baker.

Amanda Doucette

Communications Specialist

Amanda graduated from the Holland College Journalism program in 2018 and has spent her time since graduation working in print media, radio broadcasting and digital media content creation. She joined the Atlantic Water Network team in 2021 and is excited to help creatively share the important work conducted in communities throughout Atlantic Canada, with our partners and team. In her free time Amanda enjoys hiking the beautiful shorelines of PEI while snapping photos wherever she can. She’s a proud cat-mom and an avid coffee drinker, with a passion for local storytelling.

Cathy Conrad

Founder

Cathy is a Full Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. She has worked with Community-Based Monitoring Organizations in Atlantic Canada and around the world.

Laura Chandler

Program Manager

Laura joined the Atlantic Water Network team in 2019. In her role as Program Manager, she works closely with communities as they build and grow their water monitoring programs. Passionate about effective science communication, Laura is thrilled to see water data come to life and inspire local environmental change. Laura holds a BMath and MMath in Applied Math through the Collaborative Water Program at the University of Waterloo. Born and raised in the prairies, Laura is enjoying every chance she gets to explore the rugged coastal landscapes that Atlantic Canada has to offer.

Becca Seward

Data Scientist

Becca is a Dalhousie University student entering her final year of Environmental Science and Sustainability. She is joining the team as a summer intern and is looking forward to a summer of new experiences. Growing up in Newfoundland and now living in Halifax, she has spent most of her life surrounded by water and is most comfortable close to the coast. She has a passion for finding holistic solutions to the climate crisis that leave the Earth and its people better than we found it. In her spare time, you can probably find her hiking, reading, or taking care of her plants.

Aislin Livingstone

Research Manager

In her role as Atlantic Water Network’s Research Manager, Aislin works with watershed groups, researchers, governments, and other community partners to amplify and support community-based water monitoring in Atlantic Canada. She also helps shape AWN’s initiatives and supports the network’s day-to-day operations. Aislin is happiest in, on, and around water and is motivated to help protect this incredibly valuable resource. Aislin holds an undergraduate degree in Ecology and Human Health from McGill University and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph.

Zaina Lamontagne

Freshwater Engagement Coordinator

Zaina is a 4th-year student at Dalhousie University, where she majors in Marine Biology and minors in International Development. Originally from Ontario, she has experience educating her community on caring for and protecting their local environment, water bodies, and native species. In her free time, Zaina enjoys reading, painting, and taking photos of all the wildlife she comes across.