JILL HEINERTH is a Canadian cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker. She is a veteran of over thirty years of filming, photography, and exploration on projects in submerged caves around the world. She has made TV series, consulted on movies, written several books and is a frequent corporate keynote speaker. Jill is the first Explorer in Residence for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, a recipient of Canada’s prestigious Polar Medal and a Fellow of the International Scuba Divers Hall of Fame.
2024 KEYNOTE:
Jill Heinerth
Peter is a photojournalist and wildlife photographer from Whitehorse, Yukon. His work focuses on wildlife, wilderness, people and communities in Northern Canada and Alaska. He is a fellow in the International League of Conservation Photographers, represented by National Geographic Image Collection and Minden Pictures stock agencies, and an ambassador for Panasonic Cameras.
FOLLOW ME NORTH is the dynamic duo of Jesse and Susan Villemaire. Aside from taking spectacular photos, Follow Me North leads year-round photography workshops in a variety of locations around the world, such as: Algonquin Park, British Columbia, and South Africa. They have been featured in: Ontario Parks, Canadian Geographic, Paddling Magazine, F-Stop, Toronto Star, and Dockside.
HELEN E. GROSE is a professional photographer, certified drone operator, and gallery owner who lives on an 80-acre farm in the heart of Muskoka. Helen’s. As a proud member of Nature First – an alliance for responsible nature photography, she is an active ambassador of ethical wildlife photography. Helen has been featured in: Canadian Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Forbes, National Geographic Kids, Cottage Life, and Muskoka Life.
ALYSSA BARDY captures the stories of motherhood, Indigenous reconnection, nationhood, and our interconnectedness with land. She uses the lens as a tool for myself, my children, clients and future generations to learn and share the brilliance and beauty of both culture and creation. Alyssa has been featured in Canadian Geographic, Home in Canada, The Centre for Humans and Nature, and the 400 Years Project.
