Jen Schellinck

Through ongoing conversations with friends I came to realize that most people are interested in living in a way that is friendly to the environment, but many are not sure how to start doing this in a way that will work for them- in other words- in a way that won't require them to uproot their lives and start living in an eco-village! As a result of these discussions I developed the conviction that living sustainably must not, and indeed, does not have to imply living miserably and uncomfortably or require turning back the clock to medieval or prehistoric times. I also realized that it would be much easier for people to start living more sustainably if they had someone to do the necessary research and legwork for them.

These realizations, combined with my desire to promote sustainable living, motivated me to start consulting with people about the environment and environmentalism in a way that would help them to feel good about both themselves and the environment.

About Me

I grew up in Nova Scotia, and became interested in environmentalism at an early age. I built my first composter at age ten and later co-founded an environmental club in my high school, where we instituted a schoolwide can recycling program. I came to Ottawa to go to Carleton, for graduate school, and now I live here with my partner Colin. I continue to be active in community environmental initiatives and support environmental endeavours on both a large and small scale.

Much of my environmental activism is personal in nature. I try to live my day to day life in a manner that promotes sustainability. Over the years, I've devoted a considerable amount of time and energy to finding the most cost effective but also personally satisfying and socially acceptable ways to live sustainably.