Mackenzie Jones awarded inaugural Peter Hatcher Family Bursary

SERS MES student Mackenzie Jones is the inaugural recipient of the Peter Hatcher Family Bursary awarded by Georgian Bay Forever.

The Peter Hatcher Family Bursary is offered in memory of Peter Hatcher. He was Georgian Bay Forever’s champion, friend, and the most dedicated advocate for Georgian Bay that the organization will likely ever know. Peter will always be remembered for his passion and never-ending love for the water's of Georgian Bay and his drive to protect its beauty for all. He was integral to Georgian Bay Forever as a core volunteer, inspirational donor, and fundraiser. The organization will always be thankful for his guidance and leadership.

Mackenzie is in her second year of the Master of Environmental Studies in Social and Ecological Sustainability program in SERS. Her research within the Wildlife Ecohydrology and Conservation Lab focuses on how fluctuations in water availability within ephemeral wetlands (seasonally flooded pools) alters the connectivity of a landscape and influences Blanding’s turtle movement and habitat selection in Georgian Bay. She is being supervised by Dr. Chantel Markle.

“I feel incredibly honoured to have been selected for this award and am beyond grateful to Georgian Bay Forever and the Hatcher family." she says. "This bursary will allow me to explore novel approaches to analyzing aquatic connectivity within the region which will help us identify and predict key areas of protection.”

The Peter Hatcher Family Bursary, valued at $2,500, was awarded to Mackenzie in June 2024 and Mackenzie was featured in the Fall 2024 Georgian Bay Forever newsletter (PDF; pages 8-9).

Congratulations Mackenzie!