The Corridor: Film Screening and Community Building Event

The Corridor, a film by environmental alliance, Age of Union, in collaboration with Strong Roots Congo and the Forest Health Alliance invites you to discover the groundbreaking strategy to save eastern lowland gorillas and fight for a wildlife corridor in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Follow the story of Congolese environmentalist, Dominique Bikaba whose family was expelled from their ancestral land in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Now with international partners, he is on an ambitious mission to secure twenty-one interconnected land titles, which would establish one of the largest wildlife corridors of community-managed forests on the planet. In doing so, they are empowering local communities to protect the habitat of the eastern lowland gorilla and conserving the all-important Congo Basin Rainforest – the second lung of the Earth — for generations to come.

Following the film screening, there will be a panel discussion with film executive producer, Dax Dasilva, Founder of Age of Union, social change maker Darcy Riddell, and, University of Waterloo experts, Blake Phillips, Director of the School of Accounting and Finance, and Anabela Bonada, Manger and Research Associate at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation.

Guests are invited to a reception at the end of the event with passed canapes, and to interact with exhibits at the Science World!

Mariette Raina

Mariette Raina was born and raised in France on a houseboat, surrounded by a family of artists, teachers, and medical practitioners. She immigrated to Canada in 2008 to study Anthropology for six years. Merging her cultural studies with a background in photography and dance, Mariette began collaborating with Dax Dasilva in 2016, contributing to the Never Apart Magazine monthly articles and his renowned "Age of Union" book. In 2020, she took on the challenge of building the Age of Union project from scratch. Today, she manages the conservation department, overseeing 10+ supported projects worldwide, all while balancing motherhood and continuing her artistic practice on the side.

Dr. Anabela Bonada

Dr. Bonada brings extensive experience and education to the field of climate science.  Recognized as a subject matter expert on climate adaptation measures, Dr. Bonada is frequently sought after by the media for her insights: CTV News, CBC, The Globe and Mail,and more.

At the Intact Centre, Dr. Bonada leads and supports research projects including a national wildfire guide, infographic development and formulating recommendations for scaling up nature-based solutions to lower risk of wildfire, extreme heat, flooding, and erosion, at the home, community, and landscape levels.

She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Guelph, where her research focused on the effect that climate change has on tree growth, which gave her insights on the repercussions of extreme events, such as drought, on forest ecosystems. Dr. Bonada earned her B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and holds a Diploma in Ecosystem Management from Fleming College. At the University of Waterloo, she serves as the Staff Representative on the President’s Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability. Additionally, Dr. Bonada is the Vice Chair on the Board of Directors, of the Canadian Association of Professionals in Climate Change.

Blake Phillips

Blake Phillips is the Director of the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF, September 1, 2022 - ), the ninth director since the School was established in 1980. From 2018 – 2022, Blake served as the Deputy Director for the SAF.

Phillips began his career as a biologist and professional forester working in British Columbia prior to pursuing his MBA and PhD in finance. Published in top tier finance, banking, and investment journals, Phillips’ research interests include mutual funds and institutional investors, hedge funds and risk management, market efficiencies and empirical asset pricing, and derivatives and risk management.

Prior to stepping into the Director role, Phillips leveraged the combination of his education, practical experience in the field of forestry, and research in financial systems to spearhead the development and launch of Canada’s first undergraduate degree in Sustainability and Financial Management (SFM).

Darcy Riddell

Darcy Riddell has been working for social change for 25 years in a variety of roles – in forest campaigns and catalyzing innovative land conservation in the Great Bear Rainforest, leading philanthropic evaluation and transformative learning at McConnell Foundation, designing and facilitating multi-sector change initiatives, and founding and funding collaborative networks that centre justice and systems change.  She currently works with RAD (Restore, Assert, Defend) Network advancing Indigenous-led conservation finance and nature-based solutions, and the Kwiakah Nation on their regenerative forestry and economic vision.

Darcy completed a transdisciplinary Ph.D. in Environment and Resources Studies at University of Waterloo, focused on transformative leadership and social innovation in complex multi-scaled contexts, and has published on systems change in sustainability, social innovation, and scaling impact. She currently chairs the board of Social Innovation Canada, and is a board director at Hollyhock. Darcy is a fifth generation British Columbian, living with her family in the territories of the əsəlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), & Sḵwx̱wú7meshsi (Squamish), where she is a student of nature and the wisdom traditions of longstanding cultures.  

Contact Chinweike Ike-Orji at envalumni@uwaterloo.ca for any questions and concerns about the event.