Our ecologists are passionate about maintaining Ontario’s natural heritage while providing project specific solutions and expertise.
As Ecological Consultants we have decades of experience providing support to private and municipal projects, prior to or following disturbance. Our ecologists are experts in their fields using established field protocols and innovative mitigation methods. We apply our extensive ecology and policy knowledge to help our clients find a defensible solution that meets their needs while providing practical mitigation solutions and protection to the surrounding natural features.
Services
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Aboud & Associates regularly prepares Environmental Impact Studies (EIS), also known as Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), Natural Heritage Impact Studies (NHIS), and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). Our expertise varies from small private development to large scale municipal infrastructure projects.
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Our breadth of consulting experience gives us the unique advantage of being able to critically analyze the work of our peers and review potential development sites for natural heritage constraints. We regularly peer review pre-consultation documents, mitigation plans, Scoped Environmental Impact Studies, severance plans, and monitoring reports for proposed developments. We are experienced in site screening and due diligence review of sites to determine if there are natural heritage constraints which may impact a proposed development before site plans are even developed.
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Our experienced Ecologists have completed numerous Natural Heritage Evaluations (NHE), Natural Heritage Assessments (NHA), and other baseline studies of natural heritage features in municipalities across Southern Ontario under the Municipal Environmental Assessment (EA) process and within the Oak Ridges Moraine, Niagara Escarpment and the Ontario Greenbelt. These assessments often include an analysis of options, determination of significance of the natural features present, policy constraints, and high-level recommended mitigation. Many of these projects will continue on to an EIS at detailed design.
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Our experienced aquatic ecologists have completed numerous fish habitat assessments, watercourse assessments and Fish Salvage and Relocations. We are certified in Headwater Drainage Feature Assessment, Backpack electrofishing and OBBN. We are well versed in the approval process for aquatic habitat, including obtaining required permits, such as the License to collect fish for scientific purposes process, and communicate regularly with DFO through the request for review process.
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Aboud & Associates’ Wildlife Ecologists have the knowledge and experience to identify wildlife and wildlife habitat, including suitable habitat for species at risk and candidate significant wildlife habitat, and to determine the appropriate preservation or mitigation techniques based on the project and client needs. Our experience includes, but is not limited to, seasonal inventories for; amphibians, birds, turtles, snakes and bats.
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Our team works with clients from the planning stage through to construction completion identifying and implementing the applicable regulations and policies. Applying for permits, ensuring regulatory compliance, and aiding in the completion of long-term monitoring requirements are just a few of the ways we guide our clients through the development process.
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In accordance with municipal, provincial, and federal regulations, our ecologists conduct Species at Risk Surveys, identify species at risk habitat, and provide sound mitigation, advice and avoidance measures to our clients. We are also experienced in the SAR permitting and Approval process, through both registration and permitting, with both the species at Risk Act (SARA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
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With staff certified in Ecological Land Classification (ELC) and the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (OWES), we are experienced in botanical inventories, long term monitoring, landscape connectivity assessment, wetland assessments for unevaluated wetlands and updating wetland boundary delineations. Our Ecologists are experienced in aerial photography interpretation of vegetation communities, using GIS and the classification of communities into the ELC system, at both small (site-level) and large (Regional) scales.
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Aboud and Associates is involved in the authoring of federal and provincial efforts to protect and assess at risk species. We have recently authored the MECP Pumpkin Ash Recovery Strategy and are in the process of writing the COSEWIC Atlantic Mackerel Assessment Report.
Selected Project Examples
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Niagara Region ELC Mapping
Niagara Region retained Aboud & Associates to identify and map all natural features to the Ecological Land Classification community series level within its 1,854 km2 boundary. More detail
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Kenvue Pollinator Project
Aboud & Associates was retained to support the application to achieve a Wildlife Habitat Council certification for pollinator and avian species at the Kenvue (formerly Johnson and Johnson) facility in Guelph. More detail
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Hamilton Conservation Area EIS
Aboud & Associates was retained by the Hamilton Conservation Authority to complete scoped Environmental Impact Studies as part of a feasibility study to review 3 sites for potential additional parking at Tews Falls, Artaban Road, and Lower Lions Club Road. More detail