Roderick Haig-Brown Award

→ Founder and director, Brown Girl Outdoor World

→ Advocate for inclusion, belonging and safety for everyone in outdoor spaces

An accomplished angler, seasoned adventurer and passionate community advocate, Demiesha Dennis blends her love for the outdoors with her expertise to drive and foster substantial and positive change. She has become a dynamic leader and true trailblazer, fostering inclusivity and equity in the outdoors community.

Demiesha’s work inspires, guides and motivates a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts and leaders to embrace and preserve the natural world.

Guided by her passion for being a voice that takes up and creates space in rooms where the representation of Black, Indigenous and racialized individuals remains under-represented, Demiesha serves on the advisory boards of several groups, including the Friends of Algonquin Park and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

My connection to wildlife and nature is deeply rooted in my upbringing and the landscapes that shaped me. Growing up in Jamaica, nature wasn’t something separate; experiencing it was part of daily life. My grandmother, Ethlyn Dennis, was my first mentor in nature. She taught me the names of trees and birds, how to read the weather to know when to plant and when to harvest. That shaped my connection to the land and continues to guide me today.

Moving to Canada 25 years ago forced me to learn new ways of engaging with the land while carrying the deep respect and reverence instilled in me from childhood. My presence in the natural world was the exception from the norm. That absence sent a message that belonging in nature had to be earned. I refuse to allow that narrative to continue existing and wholeheartedly refuse to let that be passed down.

I do this work today to ensure that more people, especially those who have been historically excluded, know that the responsibility of knowing, loving and protecting the natural world is a gift. I want to leave a legacy that sees a collective of humans who decided that this planet was worth saving and decided to do the work.

Honouring one of Canada’s great writers and conservationists, this award is presented to an individual or group for making a significant contribution to furthering the sport of angling and the conservation, development and wise use of Canada’s recreational fisheries.