Prince Edward Island’s natural environment is near and dear to Mike Durant.
For over a decade, Durant has been a tireless volunteer devoting significant time, energy, and enthusiasm towards protecting and improving P.E.I.’s natural environment.
He has advocated for Island ecosystems at various levels: locally, in a watershed group, provincially with the PEI Watershed Alliance and AgriWatershed Partnership, and nationally with the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation.
His lifelong passion for rivers and fishing led him to volunteer with the Central Queens branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation as a board member and then as chair of the organization.
In his 12 years with the Central Queens Branch, he guided the group during times when they had to take a stance opposing developments, such as the proposed bottled water processing plant in Brookvale in 2016.
In 2021, he was the main voice behind the resolution of the excessive sediment runoff issue from the Canada Games Construction site in Brookvale.
Durant is always seeking knowledge and spends a considerable amount of time talking with various stakeholders with sometimes opposing views to help him better understand watershed management.
Since many of the root causes of watershed degradation were common across the Island. and would be better addressed at the provincial level, he became a board member of the PEI. Watershed Alliance, enabling him to advocate for all watershed groups.
During his tenure as chair of the Watershed Alliance, he used his project management skills to navigate through a period of rapid expansion as the group took on large projects, such as the Coastal Restoration Fund, involving multiple watershed groups and partners.
As chair of the Alliance, he joined forces with the PEI Federation of Agriculture and the PEI Potato Board to form the PEI AgriWatershed Partnership in 2019. Durant has also worked closely with the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation.
For his efforts to help conserve, protect, and restore the Island’s natural heritage, Mike Durant is awarded the Natural Heritage Activity Award.