Michael is a native of Victoria, Canada and has had a distinguished career with Environment Canada working on environmental assessments which resulted in the creation of Parks and Protected areas all over the province of British Columbia. He has also worked with Canadian Wildlife Services to protect wildlife habitat in British Columbia. Michael always felt that the most important thing that society can do to protect the environment was to educate young people to be knowledgeable about the ecosystems in which they live and to be stewards of the land. To follow through on this conviction, Michael took responsibility in 2002 for founding the Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning (GICEL) in partnership with the Gulf Islands School District in the southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia in Canada. (See entry for Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning under Projects). Michael serves as the Director of Programs for GICEL, where he makes an ongoing contribution to a better future by touching the minds and hearts of students who will be the future leaders in protecting the environment.