SPRING SERIES: Part 1 Exploring the Arctic - Wildlife, Wilderness, Culture. Starts April 29, 2025, 10:00 a.m. at L.E. Shore Memorial Library, Thornbury

Series Dates: April 29, May 6, and May 13, 2025

Join local adventure guides and hosts Marissa Dolotallas and Chris Scerri, and their Adventure Canada colleagues, for a three part series as they share with us their experiences with the wildlife, wilderness, and culture of the high north:

April 29: Steve Burrows "Travels and Travails: Researching & Writing the Birder Murder Mysteries"

May 6: Scott McDougall "What does the Arctic teach us about sustainability?"

May 13: Wayne Broomfield "Guiding through life. Growing up on the land and sharing it through guiding."

Our lectures take place at:

L.E. Shore Memorial Library, 173 Bruce St S, Thornbury, ON N0H 2P0 

Tuesdays as scheduled 10:00am - 12:00 Noon

Speaker Bios:

Marissa Dolotallas, Guide/Host

Marissa is a coastal soul with a corporate edge, blending over 25 years of business savvy with a passion for wild places and mindful living.

Raised in the seaside town of White Rock, BC, Marissa's love affair with nature and the ocean began early - whether hiking forest trails, dragon boat racing, or catching the wind on a sailboard. She later pressed pause on outdoor adventures to earn a business degree and dive into the fast-paced world of tech during the dot-com boom.

But the pull of salt air and soul-centered purpose was too strong to ignore. Trading suits and heels for board shorts and flip flops, she launched a second act that’s all about adventure, empowerment, and connection. Now based in Meaford, Ontario, Marissa is a certified sea kayaking and standup paddleboard instructor, retreat host, and founder of her own adventure company.

From leading backcountry kayak expeditions along Canada’s rugged coasts to guiding in Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, and Antarctica, Marissa brings heart and expertise to every journey. She’s also a proud leader at the Women on Water (WOW) paddling festival and curates Paddle/Hike/Yoga retreats designed to spark joy and personal transformation.

At home, she stays deeply involved in community life - organizing beach cleanups, hosting Yoga in the Park, maintaining trails, and served as Chair of Meaford’s first-ever Parks Advisory Committee.

Whether she’s navigating polar waters or local trails, Marissa leads with joy, courage, and a deep respect for nature.

Chris Scerri, Guide/Host

Chris splits his time between his two passions, music, and the outdoors. Hailing from the artistic community of Meaford, Ontario, just steps from the shores of Georgian Bay, there is no shortage of inspiration.

Chris has spent the better part of the last decade performing, producing, and promoting local live music. He has created concert series and show productions that bring together exceptional local talent.

When heʼs not on stage, you can find Chris exploring new trails or paddling on the water. Chris feels right at home in a kayak, canoe, or a Zodiac, and is a Paddle Canada certified instructor. Locally grown produce and creating delicious food is something Chris also loves. Like music, food tells us so much about those who create it and is another way to bring people together.

Being part of the Adventure Canada team gives Chris an opportunity to share his love for music and nature while exploring some of the most beautiful places on the planet!

April 29: Steve Burrows, Naturalist/Author

Steve Burrows first began exploring nature in the urban parks of his childhood home in Birmingham, UK. After emigrating to Canada, he earned degrees from York University and Dalhousie University before relocating to Hong Kong, where he earned a Master’s degree from the University of Hong Kong. 

As a contributing field editor with Asian Geographic, Steve travelled to destinations such as Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea, to cover stories on everything from gibbons to silk villages to seahorses. His freelance articles on travel, writing, and environmental issues have appeared in publications around the world, including the Globe & Mail (Canada), Action Asia (Singapore), The Melbourne Age (Australia), South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), Literary Hub (US), and BBC Wildlife (UK), from whom he received a Nature Writer of the Year award. 

Steve’s speaking engagements have included appearances at Canada’s International Festival of Authors, the International Ornithological Conference, the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival in the UK, and as the Featured Guest Author at Margaret Atwood’s Springsong Festival. 

Steve’s travels have taken him to all seven continents, and since 2023 he has been an onboard naturalist and guest author for Adventure Canada on their cruises to Iceland, Greenland and the High Arctic. In 2024 he became associated with ZEISS in the prestigious role of Field Naturalist. 

Steve's first work of fiction, A Siege of Bitterns, won the Crime Writers of Canada award for Best First Novel, and was selected as one of the Globe & Mail’s top 100 books of the year. The ninth title in the Birder Murder mystery series, A Deceit of Lapwings, will be published in summer, 2025. 

Steve currently lives in Oshawa, Ontario with his wife and muse, Resa.

May 6: Scott McDougall, Director of Sustainable and Regenerative Travel (Adventure Canada)

Scott is both an expedition team member and leader, and Adventure Canada’s Director of Sustainable and Regenerative Travel.

In sustainability, Scott brings over thirty years of experience. Recent roles have included executive, entrepreneur, investor, advisor, writer, and speaker in the environmental and sustainability communities.

As a thought leader, Scott has given hundreds of speeches and has been featured as an expert commentator in print, broadcast, and digital mass media, including TV appearances on Canada AM, Business Week, CBC, CNBC, and print coverage in publications such as The New York Times, The Economist, Newsweek, Marketing Magazine, The National Post, The Gazette, USA Today, The Sacramento Bee, Fast Company, The Guardian, Daily Mail and the BBC.

As a seafarer, Scott has sailed aboard ships and boats in latitudes both high and low. He was expedition manager for the Canada C3 project (Toronto to Victoria via the Northwest Passage, as part of Canada’s 150th birthday), has completed multiple sailboat trans-Atlantic voyages, completed the first-ever circumnavigation under sail of the Manicouagan Reservoir (the Eye of Quebec), managed and sailed aboard Arctic Tern expeditions, and has run his own charter boat in the Caribbean.

Once, he even spent eight weeks living the “castaway” life alone on a desert island getting all his protein by hand from the sea! Scott is qualified as a Captain to the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore standard and is a scuba diving guide, divemaster, and safety rescue diver.

Scott lives in Chelsea, Québec, in a home overlooking the Gatineau River, and was educated as a biologist at Trent University.

May 13: Wayne Broomfield, Inuit Cultural Educator / Polar Guide

Wayne is an Inuit Cultural Educator from northern Labrador, Canada who’s an avid adventurer with a deep commitment to sustainability. He has worked for 8 years as an Expedition Guide with more than 10 years of Camp management. Wayne has also spent 5 Years in Environmental Exploration work as part of Management and as a Senior Analyst with the Provincial Government. He served on Combined Council of Labrador representing views/concerns for Northern Labrador.