Judson M. Venier, M.Sc., is a fisheries biologist with many years of environmental consulting experience. This experience encompasses both aquatic and terrestrial biology and ecology, with a specific focus on fisheries-related issues. Judson has been involved in and/or managed many environmental study projects including environmental assessments (federal, provincial, municipal), environmental impact statements/assessments, biological inventories, monitoring projects, and permitting exercises. Judson’s role in these projects ranges from project coordination and management to field data collection. Projects range in scope from simple culvert cleanouts, large bridge replacements, and improvements to long segments of roadway encompassing works at multiple watercourse crossings, to new highways. Judson has also obtained several Fisheries Act authorizations and Endangered Species Act permits. Judson has been certified under the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s RAQs system as a Fisheries Assessment Specialist since 2006 and has undergone training for the MTO/DFO/OMNR Fisheries Protocol. In addition to fisheries work, Judson also conducts breeding bird surveys, bird migration surveys, and carries out general wildlife and breeding amphibian surveys. Judson carried out extensive bird migration surveys as part of the Highway 407 East extension in Ontario. As part of this work, he was also involved with surveys for bird species at risk, including Bobolink/Eastern Meadowlark, Wood Thrush, Eastern Wood-pewee, and Barn Swallow. He has also carried out wildlife surveys for the transitway lands that are part of the existing Highway 407 corridor.

Prior to consulting, Judson was involved in several fisheries projects in British Columbia and Florida and was employed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority as a fisheries biologist (writing the Aquatic Habitat and Species Monitoring Program) and a coastal ecologist (participating in the habitat restoration of several Toronto waterfront areas and writing sections for a publication about habitat restoration and enhancement at Tommy Thompson Park, Toronto). He is a certified wetland evaluator, has completed the Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol course, the ROM Identification of Ontario Fishes workshop twice, the Ontario Mussel Identification Workshop, and is a certified electrofisher.