As a young boy, Monte Hummel moved to Whitedog Falls where his father worked in a hydro camp in the bush north of Kenora, Ontario. Ten years after leaving, he revisited his home river to discover it had been contaminated with mercury, leaving the Ojibway community there in social and economic despair. This personal experience led to a lifelong career of environmental advocacy.
In the late fifties, Monte moved back south to attend high school (Ancaster), followed by university (Toronto) where he earned a B.A. (1969), M.A in Philosophy (1970), and M.Sc. in Forestry (1979). He worked his way through school as a wilderness canoe-tripping guide, hustling ping-pong, and playing guitar and piano in now-defunct rock and roll bands.
In 1969, Monte co-founded Pollution Probe of which he became Executive Director and later Chairman. Between 1977-82, he also co-ordinated the undergraduate program in Environmental Studies at the University of Toronto.
In 1978, he joined World Wildlife Fund Canada as Executive Director, later to become President. During his leadership, WWF helped downlist over 30 wildlife species from Canada’s official Species at Risk list, and through WWF’s Endangered Spaces campaign, over 1000 new parks and wilderness areas were designated, doubling the amount of protected area in Canada. After 26 years as executive head of WWF-Canada, Monte became President Emeritus in 2004. However, he remains active daily on the organization’s boreal forest and Arctic conservation files.
Monte has served on the boards of over thirty Canadian and international conservation organizations, been appointed to numerous government advisory councils, testified before various parliamentary committees, and is Past President of the Labrador Retriever Club of Ontario.
A well known public speaker, Monte Hummel is author of over one hundred popular articles or scientific journal publications, contributor to many book chapters, and author or editor of five books. His most recent book is Caribou and the North: A Shared Future, 2008.
In April 2000, Monte was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada; in June 2001, he was awarded the J.B. Harkin Medal by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society “in recognition of over thirty years of dedicated service to the conservation of Canada’s wilderness and wildlife;” in May 2004, Monte was recognized with Canadian Geographic’s Lifetime Achievement Award; and in June 2005, he received the Douglas H. Pimlott Award from the Canadian Nature Federation, honouring one of Monte’s heroes and mentors.”
Monte maintains a demanding work schedule persuading senior decision-makers to protect wild places, and travels to all parts of the Canadian landscape, which he loves and defends fiercely. He has two grown children, Robin and Doug, and when he is not on the road, at his desk, or hiking and canoeing from his cabin at Loon Lake, he lives quietly in the country with Sherry near the small town of Beeton, Ontario.
In the late fifties, Monte moved back south to attend high school (Ancaster), followed by university (Toronto) where he earned a B.A. (1969), M.A in Philosophy (1970), and M.Sc. in Forestry (1979). He worked his way through school as a wilderness canoe-tripping guide, hustling ping-pong, and playing guitar and piano in now-defunct rock and roll bands.
In 1969, Monte co-founded Pollution Probe of which he became Executive Director and later Chairman. Between 1977-82, he also co-ordinated the undergraduate program in Environmental Studies at the University of Toronto.
In 1978, he joined World Wildlife Fund Canada as Executive Director, later to become President. During his leadership, WWF helped downlist over 30 wildlife species from Canada’s official Species at Risk list, and through WWF’s Endangered Spaces campaign, over 1000 new parks and wilderness areas were designated, doubling the amount of protected area in Canada. After 26 years as executive head of WWF-Canada, Monte became President Emeritus in 2004. However, he remains active daily on the organization’s boreal forest and Arctic conservation files.
Monte has served on the boards of over thirty Canadian and international conservation organizations, been appointed to numerous government advisory councils, testified before various parliamentary committees, and is Past President of the Labrador Retriever Club of Ontario.
A well known public speaker, Monte Hummel is author of over one hundred popular articles or scientific journal publications, contributor to many book chapters, and author or editor of five books. His most recent book is Caribou and the North: A Shared Future, 2008.
In April 2000, Monte was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada; in June 2001, he was awarded the J.B. Harkin Medal by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society “in recognition of over thirty years of dedicated service to the conservation of Canada’s wilderness and wildlife;” in May 2004, Monte was recognized with Canadian Geographic’s Lifetime Achievement Award; and in June 2005, he received the Douglas H. Pimlott Award from the Canadian Nature Federation, honouring one of Monte’s heroes and mentors.”
Monte maintains a demanding work schedule persuading senior decision-makers to protect wild places, and travels to all parts of the Canadian landscape, which he loves and defends fiercely. He has two grown children, Robin and Doug, and when he is not on the road, at his desk, or hiking and canoeing from his cabin at Loon Lake, he lives quietly in the country with Sherry near the small town of Beeton, Ontario.
