Canopy Ecological Consulting

Ecological expertise.
Without the overhead.

CEC delivers expert-level terrestrial ecology and natural heritage consulting to the clients and projects that demand it most; with the rigour of a large firm and the accountability of a specialized practice.

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CEC helps developers, municipalities, landowners, and project teams understand natural heritage constraints, navigate regulatory requirements, and make informed decisions at every stage of a project. CEC offers direct access to 15+ years of ecological experience, without the layers in between. From impact assessments to peer reivew and writing services, CEC brings focused, accountable expertise to every engagement.

15+

Years ecological experience

Federal IAs under the Impact Assessment Act, 2019

20+

Municipal policy documents

30+

Species at Risk approvals across federal & provincial frameworks

About CEC

Expertise without the overhead

Canopy Ecological Consulting was founded on a straightforward premise: clients deserve senior expertise at affordable rates. Large consulting firms carry layered management and corporate overhead that inflate costs without improving outcomes. CEC was built differently — lean by design, so that every engagement is meaningful, from the first conversation to the final deliverable.

Development and the environment are often seen as opposing forces. At CEC, we work in that space to help developers, municipalities, landowners, and project teams navigate policy and legislation in ways that reduce risk, meet regulatory requirements, and make informed decisions that work with the natural environment, not against it.

CEC is led by Samantha Hughes, a Senior Biologist and Ecologist with over 15 years of experience in terrestrial ecology, wildlife biology, and environmental consulting across Ontario and beyond. Samantha has worked for large consulting firms, small practices, and government agencies; she brings the perspective that comes from working on all sides of the table.

What CEC Does

Services

CEC focuses where senior expertise makes the biggest difference: complex assessments, regulatory navigation, and natural heritage planning that requires someone who has done it before.

Natural Heritage Studies & Planning

Comprehensive natural heritage assessments for land use planning, official plan reviews, and development approvals. The people behind CEC have led Natural Heritage System (NHS) work across Ontario, from small secondary plans to city-wide systems.

Environmental Impact Studies (EIS)
Official Plan & Secondary Plan Review
Natural Heritage System Mapping
Constraints & Conformity Assessments
Peer Review

Impact Assessment & Environmental Assessment

Federal and provincial impact assessment support from baseline through to submission and information request response. The people behind CEC have led terrestrial components on major federal IAs under the IAA, 2019 and previous CEAA, 2012. We have executed numerous Municipal Class Environmental Assessments and associated studies, as well as constraint assessments and impact and conformity reports for private and public bodies.

Federal Impact Assessment Act (IAA, 2019)
Provincial Environmental Assessment Act (EAA, 1990)
Municipal Class EA
Terrestrial Baseline Programs
Impact Analysis & Mitigation

Species at Risk

End-to-end Species at Risk (SAR) services from targeted surveys through to approvals. CEC navigates both federal (SARA) and provincial (SCA) frameworks.

SAR Targeted Surveys
Species Conservation Act, 2025 (SCA) Registration & Permitting (previously Endangered Species Act, 2007 [ESA])
SCA and Species at Risk Act, 2002 (SARA) Consultation Support
Habitat Assessment & Mitigation
Peer Review and Support

Biological Surveys & Field Programs

Rigorous, statistically defensible field programs designed to meet regulatory standards and fill data gaps. CEC designs tailored survey methodologies and leads field teams with expertise across a broad range of taxa.

Breeding Bird & Marsh Monitoring Surveys
Bat Acoustic Surveys
Caribou & Ungulate Surveys (aerial & ground)
Herptile Surveys & Pitfall Programs
Flora & Vegetation Community ELC

Ecological Form & Function

Functional assessments that evaluate whether natural systems can retain their ecological integrity under proposed changes. The technical foundation of most planning and development approvals.

Wetland Evaluation
Significant Wildlife Habitat Assessment
Ecological Connectivity Analysis
Wildlife Passage & Ecopassage Studies
Biodiversity Risk Assessment

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Management & Land Plans

Collaborative planning processes that help municipalities, institutions, and organizations steward their natural assets. CEC brings both technical depth and the ability to communicate clearly to diverse stakeholders and elected officials.

Biodiversity Management Plans
Natural Area Management Plans
Stakeholder Engagement & Reporting
Council & Public Presentations
Geographic Information System (GIS) Planning & Mapping

Who We Work With

Sectors

CEC brings deep familiarity with the regulatory landscape, client expectations, and project complexity across Canada's most ecologically demanding sectors.

Mining & Resource

Impact Assessment and Environmental Assessment support on gold and critical minerals projects across the boreal and transition zones. Experience with Agnico Eagle, Kinross, First Mining Gold, Canada Nickel Company.

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Municipal & Government

Official plan reviews, natural heritage system planning, and Environmental Assessment leadership for municipalities and provincial agencies. Trusted to present findings to Mayor, Council, and the public.

Energy & Infrastructure

Species at Risk compliance and natural heritage support for power generation, transmission, and municipal infrastructure projects. Experience with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Atura Power, Metrolinx, and Class Environmental Assessments.

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Land Development

Environmental Impact Studies (EIS), constraints assessments, and rezoning support for private and public developers navigating natural heritage frameworks. From urban intensification to rural subdivision.

The CEC Difference

Why clients choose CEC

You work with the expert

When you hire CEC, expert practitioners lead your work from scoping through to delivery. That's the guarantee a specialized practice can make that large firms cannot.

Rates that reflect reality

Large firms bill at rates that reflect their overhead, not the work. CEC operates with a lean structure that allows competitive pricing — without compromising on the quality of who is actually doing the work.

Regulatory fluency

From federal IA submissions to provincial SAR approvals to municipal policy, CEC has navigated the full range of Canada's ecological regulatory landscape and knows how to get projects through it efficiently.

The People Behind the Work

Team

Expertise is not a department. It's the people.

Samantha Hughes

Principal & Lead Biologist

Samantha is a senior biologist with over 15 years of experience in terrestrial ecology, wildlife biology, and natural heritage consulting. She has served as terrestrial lead on federal impact assessments for major mining projects, ecological lead on municipal official plans and natural heritage system designs and reviews, and technical advisor to clients navigating complex species at risk legislation under both federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) and the provincial Species Conservation Act (SCA; previously Endangered Species Act [ESA]).

Samantha holds various certifications and has conducted numerous survey programs across diverse ecozones (from Caribou surveys in the boreal to Cascade Frog surveys in California's volcanic mountain range), presented research at national conferences and to municipal councils, and has been recognized for producing clear, rigorous work on some of Ontario's most complex ecological files.

Certified Arborist, ISA (ON-2260A)

Butternut Health Assessor, MECP

Ontario Wetland Evaluation System Certification, MNRF

Ecological Land Classification, MNRF

RX-100 Low Complexity Prescribed Burn Worker, MNRF