CanaDIANA UnlimiTED was started by Diana Brushey and Ted Whitmell twenty years ago with the aim of providing quality, innovative, and fun eco-education and custom programming for all ages. The idea came after Elizabeth May saw us offering free nature education and eco-activities in a park as volunteers promoting a new environmental camp; she suggested we create our own organization and invited us to do “Kids and the Planet” children’s programming at an upcoming national conference. As co-directors, Diana and Ted brought skills and experience in science instruction, music, art, and drama workshop facilitation, literacy programming, and environmental education. Diana’s later teaching degree and Ted’s interest in game development made for well-received activity programming.
“Environmental Education, Arts & Literacy Promotion, and Childcare Extraordinaire!” was our original motto, with programs designed to model and teach respect for ourselves, each other, and our environment.
Over the years we have designed and delivered a variety of programming for diverse audiences, sometimes under the CanaDiana UnlimiTed name, and sometimes through independent contracts or collaborative partnerships.
These included projects such as:
- outreach programs about Canadian nature for newcomers,
- free activity booths on nature and ecology across the National Capital Region,
- classroom presentations for pre-K to high school ages,
- eco-camp curriculum design,
- youth mentorship and staff training for nature camps,
- environmental education integration training and support for teacher candidates in B. Ed. studies,
- customized childcare programs for conferences,
- eco-spiritual retreat templates, and
- eco-education consulting.
We have also facilitated workshops on specific topics, such as drama electives, Pysanky (Ukrainian Easter egg design), and Nature Nights for families on space, birds, geology, and more.
Ted did some Green Tech learning and now works in the tech sector but still does some volunteering as advisor or tech support for small groups; Diana took on leadership roles in several eNGOs (environmental Non-Governmental Organizations), in positions such as Coordinator, Executive Director, and Board Member.
Fast forward to today; CanaDiana UnlimiTed is now incorporated as a non-profit, with the aim of promoting and presenting quality interdisciplinary educational activities. The values remain: to act with respect, to work in collaboration, and to model the care we hope to inspire — for ourselves, each other, and our environment.