Dr. Ralph Billingsley - 2004 Biophilia Award

From an early age Ralph enjoyed nature, spending many hours in the fields, streams, and forests near McGregor, where he grew up and currently resides. He has planted most of the farmland where he lives in trees. A small forest, with many inhabitants, is beginning there. Ralph has a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Windsor and has practised for over 19 years at Windsor Regional Children's Centre assisting children, their families, and associated professionals. It was through this work, and raising he and his wife Marie-Jeanne's three children, that he realized the importance of practising and spreading the practise of, peaceful, non-violent parenting. He learned that corporal punishment was a major factor in the thousands of cases of confirmed incidents of physical abuse of children occurring in Canada each year– incidents where much of the time, hitting escalated through emotion.

Ralph joined this community's Child Abuse Prevention Council a few years ago in order to find like-minded individuals dedicated to ending the practise of corporal punishment. Ralph became chair of the Council's Education Committee, then a Board member, and then a member of the Executive of the Council.

He helped organize, with the excellent staff and members of the council, the annual "No-Spank Day" held each April 30 to involve our community in the importance of practising peaceful parenting. He continues to work with the Council to actively promote safe and positively-focussed parenting of children.

 

Rick Coronado - 2004 Biophilia Lifetime Service

If you work in a confined workplace the matter of what chemicals you are breathing and handling is vitally important, for they can kill. Rick Coronado saw a need and helped to initiate the CAW Local 444 Environment Committee and other environmental committees in other locals.

This began a lifetime fight for all of us on environmental matters. He found the Windsor & District Clean Water Alliance in 1985 which was located in Rick’s basement until 1989. In 1991 Rick lead the organization in broadening its mandate to include waste management, wetland and natural areas protection, environmental land use planning, energy use and the long-term implications of economic growth on the environment; and subsequently the organization’s name changed to the Citizens Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario.

Over the years the CEA has conducted many campaigns about air quality, about the state of the Detroit River, about pollutant inventories, and about recycling for smaller businesses and organizations. These excellent programs were noticed elsewhere on the continent. Rick has been consulted by national environmental bodies, and has been on the steering committee for the Canadian Environmental Network. He has also collaborated with US groups with similar aims. In short, he is known everywhere.

 

Linda Merle - 2004 Animal Angel Award

Linda comes from a long line of animal lovers. Ever since Linda can remember, her family has always brought in strays. It didn't matter what kind of animal it happened to be. Linda has been involved with cat rescue for over thirty years. Since moving to the Leamington area almost nine years ago Linda has fostered and found homes for the strays in the area. In October of 2002 after doing a barn sweep and bringing home over twenty kittens, her veterinarian asked Linda to help with the calls regarding abandoned kittens in the area. She estimates that she has helped over 700 hundred cats and kittens over the years. Her husband, George and her family are very supportive as well. Together they share the joys and the tears for all the fur-babies who pass our way.

 

Lise Masseau - Posthumous Recognition

Lise Masseau was a dedicated and caring feral cat caregiver. Like many compassionate people, she was misunderstood and attacked by others, who complained and obstructed her work. Unlike others, however, her situation had a tragic end. Finding some of her beloved cats poisoned, she apparently took her own life with the same agent used to kill the cats. She represents a person who had a love of life, and a love of other creatures, but whose very will to live was taken away by people with values completely different from hers. Jazzpurr Society for Animal Protection is in a unique position to help keep Lise’s spirit and her love of animals alive. Without doubt, her story is heartbreakingly sad. If this tragedy can teach people to treat one another in the spirit of biophilia, and can inspire people to become more compassionate to the animals with whom we share our world, then Lise Masseau’s love of life will again bloom.