Our Team
The Deep Blue Cleanup is a team of passionate environmentalists working together to decrease plastic pollution in
Canadian waters and to educate as many individuals about the world’s largest environmental issue.
Melanie Abdelnour, Founder
Melanie currently works as a grade 4/5 teacher with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. Having worked as a teacher, in the public school system for almost 15 years (Wow- time has flown!), and in Japan for one year of ESL, Melanie has gained experience in the dynamic field of Education. She enjoys yoga, and being in and around the water, whether it be frozen or in liquid form, since she’s living in Canada! This means that Melanie enjoys cross-country skiing on the Ottawa River, behind her house, and snowboarding up in the Laurentiens every chance she gets. She felt there was no better way to combine her passions than working on a project which aimed to teach others about the critical plastic pollution problem we are now facing, and the solutions available to improve our future. Currently, Melanie is directing this project, and she's focused on hiring volunteers, organizing cleanups, mentoring new teachers, and deploying Seabins.
Shaun Forrest, Executive Director
Dr. Shaun Forrest completed his PhD in plastic and microplastic pollution focusing on Canadian freshwater systems. His academic background has instilled his passion towards environmental stewardship, recognising plastic pollution as one of the major challenges currently facing our environmental ecosystems. Shaun has also completed a Masters in water resource management at Heriot-Watt university, Dubai campus and has an MSc and B.A. (hons) from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.
Kelsey Baarda, Social Media Manager
Kelsey is a recent grad from Simon Fraser University in BC where she got her degree in Business with a focus in Corporate Environment and Social Sustainability. She currently works as a Project Coordinator in the Maritime Navigation Industry. Her love of all things outdoors drew her to Deep Blue cleanup where she is able to share her enthusiasm and appreciation for nature through content creation. Kelsey takes inspiration from her natural surroundings while creating informative and educational content to help inspire others to better take care of our environments.
Benjamin Smith, Graphic Designer
Growing up in the Peak District National Park in the UK, Benj’s love for the environment began at an early age through hiking with his family. He moved to Canada in 2018 to explore the incredible natural landscapes of British Columbia, where he spends much of his time hiking, camping, and in the winter months, snowboarding. Benj has over 5 years of industry experience across branding and advertising, and a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from the University of Central Lancashire. He believes in using his skills as a designer with Deep Blue Cleanup to help tackle the global environmental crisis.
Check out who’s on our Board of Directors here.
Want to join our team? Check out our list of open volunteer positions here!
Samara Bhimji joins Deep Blue Cleanup as an Ocean Bridge Ambassador working on expanding our trash trapping program. Born in Toronto, Canada she grew up in Kampala, Uganda where she developed her passion for and dedication to humanitarian and sustainability work from a young age. She is a passionate environmentalist with over nine years of diverse experience in both the public and non-profit sector, combined with several international work experiences. She holds a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh, and a Honours Bachelors in International Development from the University of Ottawa.
Her work experience internationally in sustainable agriculture, climate change adaptation, and food security focused in East Africa (Rwanda and Tanzania), and in Canada includes environmental research, policy development, program management & delivery, and climate action.
She currently works for the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat and across the Aga Khan Development Network supporting the implementation of environment and climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives. In her personal time, she enjoys long hikes, yoga, cooking, reading and travelling extensively.