Where I’m Coming From
I grew up with nature at my doorstep. I come from a family of biologists, horticulturalists, bird watchers and good-doers. As a kid, having fun was about getting outside, and that hasn’t changed too much. But I was also instilled with the sense that we should try to help out all the creatures that are affected by us, and that we should do what we can to preserve beautiful landscapes for future generations. Today, my parents work to protect sensitive lands and build sustainable communities in Eastern Ontario’s Frontenac Arch region, and I’m immensely proud of their efforts – not to mention the results.
I’m a sailor, so I love wind power! That’s my little red boat in the Thousand Islands.
I live in Toronto now, which can feel isolated from the natural world, but even here, whether I get the chance to help out on a tree planting project along the Don River or I’m spying on the birds at my backyard feeder, I can see that nature is trying to make a go of it, no matter how many parking lots we pave.
Work Life
I’m very lucky to work at one of Canada’s best magazines. Homemakers magazine and Homemakers.com are all about helping Canadian women live healthier, more fulfilling lives. What isn’t great about that!? And an important element of living a healthy life is living a greener life – the two go hand in hand.
I’ve also worked at Canadian Home Workshop magazine and a personal finance magazine, and I’m involved with industry associations such as Magazines Canada and the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, since there is a great community of people who work in this field.
I started working in magazines because I wanted a career that lets me contribute to the world in a helpful way. Canadians are so passionate about their magazines, and that interest lets us editors explore the things that you want to see happen. So that’s why I thought I’d start some conversations here about the environment – it’s what many readers want to talk about – with us, and with each other. Hopefully here we can chat about how to live a little lighter, celebrate the good things we see happening, and together make some change.
– Jessica Ross
