“I'm trained in relocating turtle nests and handling rattlesnakes,” said Sepi G., the Restoration Planning Lead at Metrolinx.

Sepi, who holds a degree in ecology and a postgraduate certificate in environmental management, has always loved spending time in nature. But it was not until she took an evolutionary biology course during her first year of university that she discovered a passion for ecology. “It was so interesting and unexpected, and it totally threw off what I thought was going to be my career path,” said Sepi.

Then, a tropical biology field course on a Malaysian island, taken during a semester abroad, helped cement her interest in the natural environment side of biology. “I find that type of ecosystem really fascinating,” said Sepi. “Islands generally have very unique flora and fauna…and the landscapes are usually varied and beautiful.” 

After graduation, she worked in environmental consulting, at an infrastructure consulting firm, and in species-at-risk habitat conservation with the Canadian Wildlife Service before getting a job at Metrolinx. “Luckily I've managed to have my career mostly focused on ecology,” said Sepi, noting she has held roles in both conservation and development.

In addition to having turtle nest relocation and rattlesnake handling training, she has experience doing vegetation surveys as well as bird, turtle and snake surveys, and using mist netting to identify and track bats. “I'm really lucky that I’ve been able to do lots of hands-on wildlife studies across various places in Ontario and experience our incredible biodiversity first hand” said Sepi.

Planning for the environment 

Today, Sepi is a valued member of our Restoration team, which supports minimization of the ecological impacts of our capital projects and the creation of replacement habitats. 

Founded in 2023 to implement Metrolinx’s vegetation guideline and manage our commitment to compensate for trees that are removed in the course of building transit, the team works to replace not only individual trees and shrubs but also impacted habitats and ecosystem functions.

The team also leads habitat compensation programs for species at risk and provides advice to project teams on how to follow the Metrolinx Vegetation Guideline and meet restoration commitments to Indigenous and local communities. The team’s work includes tree giveaway events to residents, as well as tree planting and habitat creation partnerships with local conservation authorities like the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Credit Valley Conservation.

Green days

As the Restoration Planning Lead, Sepi spends her office days providing advice and expertise to project teams, working on our restoration programs, and attending online and in-person meetings with Indigenous communities. There are also field days where she visits project sites, conducts habitat assessments, assists with tree giveaways, and even helps with tree identification. 

“The demands of building transit at the scale and rate that we're currently working at is very challenging, but at the same time it's really rewarding in a lot of ways,” said Sepi. 

She is very proud of the work that the Restoration team has done in updating Metrolinx’s Vegetation Guideline for 2025. “It’s been a huge group effort to integrate Indigenous community feedback and I’m hopeful that it will lead to even better quality restoration work.”  

It’s also a great feeling for her when the team receives positive feedback from Indigenous communities about the restoration and mitigation work that Metrolinx is doing. Other highlights include meeting community members during tree giveaways, and receiving monitoring reports indicating successful plantings and habitat compensation projects. 

“I honestly think I have the best job at Metrolinx,” said Sepi.