The Way we Work Shapes the Outcomes we Create
Cornice was founded in 2013 by environmental professionals who brought decades of experience from day one.
We built Cornice around a simple belief: strong environmental work requires more than technical expertise. It requires experienced leadership, practical judgment, clear structure, and people who care about the teams and the projects.
That belief continues to shape every project, partnership, and person we support.
Built to Connect the Work.
Environmental decisions do not happen in isolation.
They affect design, construction, regulatory pathways, project risk, schedules, budgets, and the people responsible for delivery.
Cornice works between those pieces—connecting technical knowledge with project context and helping teams turn complexity into a clear, coordinated path forward.
Our roots are technical. Our role is integrated.
What is in our DNA
We bring CLARITY
Projects perform better when people understand the priorities, responsibilities, decisions, and next steps.
We stay CONNECTED
Senior leadership remains actively involved in the work. We do not separate strategy from execution or technical decisions from field reality.
We use PRACTICAL judgment
The best answer is not always the most complicated one. We focus on what the project requires and develop recommendations that are technically sound, defensible, and usable.
We INVEST in people
Strong projects are built by capable people. We create opportunities for mentorship, applied learning, increasing responsibility, and professional growth.
We work better TOGETHER
We believe collaboration strengthens ideas and improves delivery. We share knowledge, welcome different perspectives, and bring the right expertise into the work at the right time.
The People Behind the Projects
We are a growing environmental team led by experienced industry professionals and
strengthened by a trusted network of specialists.
Our senior leaders remain actively involved in the work while creating meaningful opportunities for other professionals to develop expertise, judgment, and responsibility within Cornice.
Jim Trask, RPBio, PBiol, CPESC
Principal & Senior Ecologist | Founder-OwnerConnect: LinkedIn
“After 30 years in this field, I’ve learned that good environmental work doesn’t need to be flashy. It needs to be honest, grounded, and done well the first time.”
Jim provides senior ecological leadership grounded in more than 30 years of environmental consulting across Canada.
His experience spans fisheries and aquatic systems, wildlife, vegetation, habitat assessment, restoration, permitting, and construction-phase environmental support. He is known for calm judgment, scientific rigour, and the ability to translate complex ecological and regulatory requirements into practical recommendations.
At Cornice, Jim leads Technical & Regulatory Support and Training & Capability Building, and remains closely involved in study design, field execution, technical decisions, senior review, and the development of emerging environmental professionals.
Areas of focus:
Fisheries and aquatic systems · Habitat and restoration · Permitting · Senior technical review · Technical training
Robyn Black, RPBio, PBiol
Director, Operations & Corporate Strategy | OwnerConnect: LinkedIn
“It’s never just about delivering environmental work. We build systems, support people, and help projects move through complexity with clarity and confidence. That’s where the real impact happens.”
Robyn works at the intersection of environmental strategy, project delivery, and business operations.
With more than 25 years of environmental consulting experience, she helps clients and project teams translate regulatory requirements, technical inputs, and delivery priorities into clear responsibilities, decision pathways, and practical systems. Her early field experience across aquatic, terrestrial, fisheries, and wildlife programs continues to inform her project judgment and integrated approach.
At Cornice, Robyn leads Project Control, Regulatory Strategy, client delivery, and the operational systems that support consistent execution.
Areas of focus:
Project Control · Regulatory strategy · Operations and systems · Team development
Natalie Paddock, BSc., BIT
Connect: LinkedIn
Natalie supports Cornice’s aquatic and terrestrial field programs, environmental monitoring, data analysis, technical reporting, and project coordination.
Since joining Cornice in 2025, she has built practical experience through active project delivery and senior mentorship. Her role continues to expand across field and office assignments, with a focus on technical consistency, sound documentation, and understanding how environmental information supports broader project decisions.
Areas of focus:
Field assessment · Environmental monitoring ·
Technical reporting · Project coordination
Staff Biologist
Different Strengths. One Direction.
Cornice brings together strategic, operational, regulatory, technical, and field expertise within one connected team.
Each person contributes a different perspective and level of experience, while senior leadership provides the direction, review, and support needed to maintain quality across the work.
This allows us to see both the technical detail and the larger delivery picture—keeping people, decisions, responsibilities, and execution connected.
Building the Next Generation
We are committed to developing future leaders through mentorship, practical experience, and opportunities to grow alongside experienced professionals.
The future of the industry depends on capable people who are confident, curious, and committed to continuous learning.
A connected delivery model
Cornice combines an internal environmental team with trusted associates and specialist consultants.
This gives us access to discipline-specific expertise without separating technical contributions from project leadership. We match expertise to project requirements, define each role within the delivery structure, and maintain senior oversight across scope, decisions, and quality.
The model allows Cornice to expand deliberately while keeping leadership connected and accountability clear.
What clients and collaborators experience.
Different projects require different kinds of support. These are some of the qualities our clients and collaborators consistently value.
