Congratulations to long-time MLF Board member Rob Keen on receiving the distinguished Forests Ontario Award recognizing his decades of leadership in forest conservation and education! An honour well-deserved.

More from Forests Ontario:

The Forests Ontario Award | Rob Keen: The Forests Ontario Award is presented to individuals for outstanding achievements in, and contributions to, the field of forestry education in Canada and beyond.

Rob is from Huntsville, Ontario and is a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) who for over 20 years led Forests Ontario to being the success it is today. In 2011, Rob assumed the role of CEO of Trees Ontario and in 2014, after coordinating the merger of the Ontario Forestry Association and Trees Ontario, continued the role of CEO of the newly formed Forests Ontario until 2023.

Rob played an instrumental role in supporting the planting of over 43 million trees across Canada by establishing a full-service tree planting model from seed to nursery to planting partner and maintenance, and ensuring the work being done across the landscape delivered high-quality results. In 2023, after stepping down from Forests Ontario, Rob was hired to establish the Canadian Tree Nursery Association, which currently supports 54 nurseries that grow over 630 million native seedlings annually.

Over his 40-year career in forestry, Rob has been involved in many facets of the forestry industry, including providing forestry services to landowners, developing forest management plans, conducting wood supply and feasibility studies, and participating in forest audits.