The Cast

When Sénéchal isn’t hosting and narrating the Hinterland Who’s Who (HWW) television vignettes, he works for the National Capital Commission as interpretation, information and marketing manager in Gatineau Park. He also spent more than 14 years at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa.

“I’m very lucky to be working in an environment where the audience is already interested in wildlife,” says Sénéchal. He particularly enjoys the variety of work he does with HWW. “I get to gain some great experiences while educating people about nature.”

For actor Bihui Zhou, playing the role of Jenny in the Hinterland Who's WhoTube webisodes gave her the chance to build acting experience and learn more about wildlife.

"Being involved in this project has been a fun way to learn about wildlife and the environment. It's been very educational for me."

From discovering how to pick up a snapping turtle properly to laughing while crew members attempted to get a dog and a skunk to cooperate with each other, Bihui had a great time filming the webisodes, especially "Get Out."

"In 'Get Out' we encountered the most wildlife, including a salamander and a groundhog. And there was the star-gazing scene, which was the part I enjoyed the most out of the whole trip. You definitely can't see the stars like that in the city."

When not acting, you can find Bihui swimming, drawing or working as an assistant teacher on the weekends. Her love for wildlife has also prompted her to consider pursuing a veterinary career.

Jared Kelly is 11 years old and from Ottawa. He has always enjoyed animals despite allergies to “hairy” creatures. An avid reader, Jared has considerable knowledge for his age—including knowing a good deal about wildlife and pets.

Living as a volunteer at Waupoos Farm (www.waupoos.com) gave Jared even more of an appreciation for animals. Here, he helped take care of rabbits, sheep, horses, cows, chickens, ducks and goats. Of course, he was also fond of the many kittens born on the property.

The Hinterland Who’s Who Biodiversity webisode was Jared’s first foray into acting, and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Having the opportunity to be close to wild animals, Jared was in his element.

Jared is looking forward to being part of future Hinterland episodes. He sees himself working with animals as an adult.

Sacha loves acting and has previously been involved in both school and community plays. He was thrilled to be invited to participate in the making of his very first webisode with 'Hinterland's Who's Who. Sacha enjoys both nature and the outdoors which made doing the webisode Discover Biodiversity a perfect fit.

Sacha particularly liked doing the outdoor scenes at the Muskoka Wildlife Centre. He was impressed by the beautiful natural settings for the animals. He was also suprised by the size of the toad that he was asked to hold during one of the scenes. Sacha is very grateful for working with such an amazing cast and crew.

Sacha goes to school in Gatineau, Quebec, and is currently in Grade 6. Besides acting, he has many other interests, such as soccer, tae kwon do, piano, reading (he's a big Harry Potter fan) and chess. He hopes to be a very famous actor one day.

Chanel Mings was born in Alliston, Ontario. Her mother is French Canadian and her grandfather is originally from Barbados. For as long as she could remember, her dad has taken her and her two sisters and brother on wilderness adventures for rock climbing and kayaking. She really loves to see and learn about the animals and their natural habitat.

Doing the webisodes for Hinterland Who's Who, Chanel got the chance to go to The Muskoka Wildlife Centre, where she enjoyed seeing all the different sorts of animals. To her surprise, she enjoyed holding a friendly snake that lives at the Centre.

Chanel had many dance and gymnastic lessons when she was younger and is now cheering for De La Salle, her high school. She moved to Ottawa five years ago from Barrie, Ontario. Every summer she continues to go rock climbing with her father.

Woodrow and his sister Millie were acquired after their parents were trapped for being nuisance animals. Since they were hand-raised, they are unable to be returned to the wild.

Sadly, Woodrow suffered additional injuries, including a fractured skull. Although the fracture did heal, it caused him to have a massive overbite. With the help of a wonderful wildlife dental surgeon, Woodrow's caregivers were able to remove his teeth. Even though he will never be able to gnaw through poplars again, he will be able to live a long, healthy life and help to educate countless people about our national animal.