Roland Michener Conservation Award

→ Professor of biology and animal ecology, Université du Québec à Rimouski

→ Chair of the Gaspésie Woodland Caribou Recovery Team

→ Member of the external scientific advisory committee on conservation, Société des établissements de plein air du Québec

→ Former member of the COSEWIC species specialist subcommittee on terrestrial mammals

Since 2008, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent has led a research program on the impacts of natural disturbances and human disruptions on large mammal habitats and ecology. His research work, anchored in the forests of Quebec, focuses on the responses to habitat alteration and climate change of the Gaspé Peninsula’s two ecotypes of caribou, their competitors (moose, deer) and their predators (wolf, bear and coyote).

As a leader in wildlife management and conservation research for the past 17 years, his life’s work has been developing and guiding important conservation projects while working in close collaboration with First Nations representatives, government biologists and NGO conservationists.

Martin-Hugues has inspired many young biologists during his career, educating and mentoring innumerable graduate, doctoral and postdoctoral candidates. He has created a stable, safe and stimulating training environment, inspired by the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. Guided too by the practical realities of network building and engaging in conservation (and future employment prospects), he strives to connect his students with real-world partners, including local Indigenous Peoples, industry members, working conservationists and government officials. He places a strong emphasis at the undergraduate level on the recruitment of first-generation students and is willing to adapt projects to their abilities and needs.

I grew up in Rimouski, a small town in eastern Quebec, and I spent many wonderful moments on the shores of the St. Lawrence River. I loved exploring the sandbanks with my grandparents, catching all sorts of invertebrates and small fish and beginning to understand how they live. My father often took me to the woods, where I learned about trees, birds and mammals. In short, my connection to wildlife stems from my roots in a small town surrounded by diverse natural habitats and from a deep curiosity ingrained in me to always learn more. Since then, I’ve studied biology and spent many summers (and winters!) in the field collecting data - living in nature throughout the seasons and sometimes harsh weather.

I love challenging myself to understand the complex mechanisms that link animal species to their environment. I am driven especially to identify solutions to supporting the sound management, recovery and conservation of mammals, so many of which hold a special place in Canada’s natural heritage. A career in conservation science is rewarding but can also be frustrating and exhausting.

But we cannot give up. We must keep working to offer our science-based alternatives and solutions as we rethink our relationship with nature.

Today, more than ever, nature, wildlife and the environment need us to survive. Through our efforts to better understand the living world, we are working to unravel the mechanisms driving biodiversity loss and to identify plausible solutions to reverse these losses in order to protect the world’s rich and fragile natural heritage.

Established in 1978 by the Canadian Wildlife Federation as a tribute to the former governor general and avid outdoorsperson who also served as honorary president of the CWF, this award honours those who promote, enhance and further the conservation of Canada’s natural resources.