La Direction du patrimoine écologique et des parcs du ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs du Québec, this year’s recipient of the Gold Leaf Award from the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas.

La Direction du patrimoine écologique et des parcs du ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs du Québec has received the 2009 Gold Leaf Award at the latest CCEA Symposium, held in Ottawa on November 4-6. This year, the theme was Marine Protected Areas : bridging the Gap Between Terrestrial and Marine Networks. This prize was awarded in the ‘’Government’’ category for its exceptional contribution in increasing the Québec network of protected areas and for its commitment to voluntary conservation.

This award acknowledges the contribution of all employees of the ‘’Direction’’ who have, through determination and rigor, redrawn the Nature Conservation map in Quebec in the last few years, resulting in a vast protected areas network. The expertise in the Direction du patrimoine écologique et des parcs for the protection of Nature is already well recognized in the Province of Quebec. This Canadian Council on Ecological Areas’ Gold Leaf Award now establishes this recognition among the biodiversity conservation community in all of Canada.

Mr. Jacques Perron, registrar of protected areas in this organization, has accepted this award on behalf of all staff in the Direction du patrimoine écologique et des parcs.

The Canadian Council on Ecological Areas’s Gold Leaf Awards acknowledge the contribution of individuals, industry, universities, programs or groups. These awards notably highlight those actions which focus on the establishment of a network of protected areas which is representative of ecosystems and landscapes diversity for the whole country, as well as the type of contributions which are necessary to attain, encourage and guide the establishment of a comprehensive network of protected areas for all of Canada.