The Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) is pleased to announce that Karen Kalynka, Master’s Candidate in the School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, is the 2015 recipient of the Stan Rowe ‘Home Place’ Graduate Award for the proposal entitled “Private, Non-State Conservation in a Changing Landscape: A Canadian Perspective”. Together with her research advisor, Dr. Jessica Dempsey, Assistant Professor at the School of Environmental Studies, Karen’s research will examine two aspects of this shifting terrain of Canadian conservation. First, she will examine how the shift in federal and provincial policies is linked to the increase of private, non-state approaches. Second, she will explore the nature of Conservation Land Trust Organizations (CLTOs). Karen was selected out of a field of nearly 20 applicants from across the country that had a diversity of interests in protected areas planning and management. The selection committee was impressed by the quality of her proposal and its potential application to protected areas management in Canada. Dr. Natalie Ban, School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria and Associated Director of the CCEA, will present Karen with her award when she returns to her studies in the Fall.

Dr. Stan Rowe was a founding member of the CCEA. Widely known for his book, Forest Regions of Canada, he gained special notoriety for his later writings on ethics and conservation, which demonstrate his intimate insight of ecology and the caring attitude that we need to adopt as environmental stewards. Dr. Rowe’s vision and leadership are a true inspiration for preserving wilderness in Canada. For more information on the Stan Rowe Home Place Award, please contact Dr. Chris Lemieux, Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University (clemieux@wlu.ca) or visit the CCEA website here.