The Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) is pleased to announce that Chloée Labonté, a Master of Science student at the Watershed Stewardship Research Collaborative of Carleton University’s Department of Biology, is the recipient of the 2026 Stan Rowe Home Place Award for her research proposal on identifying freshwater critical habitat to protect in light of Canada’s intent to expand the current protected area network.

Under the supervision of Professor Dalal Hanna, Chloée is exploring the lack of overlap between existing protected areas and the critical habitat of freshwater species at risk in Canada. During her research, she plans to identify spatial and taxonomic protection gaps that should be pursued as new protected and conserved areas are being contemplated and created. 

The CCEA Awards Committee was attracted by the quality of Chloée’s proposal and its potential application to the growing network of protected and conserved areas in Canada. The committee was especially impressed by the emphasis on an area of conservation that is not always top of mind in the creation of new protected and conserved ecological areas. 

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 conserving nature in Canada.