A researcher and professor at the University of Northern British Columbia is joining a national initiative designed to bolster nature conservation efforts.

Dr. Pamela Wright, an associate professor in UNBC’s Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management and Ecosystem Science and Management Programs, was named to Nature Canada’s Women for Nature initiative. Part of the initiative involves the creation of a network of influential women across Canada whose experiences with, knowledge of, and passion for nature will help efforts to save and protect wildlife and nature while inspiring future leaders.

 Dr. Pamela Wright at right with NRES Masters student, Tim Burkhart. Download high resolution image. 

“I enjoy teaching, especially engaging students actively in the outdoors,” explains Wright. “Students are incredibly inspiring. They are passionate about conservation even if they don’t yet know the detailed questions to ask, or how to mobilize their passion. Whether it’s a two-week field course in the Northern Rockies by horseback, a class project to analyze the ecological boundaries of a proposed park, or guest lectures by Canadian conservation leaders, finding ways to engage students in the science and practice of conservation is incredibly rewarding.”

Conservation is the underlying theme of Wright’s research and teaching at UNBC, and she has worked on a wide range of projects:

• Developing and implementing a long-term ecological change monitoring program with BC Parks.
• Working on ecological integrity management challenges in national parks.
• Organizing the BC biannual research forum on protected areas.
• Investigating approaches to connect northerners to nature.

Women for Nature was launched during an event on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, hosted by Senators Janis Johnson and Nancy Green Raine, and Members of Parliament Stella Ambler, Linda Duncan, Joyce Murray, Kirsty Duncan and Elizabeth May. The initiative celebrates the efforts of women making a difference for nature – in parallel to the initiative of Mabel Frances Whittemore, whose work led to the founding of Nature Canada in 1939. 

“This is an opportunity to celebrate a diverse group of accomplished Canadian women who have chosen to join Nature Canada in championing nature conservation,” said Ian Davidson, Nature Canada’s Executive Director. Davidson continued, “These women are a driving force in Canadian society and they are at the heart of our efforts to engage and empower Canadians to advocate for nature, save species and protect habitats and connect children to nature.”

Nature Canada represents a network of 45,000 members and supporters and more than 350 nature organizations across the country, with affiliates in every province. Over the past 75 years, Nature Canada has helped protect more than 63 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species that depend on this habitat as well as engage hundreds of thousands of Canadians in nature through its activities.

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