Carleton Geography Professor Chris Burn has been awarded the first Yukon North Slope Conservation Award by the Wildlife Management Advisory Council for North Slope. The award was established by the council this year to recognize outstanding contributions by individuals and organizations toward the conservation of wildlife, habitat and traditional Inuvialuit use on the Yukon North Slope.
The council recognized Burn’s effort to examine the impact of climate change on the permafrost terrain of Herschel Island and his close working relationship with Inuvialuit communities and their involvement in his research.
Burn was also recognized for his work in writing, editing and producing of the book Herschel Island Qikiqtaryuk: a natural and cultural history of Yukon’s Arctic Island. The book organized the diverse contributions of 41 authors, more than half of whom live in northern Canada.
“Burn has created a wonderful book that will greatly enhance our understanding of the natural and social environment at Qikiqtaryuk,” said Lindsay Staples, chair of the council.
The award will be presented on Oct. 3, 2012 at the 2012 Yukon North Slope Conference in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Burn has been a part of Carleton’s Department of Geography and Environmental Studies since 1992. His research centres on the impact of climate change on permafrost terrain. He has been studying frozen ground for nearly 30 years and has an immense amount of experience conducting research in Canada’s North. For the past three decades, Burn has been dividing his time between central Yukon and the western Arctic. He holds the NSERC Northern Research Chair.
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For more information:
Chris Cline
Media Relations Co-ordinator
Carleton University
613-520-2600, ext. 1391
christopher_cline@carleton.ca