The Conservation Pioneer Award honours individuals who have contributed significantly to the conservation movement in Ontario. These prestigious awards are presented annually to deserving individuals at the A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium.
This award is designed to recognize individuals who have demonstrated life-long, outstanding contributions to the field of conservation. They are recognized for their innovation, leadership and dedication to the conservation field. Either through their personal activities and/or leadership, they have gone beyond the call of duty or responsibility to an employer, client or their community.
These individuals have helped to celebrate and inspire innovation in the conservation field and have made a difference in their area of expertise. Nominees have encouraged and motivated others to take similar leadership roles towards conservation work.
Nominations are reviewed and evaluated by a special sub-committee of the Latornell Steering Committee.
www.latornell.ca/pioneer
Paul Aird
Nominating Agency: Pembroke District -- Ministry of Natural Resources
During the first 22 years of Dr. Paul Aird's career, he served as a scientist in the pulp and paper industry where he actively promoted nature conservation. As his years in that industry progressed, he felt compelled to more widely share his views on conservation issues with the public. The subsequent 35 years of his career with the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto fulfilled his desire to create and promote an environmental dialogue amongst Canadians, and then some. Paul's scholarly and professional activities included research in policy analysis relating to forest conservation, forest policy and law, forest geography and history, conservation education, conservation history, as well as parks, wilderness and nature preservation.
One of Paul's best known achievements is his long-term contributions to the study of endangered bird species - specifically, the Kirtland's Warbler. He discovered the first Kirtland's Warbler in Ontario in 1977 and co-discovered the breeding territory of Kirtland's Warbler in 2006, which led to the first confirmed nesting record in Ontario and Canada in 2007. This discovery also led to the listing of this species under the Endangered Species Act of Ontario. Paul has been a member of the Canadian Recovery Team since its inception in 2005 and co-authored the 2006 Environment Canada Recovery Strategy for Kirtland's Warbler. For over 24 years, Paul has represented Ontario and Canada as a member on the U.S. Kirtland's Warbler Recovery Team. His decades of volunteer work towards conservation research, field work and studies related to Kirtland's Warbler has resulted in significant contributions towards the recovery of this globally rare bird in Ontario, Canada and North America.
He has worked in other areas of conservation as well throughout his career. He has contributed to numerous environmental entities including: Special Joint Committee on the Constitution of Canada, Sub-committee on Acid Rain, Standing Committee on Fisheries and Forestry, Ontario Royal Commission on the Northern Environment and also contributed significantly to the public debates that resulted in the establishment of Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights in 1993 and 1994. He has also served as a member of the Niagara Escarpment Commission.
Paul is committed to inspiring and mentoring young people. In addition to his accomplishments as a Professor, Paul's gift for writing and storytelling has led him to co-author a book on ecofables for children as well as author other publications on ecological fables and nature tales. These stories serve as a way to educate, inspire and motivate youth to make a personal contribution towards conservation in their lives.
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2010 Latornell Pioneer Stewart Hiltsby ADLatornell50 views
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