Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Conservation and natural resources management occur at the intersection of complex natural and social systems. Those concepts have traditionally been dominated by knowledge informed mostly by natural sciences (e.g., ecology). However, implementing solutions and plans requires social sciences because we deal with people and society. The CRC in socio-ecology of conservation, fish and wildlife management will develop new tools and knowledge to understand how human and nature interact to improve conservation and better manage our natural resources. The research program of the CRC is divided into three complementary axes aimed at incrementally increasing our understanding of the complex interactions between human and nature: 1) develop innovative socio-ecological tools and approaches in conservation, 2) include socio-ecological complexity in natural resources management, 3) examine the interactions between environmental justice, resources, and land management. For the three proposed research axes, the approach will be transdisciplinary (i.e., multi-disciplinary with the inclusion of non-academic stakeholders in the process of knowledge production) and diversified by including sophisticated theoretical and statistical modelling and the use of experiential knowledge and many innovative participatory tools. In addition to generating new conceptual frameworks and tools to improve social marketing and awareness among the community to target conservation efforts in Canada, the CRC will also make important contributions to the understanding of factors that confer resilience to fish and wildlife management, and to the reconciliation efforts with Indigenous People by considering their values and beliefs in management and land use planning.