These days, Kathy St. Laurent works for the Canadian Wildlife Service and is based in Sackville New Brunswick. But back in 2001, she was at the University of Alberta studying breeding birds in the boreal forest. Her work was impressive enough then to earn her the ACTWS’ Ian Ross Memorial scholarship for her undergraduate studies. And her work has been impressive ever since.
Kathy has followed her passion for protecting threatened and endangered around the world. Starting in the jungles of Borneo to help endangered orangutans, to the forests of the Cook Islands where the plight of the Raratongan Flycatcher captured her attention then back to the Canadian prairies, studying Burrowing Owls and Loggerhead Shrikes.
Kathy has returned home, now focusing her efforts on protecting eastern Canada’s species at risk; working on the recovery of Piping Plovers, Red Crossbill, limestone barrens endemics and bats. Not surprisingly, Kathy was out of the country when her Ross scholarship was awarded in Banff. And although she was not there to receive her award in person, she told us that she has always appreciated the Chapter’s recognition. We are, in turn, grateful for her contributions to the field.
