NORTHERN SCIENCE AWARD RECIPIENT ANNOUNCED

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (November 24, 2004) - The Honourable Andy Scott, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, today announced that Dr. Charles J. Krebs is this year's recipient of the Northern Science Award. In a career spanning over 40 years, Dr. Krebs' classic experiments and new ideas have shaped the field of population and community ecology. Dr. Krebs will receive the Northern Science medal at a special ceremony in Ottawa today.

Dr. Krebs received his Ph. D from the University of British Columbia, for his study of lemming cycles at Baker Lake in the Northwest Territories. Dr. Krebs has continued his study of population and ecosystem process throughout his illustrious career, particularly in the Yukon. He has been awarded numerous awards and honours, both locally and throughout the world, including being appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Norwegian Academy of Arts and Sciences, made an Honorary Professor from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and awarded the C. Hart Merriam Award from the American Society of Mammalogists. Currently, Dr. Krebs is a professor at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Krebs has been influential in ensuring that the practitioners of ecology adopt and maintain a strongly quantitative approach to their discipline. Over the past 40 years Dr. Krebs has published 213 publications, 96 of which originate from his work in the North. He has published six books, including Ecology: the Experimental Analysis of Distribution and Abundance, a textbook used by educators world-wide and currently in its fifth print run; and Ecological Methodology, which makes complex quantitative techniques attainable for all ecologists. Dr. Krebs has also contributed to the future of his field by supervising 15 postdoctoral fellows and graduating 22 Ph.D. students and 18 M.Sc. students.

Throughout his career, Dr. Krebs has always been willing to provide his expertise and assistance to government and community initiatives related to science communication and resource management. He presented the results of his Kluane research at public meetings as part of the Yukon Science Institute Major Lecture Series, and has conducted studies in management and co-management development and priority-setting related to boreal forests. His advice is often sought and always respected.

Since 1984, the Northern Science Award has been given annually to a person or a group of indigenous people who, through their work in the sciences and indigenous knowledge, have made a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the Canadian North.

A four-member selection committee appointed by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development recommended Dr. Krebs for the award.

For more information, please contact:

Diane Laursen
Media Relations
Public Affairs and Ministerial Services
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
(819) 994-2044 (tel)
(819) 994-7223 (fax)
laursend@ainc-inac.gc.ca

Back to News Release Index