Laurier invites researchers to access recently donated archival materials from the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas

Dec. 8, 2023

Wilfrid Laurier University is excited to add the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) historical records to its Archives and Special Collections, providing a resource for researchers interested in biodiversity conservation. 

Generously donated by the CCEA, the historical records include meeting minutes, strategic plans, research reports and other organizational correspondence dating from 1971 to 2023, with an agreement to continue housing new documents as they are created.  

“One of the strengths of our archives is our collection on the environmental conservation movement in Canada, so this material is a really good fit,” says Amanda Oliver, department head, Laurier Archives and Special Collections.  

Oliver hopes that researchers, non-profit organizations and other individuals and groups will utilize the records to continue their work surrounding environmental conservation in Canada.  

“The Canadian Council on Ecological Areas has been a leader in biodiversity conservation, particularly with respect to protected areas planning and management, for over 40 years,” says Christopher Lemieux, associate professor of Geography and a CCEA board member who was instrumental in securing the donation of the records. “To this day, the CCEA continues to bring together experts to foster understanding of contemporary conservation challenges, including pressing issues such as climate change.” 

The CCEA’s mission is to support the establishment and management of a network of ecological areas to represent and conserve the natural diversity of Canada’s terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems for the benefit of all Canadians. 

Interested individuals can access the CCEA collection through the Laurier Archives and Special Collections website or by emailing libarch@wlu.ca.