WATERLOO, Ont. (Friday, April 20, 2012) - Parks are often perceived as pristine. In fact, researchers at the University of Waterloo and other institutions work hard to restore them and keep them sustainable. To continue that work, the Ontario government has extended for three years thefunding of a major initiative on parks and protected areas research led by the University of Waterloo.

The Ontario government has granted $75,000 in funding to the University of Waterloo to lead the Centre for Applied Science in Ontario Protected Areas (CASIOPA). CASIOPA is chaired by Professor Stephen Murphy, chair of Waterloo’s Department of Environment and Resource Studies. The funding is retroactive to 2011 and goes to 2014.

CASIOPA is a research consortium that also includes Parks Canada, the Office of the Environment Commissioner of Ontario, Lakehead University, York University, and Brock University. It facilitates applied science on more than 600 provincial parks, conservation reserves and other protected areas in Ontario.

“Waterloo is a research leader in Canada, and we welcome any opportunity to work with other institutions towards a goal that will benefit all of us,” said Dean André Roy of the Faculty of Environment.

The extended funding will help support parks-related research performed by wildlife and fisheries ecologists at the Faculty of Environment.

Research and workshops under CASIOPA have included economic valuation of protected areas, novel analyses for the ecological integrity of protected areas, and trans-boundary effects on protected areas.

“The financial support means we can run conferences and research workshops that are more effective at translating academic work into governance and on-the-ground action,” said Murphy.

“Through this funding, the Ontario government is building partnerships to enhance leading-edge, science-based management of parks and protected areas,” said Michael Gravelle, Minister of Natural Resources.

About Waterloo Environment

Waterloo is home to Canada’s oldest undergraduate Faculty of Environment and now offers a variety of programs at all levels. Its Environment and Business program is the highest-rated in Canada, according to Corporate Knights magazine. The School of Planning is the only one in Canada to offer programs at the bachelor's, master's and PhD levels, and the International Development program is the only one located in an environmental faculty. For more information, visit www.uwaterloo.ca/environment.

About the University of Waterloo

In just half a century, the University of Waterloo,located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada'sleading comprehensive universities with 34,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.

Media Contacts

Karen Kawawada
Communications Officer
Faculty of Environment
University of Waterloo
519.888.4567, ext. 38100
karen.kawawada@uwaterloo.ca

Pamela Smyth
Media Relations Officer
Communications & Public Affairs
University of Waterloo
519.888.4777
psmyth@uwaterloo.ca
www.newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca

Waterloo news release no. 31

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