Émilie Desjardins

2021 Weston Family Awards in Northern Research recipient

PhD student
Université du Québec à Rimouski

Émilie is a PhD student in biology at Université du Québec à Rimouski. She is studying the structure and functioning of the polar desert ecosystem surrounding the Canadian Forces Station Alert (Ellesmere Island, Nunavut) to actively contribute to its conservation through a biodiversity management plan. Her research will provide a temporal baseline as well as information on vascular plant diversity and abundance, spatial distribution of vegetation communities, habitat use by wildlife, consequences of snowbank shrinkage on local biodiversity, and spread of non-native plant species.

It is her commitment to biodiversity conservation and a love for outdoor activities that were the impetus to pursue postgraduate studies in conservation of the Arctic ecosystem.

Learn more about the Weston Family Awards in Northern Research.