SYMPOSIUM 2025 - WORKSHOP SCHEDULE - Centre de la science de la biodiversité du Québec / Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science

Monday, February 24, 2025

TIME		ACTIVITIES
AM	8:30	Registration
	8:45
	9:00	Opening Remarks + General Introduction QCBS
	9:15
	9:30	Science Supporting the 2023 Nature Plan to Achieve Conservation and Restoration Targets Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP)
	9:45
	10:00	Coffee Break (15′)
	10:15	Prioritization	Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) Chloé Debyser, WCS
	10:30		Conservation and Restoration Strategies for Green Spaces Based on Ecosystem Service Needs: A Case Study with Natural Remnants and Vacant Lots in Urban Areas Poliana Mendez, Université Laval
	10:45		Participatory Mapping and Tools to Foster Conservation Engagement Marie-Lyne Després-Einspenner, Éco-Corridors laurentiens
	11:00	Coffee Break (15′)
	11:15	Monitoring and Implementation	Environmental Monitoring and Conservation: The Importance of Choices Marc-André Villard, SEPAQ
	11:30		Apply knowledge of evolutionary ecology to ex-situ conservation and reintroduction programs Denis Réale, UQAM
	11:45		TBD Ian Brettel, Restor
PM	12:00	Mentimeter
	12:15	Lunch
	13:15	Theme TBD	Partnerships in Support of Conservation Pascal Côté, Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC)
	13:45		Data Science in Support of Conservation: The Perspective of Biodiversity Quebec Dominique Gravel, Biodiversité Québec
	14:00		Partnerships in Support of Ecological Restoration of Wetlands Monique Poulin, Université Laval
	14:30	World Café
	16:00	Synthesis and Closing
	16:15	Cocktail

Speakers

Marie-Lyne Després-Einspenner – 10:45 AM

Marie-Lyne holds a B.Sc. in Biology, Wildlife, and Habitat Management from the Université du Québec à Rimouski and a Master’s in Environmental Sciences from the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Since 2010, she has worked in research, project management for the conservation of natural environments, and ecological connectivity. Her career has taken her to Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Germany, and Quebec. Among her achievements are conducting numerous botanical and wildlife surveys, designing and drafting conservation plans based on the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, modeling and validating ecological corridors, raising awareness, fostering collaboration among local stakeholders, and engaging with private landowners.

Marc-André Villard – 11:15 AM

After working as a professor-researcher in biology at the Université de Moncton and Mount Allison University, Marc-André joined Sépaq as a biologist at its headquarters in Quebec City. He supports national park teams in various knowledge acquisition and wildlife or flora monitoring initiatives. Additionally, he coordinates research partnerships with universities to address more complex conservation challenges.

Marina Duerte – 11:45 AM

Marina has over 15 years of experience in ecological restoration, combining academic expertise and practical applications. A biology graduate, she holds a Master’s and a PhD in Forest Resources from the University of São Paulo, with research also conducted at McGill University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama). Her career spans consulting, working for government agencies, teaching Plant Ecology at the University of São Paulo, and extensive work in ecological restoration. Since 2021, she has served as the Regional Engagement Lead for Brazil at Restor, a global platform driving the restoration movement.

Pascal Côté – 1:30 PM

Pascal Côté is the Interim Director of the Strategic Conservation and Innovation Team at Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC) for the Quebec region. Since joining NCC in 2021, he has overseen the development of conservation plans and coordinated two atlases aimed at identifying natural areas of interest for conservation.

He also collaborates with researchers to implement research projects on NCC properties. Pascal is a trained biologist and holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences with a specialization in forest management.

Dominique Gravel – 1:45 PM

Co-founder of Biodiversité Québec. Uses ecological theory to study the complex interaction between species distribution, community structure and ecosystem functioning in different ecosystems, from bacteria to forests.

Monique Poulin – 2:00 PM

Monique Poulin holds a doctorate in plant biology and is a full professor in the department of phytology in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at Laval University. Her research aims to understand the patterns of species diversity in natural, disturbed and restored environments as well as the mechanisms governing the structuring of plant communities. She focuses her research mainly on wetlands and riparian environments, both in the boreal zone and in agricultural and urban environments. Finally, she is interested in the conservation of natural ecosystems and reserve selection processes. She is a regular member of the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science (QCBS).

SYMPOSIUM 2025 – WORKSHOP SCHEDULE