Parks Canada’s Jesse Whittington has been given a prestigious national award for his ongoing commitment to fostering a culture of conservation for national parks.
Whittington has excelled in a variety of different roles over the last 20 years with Parks Canada, starting as a wildlife project volunteer and now a cutting-edge wildlife research scientist.
In handing him the CEO Award of Excellence, Parks Canada officials say Whittington exhibits both a tireless work ethic and boundless energy. He is a great mentor and motivator to those that report directly to him, work alongside him, or simply benefit by his affable presence in the office environment.
“The contribution he makes to wildlife science within Parks Canada is tremendous,” said Steve Michel, one of his Parks Canada co-workers in Banff National Park.
“He also has a tremendous work ethic. He’s often doing this stuff in the wee hours of the early morning while most of us are still trying to catch a bit of shuteye.”
Whittington is known for his work on caribou population viability models for the national parks, as well as his leading edge analysis on a variety of wildlife data.
He co-ordinates and develops research and monitoring programs with high levels of scientific rigour, including looking at interactions between wolves and caribou and how to conserve caribou in the mountains parks.
The biologist spends a lot of time looking at the effects of human activities on wildlife and is also heading up a remote camera study looking at the fascinating lives of wildlife in a bid to ensure their long-term protection.
A humble Whittington said he is honoured to have received the award from Parks Canada.
“It’s always nice to be recognized, but I really just feel fortunate to work in Banff National Park,” he said.
Whittington said Banff National Park has a lengthy history of being a world leader in applied management and research, and he hopes that tradition can continue.
“You think of people like Mike Gibeau, Cliff White, Ian Pengelly, Tom Hurd and Charlie Pacas – they really put Banff on the map in terms of the science they did,” he said. “I just hope I can continue in their footsteps.”
