Our Mission
Providing the scientific basis for effective conservation action, NatureServe Canada and its network of provincial and Territorial Conservation Data Centres are the trusted source for information about rare and endangered species and threatened ecosystems.
NatureServe Canada provides scientific information about Canada’s species and ecosystems to help guide effective conservation action and natural resource management. A part of the international NatureServe Network, it is the leading source in Canada for reliable information and analysis on the distribution and conservation status of Canada’s plants, animals, and ecological communities.
NatureServe Canada is a registered charity that functions as a network of provincial and territorial Conservation Data Centres (CDCs) to develop, manage and distribute authoritative information critical to the conservation of Canada’s biodiversity. Data held by NatureServe Canada are widely used by federal and provincial agencies, private industry, researchers and conservation organizations to improve the management, use and conservation of biological resources in Canada.
NatureServe Canada also represents Canadian CDCs within the broader international NatureServe Network which includes state member programs (i.e., CDCs) in the United States. By operating as a network, NatureServe, NatureServe Canada and the member programs and CDCs are able to provide consistent and high-quality ecological information and services at a geographic scale beyond the jurisdiction of individual members.
Our mission is to be the authoritative source for accessible, current, and reliable information on the distribution and abundance of Canada’s biological diversity. Through these efforts, we aim to improve decision-making about natural resources and to serve the public by increasing awareness among Canadians of the importance of protecting our nation’s rich natural heritage.
Member CDCs of the NatureServe Canada Network employ the international NatureServe Natural Heritage Methodology ensuring our biological data is collected, assessed, and managed in a consistent manner and permitting cross-border analyses of our data throughout the Western hemisphere.
Please visit the NatureServe Canada and NatureServe web pages accessed through this website. Web pages that have information uniquely related to NatureServe Canada are identified by the NatureServe Canada logo.
Organizational Structure
NatureServe Canada is a network of nine independent Conservation Data Centres (CDCs) covering all provinces and territories except Quebec (Quebec is a member of NatureServe). It was established as a national not-for-profit conservation organization in 1999 and is governed by a Board of Directors representing each of its member program CDCs. NatureServe Canada is the national affiliate of NatureServe, an international non-governmental organization based in Arlington, Virginia ( U.S.). In addition to the Canadian CDCs, the NatureServe Network includes over 50 member programs in the United States and the province of Québec. NatureServe and NatureServe Canada together provide the member program CDCs with scientific and technical support and facilitate national and international data exchanges, enabling the network to provide information from local to global scales.
Join Us
The NatureServe Canada membership (see below) includes the three SARA responsible federal department, provincial, and territorial governments, and environmental non-governmental organizations. Does your organization collect or manage important data related to Canadian species or ecological communities of conservation concern? Please contact us to discuss data sharing, partnership and/or membership opportunities.
Coordinating Organizations
NatureServe Canada
National Office
39 McArthur Ave, Level 1-1
Ottawa, Ontario K1L 8L7
Email
613-986-1535
Patrick Henry
Executive Director
NatureServe Canada
Email
613-986-1535
NatureServe
2550 South Clark Street, Suite 930
Arlington, VA 22202
Email
703-908-1800
About Our CDCs
The first Conservation Data Centre (CDC) in the NatureServe Canada network was established in 1988 through a partnership between The Nature Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Quebec government. Each CDC represents one province or territory, with the exception of the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (AC CDC) that represents the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
CDCs undertake biological inventories to document rare species and ecological communities, analyze critical conservation data, provide tailored information products and services, and make their data widely available to the public. CDCs serve as the official data record for rare and threatened plants, animals and ecological communities within their respective jurisdiction.
Conservation Data Centres in the NatureServe Canada Network
Alberta Conservation Information Management Centre
2Nd Floor, Oxbridge Place 9820-106 Street
Alberta Tourism, Parks And Recreation (Parks Division)
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J6 Canada
acims.data@gov.ab.ca
(780) 427-5209
Website
Data Access Website
Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre
PO Box 6416,
Sackville, New Brunswick, E4L 1G6, Canada
sean.blaney@accdc.ca
(506) 364-2661
Website
Data Access Website
British Columbia Conservation Data Centre
PO Box 9358 Station Provincial Government
Victoria, British Columbia, V8V 1T7, Canada
cdcdata@gov.bc.ca
(250) 356-0928
Website
Data Access Website
Manitoba Conservation Data Centre
PO Box 24, 14 Fultz Blvd,
Winnipeg, Manitoba,
R3Y 0L6, Canada
chris.friesen@gov.mb.ca
(431) 294-7009
Website
Data Access Website
Northwest Territories Conservation Data Centre
Wildlife Management Division, Department of Environment and Climate Change
600, 5102 50th Ave., Scotia Centre - 5th Floor
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, X1A 2L9, Canada
Claire_Singer@gov.nt.ca
(867) 767-9237 ext. 53220
Website
Data Access Website
Nunavut Conservation Data Centre
P.O. Box 209
Igloolik, Nunavut, X0A 0L0, Canada
867-934-2176
Website
Data Access Website
Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre
P.o. Box 7000
300 Water Street, 2Nd Floor, North Tower
Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 8M5, Canada
nhicrequests@ontario.ca
(705) 755-2159
Website
Data Access Website
Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre
3211 Albert Street
Regina, Saskatchewan,
S4S 5W6, Canada
Jeanette.Pepper@gov.sk.ca
(306) 787-7197
Website
Data Access Website
Yukon Conservation Data Centre
Box 2703 (V419)
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Y1A 3V1
Canada
yukoncdc@gov.yk.ca
(867) 667-5331
Website
Data Access Website
Who’s Who
The NatureServe Canada Board of Directors is comprised of representatives from our Constituent Member provincial and territorial Conservation Data Centres (CDCs). In addition to governing the operations of NatureServe Canada, our Board of Directors supports the broader international network in achieving its shared mission by:
- Representing the CDCs in strategic, annual, and operational planning
- Coordinating communications and maintaining connections between CDCs and NatureServe staff
- Seeking and contributing to fundraising and business development
- Nominating a representative member of the NatureServe Board of Directors
In addition to the Constituent Member CDCs, NatureServe Canada includes Associate Member agencies and organizations that support the purposes of the network and who contribute and manage important biodiversity data. The collaborative efforts of the Constituent and Associate Members facilitate the effective planning and implementation of NatureServe Canada’s activities and projects.
Please contact us if your organization is interested to learn more about Associate Membership in NatureServe Canada.
Board of Directors
Randi Mulder
Acting Coordinator, Yukon Conservation Data Centre
Whitehorse, Yukon
Email
Chris Friesen
NSC Chair
Coordinator, Manitoba Conservation Data Centre
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Email
Sean Blaney
Executive Director, Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre
Sackville, New Brunswick
Email
Jacqueline Clare
NSC Secretary
Acting Manager, British Columbia Conservation Data Centre
Victoria, British Columbia
Email
Jeanette Pepper
Coordinator, Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre
Regina, Saskatchewan
Email
Simon Dodsworth NSC Treasurer
Coordinator, Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre
Peterborough, Ontario
Email
Josh Wasyliw
Coordinator, Alberta Conservation Information Management System
Edmonton, Alberta
Email
Claire Singer
Coordinator, Northwest Territories Conservation Data Centre
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Email
Randi Mulder
Acting Coordinator, Nunavut Conservation Data Centre
Iqaluit, Nunavut
Email
Patrick Henry
Executive Director, NatureServe Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
Email
Associate Member Representatives
Allison Gratz
Director of Network Relations, NatureServe
Arlington, Virginia, United States
Email
Charles Francis
Manager, Bird Population Monitoring
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Email
Emily Agar
GIS Analyst, Conservation Information and Planning
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Email
David Clark
National Natural Resource Conservation Information Specialist
Natural Resource Conservation Branch, National Office Parks Canada Agency
Email
Jennifer Diment
Science Advisor, Ecosystem Science
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Email