Louise Gratton

Lifetime honorary member

Louise Gratton is an ecology and conservation consultant. She holds a master’s degree in biology from UQAM (1981) and has 50 years of experience, including 12 years (2001 to 2013) with the Nature Conservancy of Canada as director of science for the Quebec region. Over the years, she has carried out more than 200 projects on behalf of federal and provincial governments, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, developers, and landowners, in addition to participating in several government committees, including those on national parks and threatened and vulnerable flora. She is the author or co-author of some 30 publications.

Louise is a co-founder of Corridor appalachien and served on its board of directors for 20 years. She is also a founding member of Deux pays, Une Forêt and, between 2003 and 2018, held various positions on its board of directors. From 1995 to 2000, she served on the board of directors of Nature Québec. She returned to the board from 2017 to 2023 as chair. Prior to that, she served on the board of directors of Nature Canada for 13 years, including three years as chair. Although retired since 2024, she continues to give lectures, offer her advice and services to conservation organizations, and get involved in projects and causes that are close to her heart and where she believes she can make a difference.

Throughout her career, she has received several awards recognizing her contribution to the protection of natural environments, including in 2011, the Pierre-Dansereau Award from the Association des biologistes du Québec for her outstanding contribution to communication on biological diversity; in 2014, the Consciensia Hommage Award from the Conseil régional de l’environnement de la Montérégie; and in 2019, the Feuille d’or Award from the Canadian Council of Ecological Areas. In 2022, she was recognized in La Presse’s list of true influencers.