Thierry Grandmont selected as the 2024 James A. Kushlan Graduate Student Award Recipient

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has selected Thierry Grandmont, Canada, as its 2024 James A. Kushlan Graduate Student Award recipient. Thierry is a doctoral candidate at Université Laval studying the impact of human activities in protected areas on movements and reproduction of barred owls.

“Thierry is a phenomenal young scientist. He has been passionate about natural history for as long as he can remember and has now translated this passion to a conservation science mindset,” says Hawk Mountain Senior Scientist and Director of Graduate Studies Dr. JF Therrien. “He represents the definition of a brilliant, up-and-coming conservationist,” he adds.

In a rapidly changing world, protected areas are often seen as safe havens for biodiversity and act as barriers to human development. But even within the boundaries of protected areas, human presence makes an impact. Understanding how raptor species and their communities react to human presence is crucial and is at the root of Thierry’s project.

The James A. Kushlan Award was established in 2005 to support graduate students in their work for or with Hawk Mountain Sanctuary through a generous gift established by the Kushlan Endowment Fund. The award is competitive and based on the merit of research project proposed. It is awarded to a qualified graduate student working in raptor conservation and without geographic restriction. The Hawk Mountain Graduate Student Program is a strategy to support the most talented up-and-coming raptor biologists and assist them with completing independent research that not only adds to our understanding of raptor conservation, but also helps to establish young professionals globally as leaders in the conservation community.

For more information or to support the Graduate Student Program, please contact Dr. JF Therrien at [email protected].