From Windy City to wilderness champion
In the heart of Lanaudière, Quebec, a 233-hectare tract of wilderness stands as a living testament to the resilience of nature and the generous stewardship of McGill chemistry professor Linda Reven.
Once illegally logged to the point of utter desolation, the land, near Sainte-Émélie-de-l’Énergie, was bought by Reven in 2002. Earlier this year, she donated the reforested and revitalized property to the Fiducie de conservation des écosystèmes de Lanaudière (FiCEL), a local land trust.
“It’s a huge piece of land on the Rivière Noire – the largest land donation we’ve ever received,” said Réjean Dumas (BSc’81), biologist and FiCel Trustee. “It as an important watershed for the region. Linda’s donation is essential to our efforts to build a contiguous protected area.”