The Next Generation Of Conservation Scientists: The Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program

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Across the Americas, select graduate students are conducting cutting-edge research in national parks as Canon Scholars.

LAKE SUCCESS, NEW YORK —: Across the Americas, select graduate students are conducting cutting-edge research in national parks as Canon Scholars. Their work, along with the program in which they learn, discover, invent and create important solutions that have an impact on the world, is featured in a new special report, Training the Next Generation of Conservation Scientists, that can be viewed at http://www.usa.canon.com/environment (click on the Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program).


The Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program develops the next generation of scientists working in the fields of conservation, environmental science and park management. It is the first and only program of its kind to encourage doctoral students to conduct innovative research on scientific problems critical to national parks.


Established in 1997, the program expanded in 2002 to include students and national parks throughout the Americas. These young scientists learn, discover, invent and create solutions to preserve the national parks in the 21st Century. The Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program is underwritten and supported by Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). Other partner organizations are the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) ”“ the Science Society and the National Park Service (USNPS). For more information: http://www.nature.nps.gov/canonscholarships.


“It is our collective responsibility to educate and prepare the next generation of conservation scientists who can help us protect our national parks, discover solutions to preserve our natural and cultural resources, and offer all of us the opportunity to positively impact our world,” said Debra Epstein, vice president and general manager, corporate communications, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “At the heart of Canon's commitment to the world community is the belief that we are building a better world for future generations. The work accomplished by these young scientists will benefit many people for many years to come.”


To document the rapid growth and expansion of the program since its inception less than a decade ago, Training the Next Generation of Conservation Scientists was conceived to effectively communicate the program’s mission -- to encourage the best and brightest graduate students in all relevant disciplines to conduct research important to the future of the national parks -- and describe the contributions from current students and alumni to the preservation of natural and cultural resources in national parks throughout the Americas.


Canon Scholars brief profile:


--Fifty-three of 54 students have completed or are on schedule to complete their studies.
--The students represent seven countries in the Americas, 42 universities and 69 different national parks as study sites.
--Sixty-six percent of the students are women, clearly indicating that women increasingly are attracted to and are successful in science and math disciplines and professions. The program has helped create a diverse group of future scientists from diverse backgrounds.
--Canon Scholars have authored or co-authored over 215 scientific articles.
--Canon Scholars have conducted research as far north as Ivvavik National Park in Canada to as far south as Los Alerces National Park in Argentina.


Canon Scholars research includes diverse issues: gaining a better understanding of the correlation of snowmelt and water supply that could affect the future of water availability in California, the activity of male humpback whales during breeding season, the role mammals play in seed dispersal to assess potential impacts on forest diversity and regeneration, and understanding the impact of mercury impact on waterways.


The National Park Service’s mission statement is to preserve roughly 83 million acres in 388 national parks for the enjoyment of future generations. Their duty is honorable, extraordinary, complex, and technical. The variety, scope, and size of the parks managed by the NPS require scientific knowledge and expertise in biodiversity and natural resource management. The research conducted by the Canon Scholars contributes to this scientific knowledge in national parks across the Americas.


The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (http://www.sciencemag.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and serves some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of one million. The non-profit AAAS (http://www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more.


Canon’s commitment to the Canon National Parks Science Scholars program now totals more than $5.5 million. Since 1990, the company’s environmental philanthropy has exceeded $30 million. Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging devices and services. Canon is committed to the protection of the global environment.


Souurce: CSRwire, Canon U.S.A