LA&PS Professor Jennifer Bonnell was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing from the BC Historical Federation for her book titled Stewards of Splendour: A History of Wildlife and People in British Columbia (Royal BC Museum, 2023). Stewards of Splendour explores British Columbians’ changing relationships with wild animals and their habitats over more than 250 years, from the period of pre-contact Indigenous history, prior to 1774, to the present. Drawing upon historical and scientific literature and over 80 interviews, the book examines the effects of rising scientific understanding and public appreciation for the province’s fish and wildlife and the gradual reclamation of land and management authority by First Nations.
Professor Bonnell stated that “the legacy of the British Columbia’s conservation sector is one of creativity and innovation in the face of much more powerful interests, to protect the lands and creatures of Canada’s most biodiverse province. As the devastating effects of climate change and biodiversity loss become increasing real for all of us, this book makes the case for working collaboratively, at the local level, in the interests of wildlife.”
The project was completed with funding support from the Wildlife and Habitat Branch, BC Ministry Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and is also a finalist for the BC & Yukon Book Prize’s Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. The winner will be announced in September 2024.
Congratulations Professor Bonnell!