Native Plant Trust, the nation’s first plant conservation organization and the leader in the movement to conserve native plants and promote their use in designed landscapes, announced Dr. John Daigle will be the 2024 recipient of the Regional Impact Award. The award recognizes individuals or organizations for regionally significant leadership and achievement in conservation, horticulture, or education.
Dr. John Daigle is a citizen member of the Penobscot Nation and Professor of Forest Recreation Management and a program leader for the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism program at the University of Maine, Orono. At the center of his research is a project mobilizing diverse interests to address potential threats from invasive species in Maine – specifically the emerald ash borer (EAB). According to Dr. Daigle, “The research seeks to study and facilitate the ways that Wabanaki, basket-makers, tribes, state and federal foresters, university researchers, landowners, and others come together to prevent, detect, and respond to the threat of EAB.” In 2023, Dr. Daigle created Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik, whose goal is “to provide forest caretakers with strategies supported by both research and Tribal Nations to protect the future of the culturally significant brown ash species.” In Wabanaki culture, brown (aka black) ash (Fraxinus nigra) appears in the creation story and provides an important basket-making material.
“Dr. Daigle’s work inspires hope that with targeted action and attention, we can build a better future where economic, cultural, and ecological prosperity are in balance,” says Tim Johnson, CEO of Native Plant Trust. “As a scientist studying some of the world’s most intractable challenges–invasive species, land degradation, and cultural erasure–John’s work is all about creating a better future, not just hoping for it. His reverence for nature and love of collaboration are apparent, making him the perfect recipient of Native Plant Trust’s Regional Impact Award.”
“I’ve been really pleased to see the interest in learning more about the ash trees threatened by the emerald ash borer and implications to cultural traditions of our indigenous peoples in the Northeast, as well as learning more of the vital ecological roles of ash trees in our forests,” notes Dr. Daigle. “It is an honor to be recognized for this award, and I greatly appreciate it.”
Dr. Daigle will accept the award on Saturday, November 16, 2024. The award presentation will be followed by a talk by Dr. Daigle. This event will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m in the Commonwealth Salon Community Room of the Boston Public Library’s Central Library, located in Copley Square. The event is free and open to the public; advance registration is required. Register here.
At the University of Maine, Dr. Daigle teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the social values, human behaviors, social conflicts, and public processes associated with recreation resources management. His research over the past ten years has examined benefits associated with outdoor recreation such as hunting, wildlife viewing, and outdoor recreation unrelated to wildlife. Other research projects include visitor experience studies for a number of recreation settings in Maine including the St. Croix International Waterway, Allagash Wilderness Waterway, and Maine Island Trail. He worked on alternative transportation and traveler information studies at Acadia National Park and currently serves on a committee of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering that focuses on transportation needs for national parks and public lands. His current research focuses on public access for recreation on private lands in the northeastern United States and he has begun to develop a research prospectus examining social and cultural impacts of climate change on certain outdoor activities and groups of people.