The Canadian Parks Collective for Leadership: What does the 'I' stand for in CPCIL?

Innovation? Inclusion? Insight? Interdisciplinarity? In 2018, the Canadian Parks Council partnered with Mount Royal University (MRU)’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability—in collaboration with Royal Roads University, York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, and University of Moncton—to deliver leadership development programs, share training opportunities, and support communities of practice and mentorships among parks and protected areas professionals across Canada.Launched this summer, the Canadian Parks Collective for Leadership (CPCIL.ca) strives to be a pan-Canadian Centre of Excellence that develops and connects emerging leaders, innovative managers, and engaged scholars in pursuit of the effective, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable stewardship of parks, protected, and conserved areas. Offering four core programs: a) a twice-annual Park Leaders Development Program, b) a Training and Resource Inventory, c) an online Innovation and Collaboration Forum, and d) a Parks and Protected Areas Leaders Network, the CPCIL has the potential to connect and support practitioners from federal, provincial, and territorial park agencies, Indigenous organizations, and community partners. Housed in the MRU Institute for Environmental Sustainability—and in collaboration with Indigenous partners—CPCIL also has the potential to engage in timely interdisciplinary research on parks leadership and environmental sustainability that reflects the importance of Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge in conservation. This session will inform participants about this exciting new project and generate ideas for CPCIL to collaborate with the parks and protected areas research community across Canada and work with scholarly groups such as BCPARF.