Red oak tree planted at UPEI in memory of conservationist and biologist Daryl Guignion
A red oak tree has been planted on the UPEI campus in memory of the late Daryl Guignion, UPEI Founder, long-time faculty member, and dedicated conservationist and biologist.
The tree, planted by the PEI Wildlife Federation, was dedicated during a ceremony at UPEI on Wednesday, July 13. Funding for the tree was provided by the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
A renowned professor and researcher at UPEI from 1967–2008, Guignion taught biology courses that instilled in students a conservation ethic; collaborated on land use and conservation initiatives; and raised public consciousness in these areas. In 2018, he was named a UPEI Founder along with his colleague Dr. Ian MacQuarrie.
In 2013, a scholarship was created by past students, colleagues, friends, and family to honour the work of Guignion and MacQuarrie. The Daryl Guignion and Ian MacQuarrie Graduate Scholarship in Science is granted to a first-year student in a Master of Science program at UPEI who will conduct a research program focused on the ecology and status of natural habitats and native wildlife.
“It is so fitting that we are dedicating a red oak tree—a species native to PEI but one that needs to be restored across the Island—in memory of Daryl Guignion next to the Duffy Science Centre, home of the UPEI biology department where he taught for over 40 years,” said Dr. Greg Keefe, interim president and vice-chancellor of UPEI. “Restoration was a common theme in Daryl’s life and career. Through his teaching, research, and advocacy, he left his mark on PEI, UPEI, and the countless people who were influenced by his passionate care for our natural environment.”
Guignion worked with educators, policy makers, and community organizations to encourage more respect and protection for the natural environment. He motivated many of his students to be conservationists and biologists, inspiring in them an understanding of the importance of the natural world and the dependence of humans on it. A strong believer in education, he made hundreds of presentations to school and community groups about major threats to fragile ecosystems.
“Daryl’s work on the first PEI Conservation Strategy, which guided government for years, and his encouragement of communities to take responsibilities for habitat management in their own watersheds have left a long-term legacy to the province,” said Bruce Smith, past president of the PEI Wildlife Federation. “As president of the PEI Wildlife Federation, he gathered a strong team, which raised awareness of the importance of wildlife habitat and what people could do to protect it.”
Guignion was widely respected for his ongoing work to conserve and enhance natural areas and fish habitat. He was involved in the founding of the Island Nature Trust in 1979 and worked with other groups to develop and implement watershed plans. He worked closely with the West River Watershed group, particularly its project to restock the river with Atlantic salmon. He was instrumental in establishing the Morell River Management Co-op and the Morell River Conservation Zone. For his dedication to the conservation and protection of that river, a section of it was named Daryl’s Reach in April of 2014.
He received several awards for his work, including the 2011 Fisheries and Oceans’ National Recreational Fisheries Award, the UPEI Student Union’s 2005 Faculty of the Year Award, and the Prince Edward Island Environmental Award in 2000 for his individual contributions to the environment.
