Don Russell

Don really only knows anything about caribou. He did his graduate work at the University of British Columbia in the early 70's, studying the activity and energy relations of caribou in the Prudhoe Bay area of Alaska, a region soon to become North America's largest oil field. After graduation he began a 30 year career with the Government of Yukon and later with the Canadian Wildlife Service focusing on the range use and population dynamics of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, a herd that regularly migrates from wintering grounds in north-central Yukon to calving grounds in north-eastern Alaska.

His research led to the development of Energetics models for caribou, models that would be used to assess the impacts of development and climate change on large migratory caribou herds. In 2001 he expanded his focus across the circumpolar north, working on cooperative projects in North America and Russia. In 2005, in response to requests from the Arctic Council's Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) group, he helped coordinate the establishment of the CircumArctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment network (CARMA), an international group of researchers, managers and community representatives focused on assessing the vulnerability of circumpolar caribou and reindeer herds to global change.

After 30 years in government, Don retired in early 2006 with no hobbies. As well as holding an Emeritus Scientist status within Environment Canada, Don remains the coordinator of the CARMA Network.