Colleen Mercer-Clarke announced as 2019 IFLA President’s Award winner

Colleen Mercer-Clarke has been announced as the recipient of the 2019 International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) President’s Award at the World Congress in Oslo, Norway.

The IFLA President’s Award recognises the contribution of an individual or organisation for the advancement of the profession of landscape architecture through their participation in IFLA.

Ms Mercer Clarke, current Chair of IFLA’s Working Group on Climate Change, was announced as the winner of the Award for her efforts both within IFLA and the broad IFLA community to lead and coordinate the collective response to climate change.

“Colleen’s work comes at a critical time where there is a real need for action from the Landscape Architecture profession on climate and biodiversity issues,” said IFLA President, James Hayter.

“Colleen has had a long history of involvement in IFLA but more recently she has been instrumental in leading our recent Climate and Biodiversity Emergency Declaration and the formation of IFLA’s ClimateACTION! Plan.”

The announcement comes following the ratification of IFLA’s Climate and Biodiversity Emergency Declaration by the 77 member nations at the World Council meeting on Monday 16 September 2019.

About ColleEn Mercer_Clarke

Colleen's work on planning and design for a changing world has a special focus on adaptive planning in coastal communities. Colleen has over 30 years’ experience in the private sector as a senior environmental manager working on a wide array of initiatives throughout Eastern and Atlantic Canada and internationally. Trained as both a marine ecologist (B.Sc, M.Sc., Memorial 1976) and landscape architect (M.L.A., Guelph 1987), her early work focused on environmental planning, assessment and management, including coastal, watershed and municipal planning, site design and conservation of special places. Colleen has contributed to regional national and international development of coastal policies, programs and institutions that advance the principles of precaution, stewardship and sustainability. She is an experienced team leader, skilled in the facilitation of complex meetings.

Colleen left consulting in 2005, completing a Doctorate in interdisciplinary studies (Dalhousie 2010) as well as Post Doctoral studies (Memorial 2011) in coastal governance, coastal health and impending climate change. Since 2009, she has participated in research-community-government teams working across Canada and in the Caribbean on coastal preparedness for environmental changes associated with shifting climate and extreme weather events. Colleen leads the CSLA Task Force on Adaptation and Chairs the IFLA Working Group on Climate Change, continuing her commitment to the sustainability of nearshore environments and communities.