Project staff

Michel Robert (Atlas Coordinator) and Marie-Hélène Hachey (Assistant Atlas Coordinator) work full-time for the project. They are supported by Denis Lepage (data and website management), Andrew Couturier (geomatics) and Andrew Coughlan (translation) from Bird Studies Canada, and Jean-Sébastien Guénette from the Regroupement QuébecOiseaux (RQO). As Director General of the RQO, Jean-Sébastien participates in discussions concerning the project and also undertakes several administrative tasks. Marie-France Dalcourt, from the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada, and Réal Bisson, from the RQO, are both members of the Atlas Management Committee and so also play an important role in the running of the project. You can find out more about Michel Robert, Marie-Hélène Hachey, Denis Lepage, Andrew Couturier, Jean-Sébastien Guénette and Andrew Coughlan by reading the short biographies below.

The managers of the Atlas would also like to highlight Benoit Laliberté’s contribution to the project (Assistant Coordinator during the first two years), and the contribution of the following, who have made up the paid field crews hired by the project since 2010 to collect data in some of the remoter parts of southern Québec: Jean-Pierre Artigau, Olivier Barden, Nicolas Bernier, Stéphane Blais, Hugues Brunoni, Christophe Buidin, Maxime Carbonneau, Pierre Fradette, Xavier Francoeur, François Gagnon, Jean-Michel Lagueux-Tremblay, Francis Lessard, Vincent Létourneau, Mireille Poulin, Yann Rochepault, Jean-François Rousseau, Laval Roy, Renée Roy et Jessé Roy-Drainville.

Michel Robert works for the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada and is Coordinator of the Québec Breeding Bird Atlas. Michel is a biologist and obtained his master's degree (M.Sc.) from the Université de Montréal in 1987, which investigated night feeding by shorebirds wintering in Venezuela. Initially, he worked as a consultant in matters relating to ornithology. In 1995, he took up a position as a biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, where he has worked mainly on species at risk, notably the Wild Turkey, the Loggerhead Shrike, the Yellow Rail, the Harlequin Duck, the Barrow’s Goldeneye, and the Sedge Wren. As a volunteer, Michel was a member of the editorial board of the magazine QuébecOiseaux from 1996 to 2004. He has authored approximately 100 publications, ranging from scientific papers and technical reports to popular science articles. Michel participated in the first Québec Breeding Bird Atlas (1984-1989), both in the field and as author of 24 accounts. In addition to a passion for birds, Michel is also a keen mountain biker.

 Marie-Hélène Hachey works for the Regroupement QuébecOiseaux and is Assistant Coordinator of the Québec Breeding Bird Atlas. She is a biologist with a master’s degree (M.Sc.) in forest science, which she obtained from Laval University in 2011, for a project that investigated the factors affecting the feeding of chicks and the transport of food by boreal nesting birds. Marie-Hélène is a keen ornithologist and has several years of experience as a field assistant. Before returning to university, she worked for eight years as a park warden and interpreter in different national parks across Québec, including the Parc national des Monts-Valin, where she completed a full bird survey. As park warden and interpreter, she planned and developed numerous interpretation activities, and wrote a number of popular science articles. Marie-Hélène also has an undergraduate degree in media communications (1996), and was a journalist for the magazine Espace and also worked for Radio-Canada. During her free time, she can be found birdwatching, or in a river canoe.

Denis Lepage has been working for Bird Studies Canada (BSC) since 2000. He completed his doctoral thesis (Ph.D.) on the nesting biology of Greater Snow Geese on Bylot Island (Nunavut) in 1997, and conducted a post-doctoral study on bird ecology in South African from 1998 to 2000. His work has led him to become a skilled programmer and database manager, and to develop information systems for use with ornithological data. As well as managing the central database for BSC, he has participated in the planning and realisation of five atlas projects in Canada (Ontario, British Columbia, Maritimes, Manitoba and Québec). Denis is responsible for the Québec Breeding Bird Atlas database, and for the majority of the technical aspects of the website. He is a keen bird watcher and also enjoys travelling; a Bahama Woodstar, observed in 2011, was the 3,000th entry on his life list. Denis also devotes much of his free time to his website Avibase, one of the most visited ornithology websites in the world.

Andrew Couturier is widely regarded as a leader in the development and application of spatial analysis tools and methods for conservation science. He provides key leadership for all of the current and recently-published Breeding Bird Atlas projects in Canada and is actively involved in the promotion and coordination of atlases internationally as co-chair of the North American Ornithological Atlas Committee. His work is featured regularly in scientific papers, books, popular publications, websites, and field guides. Couturier sits on advisory committees for a multitude of national and international projects, directs Bird Studies Canada’s (BSC) National GIS Laboratory, and leads one of BSC’s signature national programs, Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas. In 1994, he earned a M.A. in Geography from the University of Guelph focused on landscape ecology, rural planning, and cumulative effects assessment. He has been with Bird Studies Canada for almost two decades, following brief appointments with Agriculture Canada, Parks Canada, and private consulting. A strong supporter of the non-profit sector, Andrew’s diverse interests include photography, nature, music, and live theatre.

Jean-Sébastien Guénette is Director General of the Regroupement QuébecOiseaux. After his undergraduate studies in biology at the Université du Québec à Montréal, he completed a master’s degree (M.Sc.) at the Université de Moncton on the tolerance thresholds of forest birds to habitat modification. Jean-Sébastien then worked as a research officer for the Chaire de recherche du Canada en conservation des paysages, and in the private sector. At the same time, he also wrote several articles as assistant editor for the magazine QuébecOiseaux, including one on the Grand Manan Archipelago (New Brunswick), which won first prize in its category at the Second Annual Travel Award in 2005. It was also in 2005 that he became the Director General of Regroupement QuébecOiseaux, where he is notably responsible for the eBird Québec file. In addition to his passion for ornithology, Jean-Sébastien has a keen interest in technology and photography. He is married and a father of three.

Andrew Coughlan is the Québec Program Manager for Bird Studies Canada (BSC). He is a member of the Atlas Management Committee and is responsible for the English translation of material for the project. Born in England, Andrew has lived in Québec since 1996. He is a biologist with a master’s degree (M.Sc.) in forest science, which he obtained from Laval University in 1998, and he has a wide range of experience working with birds. Before taking up his position with BSC, Andrew worked for 10 years as a research officer at Laval University. He also took part in a long-term study on Common Eiders nesting in Nunavut and was secretary of Environment Canada’s Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk. In England, he worked for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the Zoological Society of London. He has authored several publications, and has translated numerous scientific articles and a book. Andrew is also a member of the Scientific Committee of the Observatoire d’oiseaux de Tadoussac and the Secretary of the Baillie Fund (BSC).