The Quebec-Labrador Foundation (QLF)/Atlantic Center for the Environment “exists to support the rural communities and environment of eastern Canada and New England, and to create models for stewardship of natural resources and cultural heritage that can be applied worldwide.”
Activities
QLF’s program work is centered in communities throughout the Atlantic region, and includes projects in many disciplines. The organization’s major areas of work are: biodiversity conservation; community-based mapping and GIS; community development and education; environment and health; heritage tourism; culture and heritage; stewardship; and sustainable communities. In each of these areas, QLF seeks to develop specific projects to improve communities on the ground, but also to develop models for sustainable development and community growth that will work across the globe.
Relevant Project(s)
- Participatory GIS (PGIS). QLF’s Community Mapping and GIS programs serve as repository and source for geographic information, but also as a community engagement tool. Encouraging citizens to map and learn about their home landscapes is a way to help people discover and communicate the elements that matter most to them.
- Heritage Tourism. QLF’s Culture and Heritage Program aims to help communities “foster and transmit local history, art and traditions, and to diversify the local economy.” This program helps to ensure that communities will not lose track of the unique cultural and historical elements that define them and, indeed, will use those elements to encourage their own growth and survival.
Relevant Methodologies
QLF’s major philosophies shape the organization’s work and overlap with many best practices for work in community development and heart & soul planning. QLF emphasizes:
- A focus on one region
- Work in specific communities
- A long-term commitment
- International relevance
QLF’s employment strategy is also innovative. A relatively small staff (approximately 15 full-time employees) drive hundreds of projects in a work area that spans two countries and thousands of towns. The majority of on-the-ground project work is completed by interns assigned to communities for a semester or summer, which trains new workers while allowing the organization to have a temporary, in-depth presence in a vast number of places at once. The full-time staff can maintain support and connections after the intern’s work is completed.
Region
The Atlantic Region (Eastern Canada and New England)
More Information
Atlantic Center for the Environment
55 South Main Street
Ipswich, MA 01938
978-356-0038 (phone)
978-356-7322 (fax)
(Additional offices in Quebec and throughout the region)