November 18, 2010
Peter Hall recently retired as Senior Advisor Biodiversity with the Research Branch at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada in Ottawa. In a 30-year career in Canada, Mr. Hall worked in a variety of executive positions with the Canadian government and national NGOs in the fields of management, communications and research. He is also a specialist in Lepidoptera and their conservation, as well as co-author of the Butterflies of Canada and author of articles and reports on butterflies.
From 2004 to 2006, Mr. Hall was on assignment as Director for Biodiversity Information Services at the United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, United Kingdom. In this position, he represented the WCMC on many international biodiversity fora and initiatives. Prior to this, he was Executive Director of the Federal Biodiversity Information Program working on behalf of eight departments in the Canadian federal government to build Canada’s capacity around biodiversity science and information sharing. In particular, Mr. Hall managed a Canadian Biodiversity Network Conference in Ottawa in 2001 to explore opportunities to increase Canada’s efforts in biodiversity research and information management. In 1999 to 2000, Mr. Hall was Executive Director of the Canadian Environmental Network, the umbrella organization for environmental groups in Canada.
Upon his retirement, Mr. Hall was made an Honorary Research Associate with the Canadian National Collection of Insects in Ottawa and has taken on the role of Chair, Publications Committee for the international Biodiversity: Journal of Life on Earth. He is also founder of the not-for-profit Fletcher Wildlife Garden in Ottawa and was a co-winner of the Anne Hanes Natural History Award from the Ottawa Field Naturalists.
Mr. Hall received his BA from the University of Toronto and his MA from the University of Calgary in the history of the natural sciences.