Taiga Biological Station was north of Wallace Lake, Manitoba at 51°02'40" N. Lat., 95°20'40" W. Long. It was 5 km from the road and access was by canoe, ski or snowmobile. It consisted of four log structures used as a lab/kitchen (1973), a bunkhouse sleeping twelve (1973), a wash-house/sauna (1980) and living quarters (1980) as well as a metal workshop building (1974), a frame storage hut (1980) and two log privies. We also had use of two outlying trappers' cabins. The Station was built in 1973 of donated materials by volunteer labour. It was maintained from a variety of sources through research grants and donations. It's permanent support came from the Taiga Biological Station Research Trust administered by the Fort Whyte Foundation. It was classified as an Institute of the University of Manitoba.

We consider our "study area" to extend from Wallace Lake north to Aikens Lake and from the Ontario border in the east to the Broadleaf River in the west.

Taiga Biological Station was dedicated to the study of the organisms of the taiga (the northern coniferous forest or "boreal forest") and their ecology. Most studies have been the field work for M.Sc. theses: ecology of woodland caribou (3), wolves (1), fisher (1), comparison of fisher and marten (1), effects of subnivean carbon dioxide on winter distribution of small mammals (1), effects of the 1980 fire on various uses of natural resources in the area (1), ecology of beaver (2 MSc., 1 Ph.D.). We also had studies under way on winter subnivean activity of invertebrates, ecology and over-winter survival of chipmunks and recovery of plants and animals after forest fire.

We had a close working relationship with biologists from the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature who have several long-term studies in progress. We also had a formal exchange agreement with Värriö Research Station of the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Taiga Biological Station was the site of required 5-day winter field trips for classes in Mammalogy and Boreal Ecology at the University of Manitoba. We also held Natural History Day visits for various schools and interested groups such as Outward Bound and Nature Manitoba. The Great Fire of 1980, which devastated the study area, took several of our buildings. We have treated the massive changes in vegetation and animals as a natural experiment and have modified our research plans to take advantage of this "opportunity".

The Research Trust gave us a measure of independence so we could plan an orderly programme of research: vegetational mapping, history of vegetational development and change, basic productivity of vegetation, invertebrate animals, mammals, birds, special study of wolves, caribou, lynx, otter and other species. An important objective was to obtain funds sufficient to endow a Chair in the Natural History of the Boreal Forest.

Complete details of our operations are in Annual Reports to Friends of the Taiga Biological Station.

A list of Theses and Research Papers from Taiga Biological Station is also available.