Ph.D., LL.M., B.Sc.
Professor at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Director of the Outdoor Leadership Educational Unit
Researcher at the Outdoor Research and Expertise Laboratory (OREL)
Manu Tranquard is a professional guide in adventure tourism (CQRHT) and guide-interpreter for nearly 20 years, wildlife management technician, bachelor in Outdoors Pursuits and Adventure Tourism, wilderness survival instructor, sea kayaking instructor and outdoor ethics instructor. After studying literature, history and law until the doctorate, he completed a doctorate in ecotourism projects engineering. Since 2013, he has been head of the Outdoor Leadership Educational Unit at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. Manu is an entrepreneur and acts as a consultant and expert for productions and audiovisual projects related to survival, bushcraft and the outdoors.
But above all, Manu is a researcher at the Outdoor Research and Expertise Laboratory (OREL) where his main research work concerns survival, advanced autonomy in remote areas and engineering of tourism projects in the natural environment.
His latest research projects concern :
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of makeshift techniques for obtaining fire in a survival situation
- Technical evaluation of the thermal efficiency of the Canadian Armed Forces survival shelters
- Fire optimization in survival situations: cross-analysis of the effectiveness of existing technologies and available wood species in the boreal forest
- Inventory of edible plants of the boreal forest and multi-criteria analysis of its actual utility potential in survival situations : https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/natcan/2018-v142-n3-natcan03938/1050998ar/
- Wilderness survival: analysis of essential tools and equipment recommended by North American professionals
- Principles of selection, use and maintenance of outdoor equipment
- Co-development of a survival decision-making protocol (SERA model)
- Development of a diagnostic self-assessment tool for individual survival potential in the forest (PSF tool : http://www.ecokayak.ca/survie/?lang=en)
The main objective of Manu’s research projects is to study the management of critical situations in remote areas using a rigorous scientific approach; and develop from this approach methodological and technical tools to increase the autonomy of users of the boreal forest.