Marcel-Léger Ecological Reserve, Ecological reserve in Trois-Rivières, Canada.

The Marcel-Léger Ecological Reserve encompasses Île aux Sternes, an artificial island in the Saint Lawrence River near Trois-Rivières where natural plants and nesting birds thrive today. The island emerged from river dredging and now functions as a sanctuary for local wildlife.

The Île aux Sternes was created artificially in 1965 during dredging of the Saint Lawrence. In 1973 students from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières found that new vegetation had attracted a colony of common terns, which gave the island its name. The government created the Île-aux-Sternes ecological reserve in 1981; on 20 March 2002 it was renamed for Marcel Léger (1930-1993), Quebec's first environment minister, on the ministry's 25th anniversary.

The reserve's name honours Marcel Léger (1930–1993), who in 1979 became Quebec's first minister solely responsible for the environment. It was renamed on 20 March 2002, the 25th anniversary of the ministry's creation; before that it was called Île-aux-Sternes after the common terns that nested there.

The reserve can be viewed from Route 138, which runs close to the island and offers a convenient vantage point for observation without disturbing wildlife. This roadside location makes it easy for travelers to stop and take in the natural scenery.

The island's name predates the reserve: terns colonised it after students from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières noted new vegetation in 1973, and the birds later left once forest cover took hold, yet the name stayed. The reserve shares its boundaries with a 63,800 m² muskrat habitat and a 9.3 km² waterfowl concentration area.