Kassie Burns (BSc ’22, MS ’24) was working on a climate change adaptation plan for Niagara-on-the-Lake long before she was appointed as the municipality’s first Climate Change Co-ordinator.

As a Master of Sustainability student, Burns completed an assignment that proved to be highly relevant while taking a class taught by Associate Professor Jessica Blythe, who led the Niagara Adapts partnership in Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC).

“In a course entitled Climate Change Adaptation and Transformation, we completed the entire process of developing an adaptation plan for a municipality, from analyzing climate data to creating impact statements and adaption actions,” says Burns. “We could choose any municipality we wanted to and I chose the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, funnily enough. When I applied to this job, I submitted that plan as part of my application.”

When Burns was hired in February, the municipality already had an approved Climate Change Adaptation Plan in place, one developed in coordination with the Niagara Adapts partnership.

Her job now is to implement the activities outlined in the plan and track progress toward targets.

She says the nature of climate change means there are inherent challenges to her work, such as coordinating with many stakeholders and finding ways to communicate effectively with different audiences.

“But it also creates opportunities, too, for greater collaboration, stronger partnerships, and exploring how we can work together more effectively,” says Burns. “It will be nice to start checking off action items, seeing tangible progress and contributing to making the community more resilient.”

In addition to renewable energy initiatives like increasing the use of electric and hybrid vehicles in the Town’s fleet and considering additional vehicle charging stations, Burns is working on specific plans to address invasive species management and natural asset management. She addressed all these topics publicly at a recent community event organized by Seniors for Climate Niagara to celebrate Earth Day.

Burns also returned to campus this week to represent Niagara-on-the-Lake at the Niagara Children’s Water Festival, which welcomes grade four students from across the region.

The full circle moment highlights Burns’s journey, which started as a undergraduate student of Biological Sciences. She says courses in the ESRC’s sustainability minor ignited her passion for the field and attracted her to the graduate program.

She completed her graduate research on strategies for enhancing community science to promote environmental sustainability and worked for both Niagara Parks Commission and the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre before joining the team in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Burns says of her experience that an emphasis on putting theory into practice has been vital to her career in the sustainability field.

“The ESRC staff and faculty always encouraged collaborative work and partnerships,” says Burns. “They often took us into the field for experiential learning opportunities, which introduced a whole new set of practical skills and experiences beyond just theoretical work.”

Director of the ESRC Julia Baird says that Burns’s local engagement is a testament to the community impact of sustainability research.

“Kassie’s experience highlights the benefits of community-engaged training offered through the ESRC’s undergraduate minor and graduate programs,” Baird says. “We are thrilled to see graduates go on to have meaningful impacts on sustainability in our communities.”