Blog

• Keeping up with the Kindergarten Kids!

  Friday, November 09, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Kaitlin James

  

  Photo Credit: Rosalind Blauer Centre for Child Care Kinder Program

  Did you know that the Rosalind Blauer Centre for Child Care Kinder Program is found on the campus of Brock University adjacent to the Lowenberger Residence?

  The Kinder Program is an alternative to Junior Kindergarten that has run for the past four years. It uses research, observation, documentation and communication between children, parents and educators. Additionally, it allows children to develop skills through experiences in the natural environment by exploring the forest, making choices and solving problems with limited adult intervention.

  The children spend two mornings each week from September to June in an “Outdoor Classroom”, which is the forest that surrounds and is located on campus.

  The students still explore more traditional topics such as literacies, math, science, arts, and social sciences, which allows for the perfect balance. This past year, the class consisted of eight children and one Registered Early Childhood Educator, which is an added bonus as kids are able to engage with the educator on a one on one basis.

  Brock University is the perfect location for this program as it is located within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with a vast amount of wildlife and vegetation to explore! This program allows children to have a voice in what and how they do things, whilst exploring the great outdoors and learning at the same time!

  The class and their educator made a stop by the ESRC in the summer to tell us about their discovery of a snapping turtle laying eggs on campus to see how they could help! It is even these small day to day discoveries that show what a unique learning experience this school offers!

  Categories: Blog, Experiential Education, Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock

• Getting to know the ESRC

  Friday, November 02, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Shelby McFadden

  

  Photo: Theal House at Brock University is home to the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre.

  You know that quaint white house by Zone 2 Parking Lot on your way out of Brock? Many of you in the Brock community have no idea what I’m talking about, but take my word for it—there’s a building there alright, and this building in question is known as Theal House. Named after Samuel Theal who is believed to have built the house, where his family then lived for decades, Theal house is the oldest building on campus and one of the oldest in St. Catharines.

  As its been around since the 1800’s, it has served many roles and housed many tenants over the years, but most recently, it became the home of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC), as they officially settled in by February 2018.

  As a centre within the Faculty of Social Sciences dedicated to environmental sustainability, the building was renovated in a way that incorporated sustainability within its walls. The floors were acquired from Interface, a company known for its commitment to sustainability, which represented 3 tonnes in emissions reductions. Used furniture was acquired from antique stores, and live edge desks produced by Brock carpenters with certified sustainable timber. LED lighting was installed, with dimmer and daylight harvesting light switches, and sensors to save energy. An integrated system that controls HVAC, lighting, and monitors real time energy use is also present in the building.

  But Theal House does so much more for sustainability than its physical features.

  Similar to how there’s many people at Brock who do not know about Theal House, there’s also many people who do not know about the ESRC, or only vaguely understand what it is, and what it does.

  The ESRC is dedicated to research and education advancing environmental sustainability both locally and globally, and runs several initiatives, all made possible by the supportive base that is Theal House.

  As one of five transdisciplinary hubs on campus, the ESRC has had the capacity to do some great work since 2012.

  But what exactly are these great things that the ESRC does?

  Well, the ESRC has created a highly productive research culture and impressive output, with 392 peer-reviewed publications meant to resolve complex environmental/social problems being published between 2012 and 2017.

  They also carry out several projects and programs to support this research, such as their seed grant funding program started in 2013 that supports projects related to the ESRC’s mandate. There is also a postdoctoral fellowship that creates opportunities for faculty and fellows to carry out research. Theu also run a visiting scholars program that brings high level scholars engaged in research on the environment, sustainability, and social ecological resilience to interact with ESRC members and SSAS students.

  They have also formed research partnerships with community groups to pursue projects of mutual benefit, conducting valuable research, while also engaging communities.

  One example of this is the Brock Lincoln Living Lab which was created in 2017, and will continue for the next five years. In this partnership with the Town of Lincoln, students contribute to the community through experiential education, putting more resources into municipal planning and research to investigate local needs and policy development.

  Another important partnership is with the Niagara Parks Commission, which created the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Initiative in April 2018, which will last until 2020. The partnership is meant to inform and enhance practice, improve the NPC’s capacity to make evidence-based decisions, and advance understanding of environmental stewardship.

  But beyond research, the ESRC also offers academic opportunities within sustainability. This includes a minor program in environmental sustainability that can be recognized in conjunction with any major degree program, and which offers courses in 15 units across campus.

  A Masters program in sustainability science and society was started in 2014, where students can gain problem solving skills through enriching research and applied experiences, in one of the two following schemes:

  Scheme A- Major research project and co-op (16 months)

  Scheme B- Thesis (24 months)

  As a part of this program, transdisciplinary seminars are held bi-weekly, which anyone is welcome to attend.

  Finally, the ESRC also offers a PhD program in sustainability through an agreement with the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, where a scholarship allows a student to study in both places under the supervision of researchers from both universities.

  All of this is beneficial for Brock, but the ESRC has recently taken on an additional exciting role alongside Facilities Management.

  The two departments signed a charter in February, which outlines their agreement to work together on Sustainability at Brock. The charter provides an important bridge between the academics and operations sides of campus, creating a partnership where the two can collaborate on projects of mutual benefit and create mechanisms to communicate sustainability initiatives and progress with the Brock community.

  The two agreed to contribute cash and in-kind contributions over an initial 5 years, and the ESRC has been working hard on providing administrative support to meet the goals of the charter this summer, partly through the work of summer students hired through the Charter. In fact, these blogs and the Sustainability at Brock social media channels they are posted to are part of this important work!

  So, the next time you’re near Zone 2 parking lot, look for the cottage-like white building that is Theal House, and when you see it, now you’ll know what it’s for and what kind of work is going on inside.

  Categories: Blog, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock

• Meet the Faculty of the ESRC: Dr. Ryan Plummer

  Friday, November 02, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Kaitlin James

   

  

  Photo: Dr. Ryan Plummer, Professor and Director of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre

  As the final instalment of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan Plummer, Director of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) to learn more about his research, and role as the Director of the ESRC.  His multi-faceted program of research broadly concerns the governance of social-ecological systems. In striving to advance knowledge of collaboration and adaptation within complex systems, he has focused on exploring their theoretical underpinnings and ethical implications, modelling their processes, examining the roles of social capital, and investigating the influences of social learning. His multitude of publications in research journals such as Ecological Economics, Ecology and Society, Environmental Management and Frontiers in Ecology and Society to name a few, exemplify his scholarly quality of research, and vast amount of contributions to the field of sustainability science. It was a pleasure to interview him, and learn more about his research and role at the ESRC.

   Q1: What does your role as the Director of the ESRC look like?

  I feel privileged that colleagues put my name forward to serve as Director of the ESRC and made this recommendation to Dean Makus.  The nominal workload of a faculty member is adjusted with the role of Director to permit additional administrative responsibilities. Those administrative responsibilities include scheduling of courses, budgeting, overseeing staff and ensuring the operation of our Centre. I attend meetings and events as well as interact with governments, organizations and other institutions on behalf of the Centre.

  Q2: What are your research areas of focus? 

  My program of research broadly aims to advance environmental stewardship. I have three main areas of focus: resilience of social-ecological systems; management and governance of the environment (adaptive capacity; adaptive co-management; collaboration, learning, evaluation of outcomes); and, water resources management and governance.

  Q3: Why is your research important? What are some possible real-world applications? 

  While conventional approaches to management and governance had some noteworthy successes in the past, their limitations are increasingly apparent in the contemporary era (and future) characterized by complexity, uncertainty and contested/conflict values. We must figure out how to manage human behaviours and make decisions (individually and collectively) in this context with positive outcomes (social-ecological).

  I am energized by my research because of the breadth of applicability in terms of real-world applications. For example, my research on adaptive co-management – a strategy bringing together collaboration and adaptation for making decisions and taking actions about an aspect of the environment – has been applied in contexts such as biosphere reserves, climate change adaptation and risk-management rivers, small-scale fisheries, and sustainable tourism. The launch of the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Initiative involving the Centre and the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) in April of 2018 is an exciting local example. Here a team of faculty and students from our Centre are leveraging knowledge of stewardship in partnership with our NPC colleagues to address challenges and realize opportunities in an iconic Canadian landscape that is ecologically significant and under considerable pressures.

  Q4: What does sustainability science mean to you and why is it important? 

  Sustainability science for me is a ‘different’ type of science. It is premised on an integrative perspective of humans and Nature, consistent with our contemporary understanding of how the world operates; takes a transdisciplinary and problem-solving approach; extends beyond the academy and embraces pluralism of knowledges and knowledge co-creation; emphasizes the need for collaboration; and, aspires to advance knowledge and action for sustainability – understood as an ongoing iterative process as opposed to an end state.

  Sustainability science is important to me because it recognizes the scholarship that has been done in the past and needs to be done in the future. It provides a rubric for individuals to situation their scholarship and legitimizes/encourages breaking with some past entrenched academic conventions. It is a different science – and an approach critically important to our society and planet.

  Categories: Blog, Environmental Stewardship Initiative, Faculty Contributor, Student Contributor

• Meet Brock’s newest commitment to sustainability: The Brock University Environmental Sustainability Plan 2018

  Thursday, October 25, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Shelby McFadden

  

  The Environmental Sustainability Research Centre and Facilities Management signed a charter in February, which outlines their agreement to work together to support Sustainability at Brock. One of the major projects worked on this summer was the creation of the Brock University Environmental Sustainability Plan 2018, as required under the Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofits Program (GGCRP). The completion of this plan has allowed Brock to receive $7.9 Million to put towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions on campus. The funding is being used to complete DEEP 2, which is a project replacing old equipment in Brock’s district energy plant with updated and efficient equipment that will allow Brock to produce 100% of its own energy, while also significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

  The plan outlines the current initiatives working towards low emissions and an overall sustainable campus, identifying issues and setting priorities, goals, targets, and strategies to increase sustainability at Brock within the three following areas: 1) energy conservation and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, 2) environmental sustainability management, and 3) education for sustainability (green skills)/co-benefits.

  Along with these initiatives, the plan outlines a commitment to sustainability through Brock’s plans to pursue an emissions target of 20% below 2013 levels by 2023. These efforts will contribute to the provincial emission reduction targets of 37% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, based on 1990 baseline levels.

  The Sustainability plan builds on Brock’s 2016 Sustainability Policy and 2017 Draft Strategic Plan, further strengthening its commitment to uphold sustainability as one of the seven core values of the university.

  The plan is now posted to the Sustainability at Brock website and can be viewed at the following link.

  Categories: Blog, Experiential Education, Innovative Partnership, Sustainability at Brock

• Meet the Faculty of the ESRC: Dr. Jessica Blythe

  Wednesday, October 17, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Kaitlin James

  For our second instalment of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Blythe, an Assistant Professor at the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) to learn more about her new role at the Centre, and the journey she took to get to where she is today. Her research engages in issues related to resilience, climate change adaptation, and transformation. She is particularly interested in how societies both create and respond to change. Her numerous publications demonstrate her immense contributions to the field of sustainability science. It was a pleasure to interview her to learn more about all of the great research she does!

  

  Photo: Dr. Jessica Blythe, Assistant Professor, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre

  Q1: What excites you most about working at Brock University in the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre? 

  Everything!  But honestly, I’m really excited about two big things.  First, the research going on at Brock was the biggest draw for me.  Faculty within the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre are engaged in research at the frontiers of sustainability science.  It’s the kind of solution-oriented research that gets me out of bed in the morning.  Second, I find the applied, experiential nature of research and teaching at Brock really inspiring.  From the innovative partnerships with municipalities and parks in the area to the co-op options for students, Brock is leading the way building healthier, happier, and more sustainable futures.

  Q2: What are your research areas of focus? 

  Broadly, my research tries to understand how communities experience global environmental change and what explains their different capacities to respond to this change.  Specifically, I use a social-ecological systems perspective and resilience thinking to think critically about vulnerability, adaptation, and transformation.  I also examine how processes like decentralization and place attachment shape people’s relationship with their environment.

  Q3: What was your journey like in getting to your current research area of focus? 

  I grew up in Newfoundland during the collapse of the Northern cod stocks.  I think that watching how the moratorium impacted coastal communities around the province influenced my interest in becoming a researcher that focuses on coupled social-ecological systems.  It also sensitized me to that fact that vulnerable systems – that are close to a tipping point – can appear strong from the outside.  This experience drove home the fact that for me, sustainability has to be equally about healthy biosphere and thriving human communities.

  Q4: How are you complementing the existing strengths of ESRC faculty members?

  We all approach sustainability research through a social-ecological systems lens and draw on resilience thinking to frame our questions and analysis – so in that way the fit is really seamless.  My research explores adaptation in coastal systems and transformation in social-ecological systems, which will hopefully some new focal area to the ongoing research at the ESRC.

  Q5: As a sustainability scientist, how do you view the world? 

  For me, being a sustainability scientist and being a parent go hand in hand – I’m constantly thinking about what the future holds and how we can find sustainable pathways.  Fortunately, I get to work along side some of the world’s leading climate change and sustainability scientists and I am happy to report that for the most part, the scientists I know are optimistic.  The Paris Agreement was a huge step for us as a global community.  I draw comfort from the fact that so many engaged and innovative scientists and students are tackling our big sustainability challenges from so many different angles.  From where I’m sitting, the future of sustainability looks really bright!

  Categories: Applied Research, Blog, Faculty Contributor, Student Contributor

• Finding the green in our own backyard

  Wednesday, October 17, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Shelby McFadden

  Everyone’s been there. Waking up to your alarm and knowing you have to get out of bed to go to work or school and dreading every moment of it. This is a rather normal occurrence for me as I am definitely not a morning person. But of course, I get up anyway, yawning and entering autopilot mode as I force myself to walk to work. I used to walk down Sir Isaac Boulevard North, staring at pavement and Zone 1 Parking lot, until I crossed Flora Egerter Way and up the grass to Theal House. But I never felt content taking this route, and so often switched it up a little bit each day, crossing at a different spot, walking across Lot V and U instead, or walking through the grass between the North and South boulevards. One day after crossing the intersection at Sir Isaac Brock Blvd and Merritville Highway, I decided to walk along the unpaved bit of grass and dirt beside the tree line framing Lots V, U, and T. Since then, this has become my morning ritual, and one of the best parts of my day.

  We often think about nature as this pristine, large-scale, and untouched wilderness, but the reality is that things are always changing and evolving, alongside other species, including humans. We need to start seeing these small patches of plants and animals as nature too, and to appreciate them just as much as the larger ecosystems. Walking through the shade, I feel myself slip back together like a completed puzzle, feeling alive and safe and revitalized as I breathe in and take in the sights. It’s so quiet and peaceful, listening to the occasional bird sing or the tall plants bend in the breeze, and it never fails to bring a smile to my face.

  One day as I was approaching Theal House, I noticed a plaque hidden amidst the greenery at the edge of the line of trees. Stopping for a moment to read the inscription, I learned that this line of trees I walk beside each day, is actually one of the remaining hedgerows of Osage orange trees on campus that predates the university, lining some of the historical property boundaries. The trees are native to Arkansas and Texas, but brought over by settlers and used as natural fences to keep livestock in fields. These trees are extremely rare to South-Western Ontario, and the ones at Brock represent one of the last known locations in South-Western Ontario. These trees are a living tribute to the Niagara Region’s cultural heritage and agricultural history, which makes them that much more of a special feature at Brock.

  But more than their history and rarity, they are lovely friends that give me strength in the mornings when I need it most. Being surrounded by the striking green and reaching trunks, hearing the soft crunch of dirt under my shoes, and having my focus taken by spots of colour in the form of wildflowers, gives me that extra bit of time I need in the morning to wake up and pull myself together. We can all benefit from spending a little bit of time outdoors, and Brock provides a perfect opportunity for this. There are little pockets of nature all around campus, from the Healing Garden, Pond Inlet, Jubilee Court, the Bruce Trail with different access points around campus, the courtyards with picnic tables and trees, to the hedgerows of Osage orange that have captured my heart. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes out of their day to explore the nature right here at Brock and to enjoy the small gems hidden in our own backyard!

  Categories: Blog, SSAS Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock

• NPC holds public sessions to showcase environmental stewardship efforts

  Thursday, October 11, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributors: Alicia Goddard & Samantha Witkowski

  

  Photo: Master of Sustainability students (left to right) Brooke Kapeller, Angela Mallette & Alicia Goddard.

  Have you heard? Brock University’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) and the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) have formed a partnership called the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Initiative (EESI). On September 26^th and 27^th, the NPC held public information sessions to showcase environmental stewardship efforts in the Niagara Region, including the work of the EESI. The sessions proved to be a beneficial experience for graduate students involved in the EESI, and the public. Samantha Witkowski, a first-year student in the Masters of Sustainability program at the ESRC, said, “The experience was valuable for me as it was my first time meeting NPC staff, and my first public information session.  It was fascinating to see all the engagement taking place between collaborators and the public.”

  At the session, participants had the opportunity to learn about a variety of stewardship projects that are underway in the Niagara Region. For instance, the NPC has a two-year plan that aims to restore two kilometers of shoreline with native vegetation that will increase diversity while stabilizing the shoreline banks.  Alicia Goddard, another incoming graduate student with the Masters of Sustainability program stated, “I am impressed with the stewardship of the NPC. They are recycling hazardous trees that needed to be removed after they died from Emerald Ash Borer infestation by incorporating them into the Niagara River at select locations, increasing fish habitat.  That’s awesome!”

  Since the discovery of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle on NPC property in 2012, the park has lost a significant number of ash trees.  The park has responded by planting upwards of 20 different species of native trees, which will assist them in reaching their goal of having 75% of the species found in the park returned to the native condition.

  Another unique project began in 2004 when NPC partnered with Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. Since that time, six hectares of turf grass on the Niagara Parks’ Legends on the Golf Complex is now returned to a more naturalized state.  An additional four hectares of previous agriculture fields are reforested.  The chemical use continues to be reduced, and water consumption by the golf course has significantly reduced, with 14 hectares removed from irrigation and annual upgrades occurring on the remaining infrastructure.  The Ussher’s Creek habitat is also improving with the addition of nest boxes and monitoring of water quality underway.  The golf course is now a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

  Meanwhile at the Chippawa Grassland Bird Habitat management plans call for enhancing the existing grasslands by ensuring a variety of mixed native grasses that will not only increase habitat for grassland birds but other species including native pollinators, reptiles, and amphibians.

  In addition to these NPC-driven projects, the work of the joint partnership between the NPC and the ESRC was on display. ESRC students and faculty have been assisting the NPC with the development of a ten-year Environmental Stewardship Plan.  The ESRC has conducted an inventory of past stewardship projects allowing the NPC and partners to look back so informed discussions and decisions can be made within a common framework.  This framework has allowed for focus groups to meet and develop stewardship goals and objectives. Check out an interactive map of past and ongoing stewardship efforts.

  Additionally, 2^nd year ESRC Master’s student Angela Mallette is currently studying how the public views the natural health of the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve, as compared to scientific data in the same area. Concurrently, 2^nd year ESRC Master’s student Brooke Kapeller is investigating how the various parts of stewardship across the Niagara Region relate to positive outcomes and success.  As you can see, the EESI partnership between has many benefits, including giving graduate students the opportunity for hands-on work experience and unique research opportunities that further enhance the partnership.

  As the NPC works hard at preserving the Niagara Region corridor from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario we hope that you check out their projects and, if you have any suggestions or would like more information, reach out to them!  The initiatives underway will make up NPC plans from 2019 and beyond.

   

  Categories: Blog, Environmental Stewardship Initiative, Experiential Education, SSAS Student Contributor

• Have an old textbook you can’t sell? Donate it instead!

  Tuesday, October 09, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Shanen D’Souza

  Textbooks for Change is a global initiative that collects used university-level textbooks and transports them for reuse by students in several African countries. 50% of the textbooks are donated to campus libraries in East Africa, 20% are resold at affordable prices to students and the remaining 30% that are outdated or damaged are recycled. This is a sustainable, educational alternative to a question that many North American students face – how to get rid of my used textbooks?

  These textbooks are collected regularly and then deployed to countries where students cannot afford to pay the high costs of textbooks. They are reused or resold to students at reasonable prices, thus giving them an opportunity to learn and gain knowledge that they would otherwise not have a chance to. Some of the donated books that cannot be reused are recycled in a sustainable method, resulting in reduction of waste. This is a great opportunity for university students to discard textbooks they no longer need, in a sustainable and educational way. The saying really is true “what is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.

  Brock University has Textbooks for Change drop boxes across campus at 5 different locations. Click here for an interactive map of the locations. Below is a list of where the drop boxes can be found:

  • Mackenzie Chown A & Taro Hall Hallway
  • Walker Complex – Main Entrance
  • South Hall – 4^th floor
  • IRC Library – Welch Hall 2^nd floor
  • Entrance of Union Station (opposite Brock Press)

  To date, Brock University’s donations have accumulated to almost 12,000 textbooks, recycled 50,000 pounds of waste and saved 595 trees! As a campus, we can make a difference, even if it’s a small one, in the lives of students in Africa and help positively impact their educational experience!

  Categories: Blog, Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock

• Summer Wrap-Up: My last week with the ESRC

  Thursday, September 27, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Shelby McFadden

  

  It’s crazy to think that only three months ago I was writing my first blog for the ESRC and Sustainability at Brock, talking about my experiences and expectations after the first week of working in the ESRC.

  Looking back now, it went by fast, but we accomplished quite a bit in such a short amount of time, and I’m really proud of our achievements.

  One of the things I mentioned in my first blog was that I was looking forward to contributing something positive and meaningful to Brock, and I really do feel like I had the opportunity to do this. Over the past few months, we worked on a lot of different research, background documents, and reports, ultimately helping to strengthen sustainability at Brock.

  One of our biggest achievements was the environmental sustainability plan, which outlines Brock’s current sustainability initiatives, sets goals and strategies, and has allowed Brock to receive $7.9 million in provincial funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus. Our efforts have made it possible for Brock to replace outdated equipment in its district energy plant with efficient items that will increase Brock’s energy production capacity, while also significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

  But we also worked on several other initiatives. We did a lot of work to help Brock prepare for future long-term planning, and the creation of a campus-wide, long-term sustainability plan. We gathered information on current sustainability initiatives, worked on creating a database to track current and future initiatives, developed an action plan for long-term planning, conducted a SWOT analysis of the current state of sustainability at Brock, completed research on different evaluation tools, wrote a report for Dining Services, and completed several other complementary tasks.

  This research and collection of background documents and reports will be valuable resources for sustainability at Brock going forward.

  Not only do I get to feel good about everything we created, but I can also revel in the knowledge that I gained a lot of valuable knowledge, skills, and experiences in regard to sustainability. As I will be starting in the Sustainability Society and Science Graduate Program in a few weeks, I especially feel grateful for this summer. Working at the ESRC for the summer has helped me get acquainted with Brock, the Centre, ESRC staff and faculty, and my incoming program beforehand, which has given me so much more confidence in starting my program. It has also given me the valuable opportunity to engage with sustainability concepts, and gain insight into how sustainability operates within an institution, the many challenges that arise, and how to go about finding solutions to those challenges.

  While I stand by what I said in May—that there is a lot of good work being done at Brock, but with room for improvement, I have also had a first-hand glimpse into sustainability at Brock, and strongly believe we’re heading into the right direction. A lot of important steps were taken this summer and Brock has impressed me by proving that it is serious about committing to sustainability across campus.

  I will be coming back as one of the two research assistants from the graduate program in the fall and am excited to continue to strengthen sustainability at Brock throughout the 2018/2019 school year.

  Here’s to a bright, green future at Brock!

  Categories: Blog, Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock

• Reflections on my summer at the ESRC

  Tuesday, September 25, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Kaitlin James

  

  Photo: Scott Johnstone, AVP Facilities Management with ESRC summer interns Kaitlin James, Shanen D’Souza, Shelby McFadden

  This summer I had the pleasure of working as a summer intern at the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre. I am super excited and proud of all of the work we’ve accomplished thus far and feel as though myself and the other interns created documents and reports that will be of great assistance to the Research Assistants in the fall when continuing to develop Sustainability at Brock.

  This experience has really helped solidify some of the ideas I had in terms of next steps in my career and academics. I’ve been interested in environmental sustainability for as long as I can remember, but a real-life experience in the field has really been beneficial for me.

  In April of this year, I decided to declare a minor in environmental sustainability to complement my major in Public Health. The two really do go hand in hand, and impact each other in more ways than many people realize! What a better way to start my path in sustainability than by immersing myself in sustainability all summer.

  This summer, myself and the other interns helped create several reports, plans and documents, whilst conducting background research in different areas of sustainability. I really got to immerse myself in all things sustainability, examining areas such as communications, sustainability indicators and rating systems, and helped collect information on Brock’s current state of sustainability on campus which was really interesting—In fact, I actually learnt a lot about initiatives that are ongoing that I’ve never even heard of in my four years at Brock!

  Overall, it was a great experience and allowed me to meet and work with some amazing people and researchers! I definitely appreciate the opportunity I was given and am glad I took it! The Charter allowed for what I think is some great progress towards a more sustainable Brock! I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for what is yet to come in terms of sustainability during my last semesters here at Brock this year!

   

  Categories: Blog, Co-Op, Student Contributor, Sustainability at Brock