Collaborations

  • ESRC Partners with Niagara Parks to host Bio Blitz Event

    Friday, April 21, 2023 | By

    This year, the ESRC began our Earth Day celebrations early by participating in a Bio Blitz held by the Niagara Parks Commission!

    On April 21st, students from Brock University, including several ESRC graduate students, participated in a Bio Blitz event co-hosted by the Niagara Parks Commission and the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre.

    A BioBlitz is an event that completes a biological survey of a specified area. On Friday, students from Brock University and the Niagara College School of Horticulture surveyed Dufferin Islands – a 10 acre stretch of small islands connected by bridges and footpaths located just a short walk from Horseshoe Falls. BioBlitz events are becoming increasingly popular, as they promote citizen science, engage the public and produce important species inventories. The goal for this event was to add to the catalogue of invasive species in Dufferin Islands using geolocation, and to help monitor biodiversity in the area. Using the catalogue, the Niagara Parks Commission Forestry team will be able to go into the area and safely remove invasive species.

    The event was a major success, with many of the experts and volunteers involved sharing positive feedback about the experience. Dr. Ryan Plummer, ESRC Director, spoke highly of the partnership between the ESRC and the Niagara Parks Commission and having the ability to involve students in these initiatives, “the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Initiative was the preeminent partnership between brock and the NPC. The importance of managing invasive species was highlighted and a comprehensive program was developed during this academic year. Having 50 students, staff and faculty join together to make it actionable was magic”.

    Shannon Heaney, a current Master of Sustainability student who is conducting research about invasive species in Niagara Parks also spoke highly of the initiative as it was successful in identifying invasive species and also provided an educational experience for everyone involved. Shannon added that “continuing these events in the future will help support the success of the Invasive Species Program and will engage and educate those involved about the impact of invasive species”.  Corey Burant, Project Manager for Forest Health with the Niagara Parks Commission echoed Shannon’s comments on the importance of the event, “This real-time data is critical for the ongoing management and prevention of invasive species populations within Niagara Parks. The event showed how easy and effective the iNaturalist app is to inventory invasive species, in which Niagara Parks hopes to expand across the park for all plant and animal species”.

    Categories: Blog, Collaborations, Environmental Stewardship Initiative, Event, Innovative Partnership

  • Seen & Heard at the ESRC: Presentations for the End of the Term!

    Tuesday, April 04, 2023 | By

    It seems like just yesterday that the ESRC welcomed two new cohorts of graduate students to Brock – our ninth group of Master’s students and our first-ever group of PhD students!

    Both of these groups have now successfully completed their first years in their respective programs, and we could not be prouder of all they’ve achieved. We thought the best way to celebrate was with final class presentations, a social gathering for students and faculty, and a field trip!

    On Friday, March 31st, the SSAS students presented their MRP and Thesis research proposals to their peers. They have been working towards these presentations since September, and all did a wonderful job outlining their research topics.

    Back Row L-R: Kassie Burns, Zeal Pandya, Sanjida Amin, Sydney McIntyre, Evan Rodenburg, Erin Isaac, Dr. Jessica Blythe, Natalie Seniuk. Front Row L-R: Anmol Burmy, Zaara Momin.

    Back Row L-R: Dr. Todd Green, Sydney McIntyre, Evan Rodenburg, Erin Isaac, Dr. Jessica Blythe, Natalie Seniuk, Dr. Ryan Plummer, Dr. Xavier Fazio. Front Row L-R: Zeal Pandya, Kassie Burns, Sanjida Amin, Anmol Burmy, Zaara Momin, Dr. Marilyne Carrey, Amanda Smits

    With their research proposal presentations behind them, our SSAS students were then joined by their peers in the PhD program for a field trip to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) in Welland on April 4th, 2023. Since January, both cohorts have been working closely with Kerry Royer and Natalie Green to develop sustainability assessment frameworks and implementation tools for the NPCA as part of their course work in SSAS 5P03 and SSCI 7P02. The purpose of this field trip was for both groups to present their findings and recommendations to the staff at the NPCA. The presentations were a great success, and we received wonderful feedback from our partners at the NPCA!

    We are very proud of these graduate students for all they have achieved this year, and wish them all the best as they head into the Spring and Summer terms to begin co-op placements and research projects!

    Categories: Blog, Co-Op, Collaborations, Event, Experiential Education, SSAS Program

  • Stories of Sustainability: Experiential Education for SSAS Students in Niagara Parks

    Tuesday, December 20, 2022 | By

    Blog Contributor: Norievill Espana

    SSAS students and Environmental Sustainability Research Centre staff boarded a big yellow bus to visit Niagara Parks as part of the 5P01 Foundations in Sustainability Science and Society course, which was instructed by Dr. Jessica Blythe throughout the Fall 2022 semester. This experiential learning was designed to reinforce knowledge exchange beyond the four walls of the classroom.

    Dr. Ryan Plummer, Director of the ESRC and team lead of the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Initiative (EESI), joined the class and shared information on the EESI, a partnership between Brock University’s ESRC and the Niagara Parks Commission. He added that the EESI aims to enhance environmental stewardship, knowledge sharing, and capacity development through the partnership. Dr. Plummer then introduced Corey Burant, Project Manager for Forest Health Parks, Planning and Properties,from Niagara Parks who facilitated the tour for the SSAS students.

    The first stop was the Niagara Gorge, overlooking the whirlpool and surrounded by a 10,000-year-old rock formation. Corey explained how Niagara Parks employees used prescribed burning to remove and control invasive plant species and maintain the native population. He also shared how forest rangers installed gates and signage and have rerouted trails to protect endangered species. However, vandalism and intrusion remain a challenge within the park.

    The group then proceeded to the Niagara Glen Nature Centre. The Centre is a key location where Niagara Parks fosters knowledge and awareness through nature-based experience. Here, visitors can take part in a point-based trading system by sharing photos of plants and animals that they encountered around the area during their hikes and visits. The staff working at the Centre showed the SSAS students’ items and their corresponding points such as rocks, fossils, taxidermy, shells, and others.

    Before proceeding to the next stop, Samantha Witkowski, SSAS Alumnus, joined the students and shared an overview of her research on monitoring and evaluation of tourist perception and behavior in Niagara Parks. She also shared how the outputs of her research assisted Niagara Parks in identifying sustainable tourism strategies to improve tourist awareness and engagement. After her presentation, the SSAS students made a quick round of sharing their proposed topics of research which included improving awareness on climate change, biodiversity conservation, and environmental restoration.

    The next stop on the tour was the Chippawa Battlefield Park where Corey shared about the history of the grassland, and how the conservation efforts undertaken by Niagara Parks have led to a flourishing ecosystem and thriving population of important bird species.

    Last was a short walk to Ussher’s Creek, one of the shoreline restoration sites in Niagara Parks.  Corey shared that Niagara Parks has adopted a method of piling and dropping fallen trees into the water. The fallen trees provide habitat and feeding areas for diverse species of fish. At the onset, they were worried the method would go against the aesthetic plan of the shoreline but gained support from the surrounding community and saw success in their use of fallen trees. Corey highlighted that NPC continues to find sustainable ways in maintaining Niagara Parks establishments and amenities.

    The experiential learning at Niagara Parks was a beneficial way to wrap up the Fall 2022 term. SSAS students learned first-hand information about how sustainability is embedded in corporate actions and the importance of transdisciplinary initiatives, where academe and partners work hand-in-hand to achieve environmental sustainability goals.

    Categories: Blog, Collaborations, Environmental Stewardship Initiative, Experiential Education, Innovative Partnership, Student Contributor

  • Resilience and Sustainable Community Development within the Prudhommes Project

    Monday, July 18, 2022 | By

    Blog Contributor: Bridget McGlynn

    Building resilience into sustainable community development is the core aim of The Pruhommes Projects, a partnership between The Town of Lincoln, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, and the Environmental Sustainable Research Centre. An essential component to enhancing resilience is finding a meaningful way to measure the impact of different sustainable development strategies. The current phase of the project is focusing on developing a tool to assess the social-ecological resilience of multifunctional landscapes in the Town of Lincoln.

    Social-ecological resilience refers to a way of thinking that recognizes the complex interactions between society and ecosystems. Resilience is an approach that encourages broad and meaningful participation by stakeholders, learning from feedback, and taking action for biosphere stewardship. Resilience, in the context of social-ecological systems, is the ability to maintain and persist in light of changing conditions, to adapt when needed, and to transform when persistence and adaptation are no longer feasible for a desirable future. It embraces the idea of change and acknowledges uncertainty. Social-ecological resilience can be framed as the capacity of the system to maintain the desired ecosystem services in the face of change.

    Furthermore, multifunctional landscapes are essentially just that – landscapes that provide people with a variety of services (Pauleit et al., 2011). Multifunctional landscapes are characterized by multiple land uses and landscape structures and are seen as a possible mechanism to meet societal demands for competing for land use needs. Ashby Park, Vineland’s Tree Culture Research Park, and Prudhommes Development are examples of different multifunctional landscapes in the Town of Lincoln.

    To develop a tool to assess social-ecological resilience, the research team first had to address this question:

    What criteria ideally capture social-ecological resilience in multifunctional landscapes

    in the Town of Lincoln?

    To address this research question, the research team held a priority-setting workshop to prioritize criteria for assessing multifunctional landscapes for the Town of Lincoln. A priority-setting workshop captures a variety of perspectives and provides a safe space to voice and explore ideas among various stakeholders. Furthermore, the collaborative activities provide an opportunity for each participant to develop a more concrete understanding of their own perspectives and priorities as well as hear from others with differing opinions. Priority-setting workshops have been shown to aid in gaining consensus among a group of different stakeholders (Witkowski et al., 2022).

    The workshop was held Friday, June 17 at the Vineland Campus in Lincoln, Ontario. There was a total of 12 participants present at the workshop and two facilitators. This workshop brought together Town of Lincoln staff and relevant subject experts to come to a consensus on appropriate criteria for the assessment tool. At the start of the workshop, the facilitators delivered a presentation to explain the background of the project, social-ecological resilience, and workshop activities. The presentation was followed by three activities: individual Q-sort and questionnaire, consensus building, and group discussion and brainstorming.

    For the Q-sort activity, participants were given a list of 30 criteria. Participants sorted the criteria into a forced 28-item distribution ranking system, ranging from +4 (most important) to -4 (least important). The Q-sort activity assisted each participant in identifying the types of criteria which were most and least important for assessing social-ecological resilience.

    Following the Q-sort activity, participants grouped together for a consensus-building activity. Initially in pairs, the participants co-developed a new prioritized list of criteria. Following the first round, pairs joined together to once again co-develop a new prioritized list of criteria.

    Following the consensus-building activity, all participants rejoined for a group brainstorming activity.  The three groups presented their final co-developed priority criteria lists. The discussion that followed highlighted the need for criteria to capture essential topics, such as: provision of recreation infrastructure; accessibility; water quality and quantity; soil quality and quantity; biodiversity and vegetation; the economic case; and air quality.

    During the discussion, many participants reflected upon how current stressors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent May 2022 windstorm had influenced participants’ prioritized criteria. Furthermore, the fruitful discussion highlighted the various data collection initiatives in the Niagara region in relation to multifunctional landscapes. Overall, the workshop provided the essential insight needed to progress the development of an assessment tool for the social-ecological resilience of multifunctional landscapes in the Town of Lincoln, as well as developed the groundwork for broader collaboration moving forward.

    References

    Pauleit, S., Liu, L., Ahern, J., and Kazmierczak, A. (2011). Multifunctional green infrastructure planning to promote ecological services in the city. In Handbook of urban ecology. Oxford University Press.

    Witkowski, S., Plummer, R. and Hutson, G. (2022) Influences of Engaging in a Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Process on Stakeholder Perceptions of Key Performance Indicators for Trails.  Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 40. doi: 10.18666/JPRA-2021-10953

    Categories: Blog, Collaborations, Innovative Partnership, Prudhommes Project, SSAS Alumni Contributor, Town of Lincoln

  • Launching Our Newest Open-Access Resource Through eCampus Ontario Funding

    Monday, April 25, 2022 | By

    Blog Contributor: Bridget McGlynn

    The ESRC is continuing to expand our educational offerings at Brock University through the creation of an open access undergraduate level course entitled “Building Sustainable Communities: The Impact of Engagement”. This course was built in collaboration with Dr. Derek Armitage and Ella-Kari Muhl from University of Waterloo’s School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability. The course also greatly benefited from the input of Indigenous educator Jodi Johnston.

    Much of the research conducted at the ESRC is operationalized through community partnerships as a mechanism to promote transdisciplinary research and community engagement. Effectively engaging people is essential to navigating contemporary challenges. This course, Building Sustainable Communities: The Impact of Engagement, prepares learners, conceptually and practically, to effectively engage actors as a key aspect of building sustainable communities. The course content encourages a reflective, dynamic, and ethical approach to building sustainable communities at local and global levels. Students will garner a greater understanding of what may characterize a sustainable community; the importance, benefits, and challenges of community engagement; and essential ethical considerations embedded within community engagement.

    The online social sciences course explores theories and practices to engage people for three common and critical purposes: information gathering and sharing; collaboration; and, monitoring and evaluation. The course consists of five modules, each self-contained in Pressbooks:

    Module 1: Introduction to Community Engagement

    Module 2: Information Gathering and Sharing

    Module 3: Collaboration

    Module 4:  Monitoring and Evaluation

    Module 5: Creating Connections for the Future

    Regardless of their major, the content included within each of these modules will provide learners with novel course content, countless ancillary resources, and critical thinking exercises to develop the knowledge and skills to assist in creating a more sustainable future.

     

    Categories: Blog, Collaborations

  • Niagara Parks and Climate Change Readiness Workshop

    Tuesday, November 09, 2021 | By

    Blog Contributor: Savannah Stuart

    On October 8, 2021, the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Initiative (EESI) team hosted a workshop for Niagara Parks staff. This workshop marked the final stages of a project that the EESI team has been working on which revolves around awareness and preparation for climate change in Niagara Parks. The focus of the workshop was to review results from the Internal Stakeholder Engagement survey, and to engage in two activities to explore and establish next steps for climate change readiness at Niagara Parks.

    The Internal Stakeholder Survey was designed to allow staff of Niagara Parks to contribute their ideas and concerns around climate readiness as well as complete a risk assessment for the EESI team to incorporate into the Niagara Parks Climate Readiness Plan. During the workshop, the EESI team shared the results of the Internal Stakeholder Survey and reviewed the goals and objectives outlined in the Climate Readiness Plan with the Niagara Parks team.

    The second half of the workshop focused on two activities designed by the EESI team to expand on the goals and objectives within the Climate Readiness Plan, and establish next steps for environmental stewardship and climate preparedness in Niagara Parks.

    The first activity invited Niagara Parks staff to visualize what the implementation of the outlined goals and objectives would look like across Niagara Parks; as well as in their specific business units. This activity produced an abundance of indicators for successful implementation of the agreed upon goals and objectives. The second activity, titled Pre-mortem, invited Niagara Parks staff to envision what a failure of climate readiness would look like. After demonstrating what climate readiness failure would look like, the Niagara Parks team was invited to brainstorm actions and next steps to avoid climate readiness failure. From this discussion, the EESI team has indicated potential next steps and actions for climate readiness within Niagara Parks.

    The workshop between the EESI team and Niagara Parks was extremely successful, and provided numerous outcomes for next steps and future ideas for environmental stewardship and climate readiness within Niagara Parks. The EESI team is excited to continue working in partnership with Niagara Parks to implement the great ideas formed within the workshop.

    Categories: Blog, Collaborations, Environmental Stewardship Initiative, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor

  • Restoration in Canada Parks: A Fight Worth Fighting

    Tuesday, November 09, 2021 | By

    Blog Contributor: Shannon Heaney

    “A fight worth fighting”; just one of the impactful statements from the most recent Environmental Speaker Series hosted by the Niagara Parks Commision. The session, held on October 28, 2021, focused on Ecosystem Restoration and perceptions of ecological health within Canada Parks. The three presenters, Angela Mallett, a Brock University Masters graduate, and Tammy Dobbie and Andrew Laforet, from Parks Canada, provided the audience with an extremely educational and inspiring talk!

    Angela Mallett dove into the relationship between visitors and their perceptions of ecological health in the parks in her thesis research titled Understanding Perceptions of the State of the Environment in Relation to Ecological Measures. Angela’s research provided insights into understanding that green does not always mean good, and is a great stepping-stone for shaping future educational and interpretive programs about ecological health within the parks.

    Tammy Dobbie, a Nature Legacy Park Ecologist at Point Pelee National Park headed off the Parks Canada presentation titled Ecosystem Restoration Challenges: It Looks Pretty Green, so it Must Be Healthy, Right?. Tammy provided inspiring insight into the Species at Risk monitoring program at Point Pelee and other national parks, and the amazing work Parks Staff are implementing to protect these species. More information about the species that are being monitored in Point Pelee can be found here.

    Andrew Laforet, a Resource Conservation Project Coordinator at Point Pelee National Park continued the presentation on Restoration Practices within Parks Canada. Andrew focused on alternative practices including prescribed burning, herbicide treatment, and the removal of invasive species. More information on these practices can be found here and here! Andrew enlightened us on the importance of restoration practices, even if they may appear destructive, such as prescribed burning, and the essential role these practices have in maintaining diverse, native species and the beauty of these ecosystems.

    The Parks Canada team left us with steps to take at home, including educating ourselves about invasive species and ensuring we are planting native species in our own backyards.

    If you missed this session and want to learn more about Ecosystem Restoration and what steps you can take to support the ecosystems around you, you can find the link to the talk here.

    The next speaker series will be November 25, 2021 at 7pm. Mark your calendars to join us for another exciting session about the International Joint Commission. Click here to preregister for the event.

    Categories: Blog, Collaborations, Environmental Stewardship Initiative, Innovative Partnership, SSAS Student Contributor

  • Trail Management through Collaboration: Reflections and Aspirations

    Thursday, October 28, 2021 | By

    Blog Contributor: John Foster

    The Trail Assets and Tourism Initiative (TATI) is an innovative partnership between Brock’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), and the Ontario Trails Council (OTC). The purpose of the partnership is to develop and enhance the parks and trails network operated by the NPC through research and collaboration. To date, the partnership team has developed strategies that support the NPC’s ability to manage park and trail assets to provide safe, enjoyable, and sustainable recreation opportunities for all. Most recently, two members of the TATI team, Garrett Hutson (Project Chair, Brock University) and Corey Burant (Program Manager of Forest Health, Niagara Parks Commission) were invited to discuss their experiences working on the partnership to Communities in Bloom, a Canadian non-profit dedicated to the improvement of civic spaces. I had an opportunity to catch up with both Hutson and Burant to further discuss the partnership and their joint presentation to Communities in Bloom.

    When asked about the significance of presenting the work of the TATI partnership to a larger audience, both Hutson and Burant acknowledged the utility and endless impacts of collaboration between agencies. Burant specifically acknowledged the challenges that are facing many parks and trails operators, including those at Communities in Bloom, as a result of increased visitor pressure from COVID-19, and discussed how important it is to share resources to commonly faced challenges for these agencies. Further, Hutson commented on the power of partnerships such as the TATI, musing that participants in similar partnerships are likely to benefit from the insight he and Burant shared about collaborative work during their presentation.

    Switching gears to focus on the TATI partnership itself, I asked both Hutson and Burant about their experiences working together, and what aspect of the partnership they found to be most valuable. For Hutson, the opportunity to work with other agencies such as the NPC and OTC was fulfilling, as was the ability to witness graduate students gain invaluable networking and professional opportunities outside of the traditional graduate program format. For Burant, the opportunity to collaborate with researchers from Brock is highly valuable for the NPC, stating that the quality and professionalism of the Brock contingent has been most impressive to him.

    When asked about which partnership projects have been most impactful, Hutson expressed his excitement for the recent Trail Re-Alignment project, which focussed on visitor wayfinding and experience in the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve. Due to the work of the partnership team, the NPC was able to receive significant grant funding from the TD Friends of the Environment program, and the TATI-recommended work is currently underway.

    Looking forwards to future partnership achievements, Burant indicated he was most excited about the next project for the TATI team, which is to create a Management Strategy for the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve. This strategy will help guide Niagara Parks in ensuring that the environmentally sensitive attributes of the Niagara Glen are protected for generations to come while also providing high quality recreation opportunities for the people of Niagara and beyond.

    As for the future of the partnership? Hutson says: “We have all the right people at the table to continue to get valuable work completed, which will both add recreation vibrancy to Niagara Parks as well as protect trail environments for future generations.”

    Interested in learning more about the Trail Assets and Tourism Initiative? Visit the ESRC’s website here.

    Categories: Blog, Collaborations, Innovative Partnership, Trail Assets and Tourism Initiative

  • NPC Speaker Series Underway: A Bright Future for Stewardship in Niagara

    Monday, October 04, 2021 | By

    Blog Contributor: Lauren Patterson

    The first session of the Environmental Speaker Series was a success! On September 23, the Niagara Parks Commission in partnership with the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre at Brock University hosted their first of 3 lectures. The speakers delivered an inspiring discussion on the importance of Environmental Stewardship within the Niagara Region, and answered pressing questions from the audience.

    Brooke Kapeller, a Brock University Masters student, opened the session with an informative Story Map of her thesis “Exploring environmental stewardship in the Niagara Region of Canada: How do elements of environmental stewardship relate to success?”. Brooke’s research explores what drives success within environmental stewardships initiatives, with a specific focus on the Niagara Region. Her research will be made available to the public sometime in October.

    Following Brooke’s presentation, Dr. Ryan Plummer moderated an enlightening discussion with keynote speakers Ellen Savoia and Corey Burant of the Niagara Parks Commission. The session highlighted the vibrant history of stewardship in Niagara region and gave a glimpse into what the future holds.

    Ellen, the lead of the Environmental Planning team with NPC, oversees 1,325 hectares of Niagara Parks land. Ellen emphasized the honour and tremendous responsibility the NPC holds in preserving the natural environment of the Region and outlined how planning and policy sets the framework in which stewardship works. She shared with us the organizations focus on preservation and promotion of natural and cultural heritage, as well as the unique habitats that make prosperity and restoration in Niagara so important.

    Corey, the Program Manager of Forest Health with NPC, described the balancing act of simultaneously showcasing and preserving Niagara’s natural beauty. Corey expressed NPC’s commitment to being leaders in stewardship, and ensuring the lands are sustainably managed. According to Corey, stewardship at Niagara means being resilient and keeping the parks intact as they face threats such as climate change and invasive species. He highlighted the significance of restoration and rehabilitation, and the important role collaboration plays in making projects successful.

    The lecture left both the speakers and the audience feeling excited about NPC’s ongoing and future projects, including an Urban Forestry Management Plan, Climate Change Adaptation Plan, and the continued commitment to the recently approved Environmental Stewardship Action Plan.

    Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 28, at 7pm. Our next lecture “Ecosystem restoration challenges faced by Parks Canada”, will feature keynote speakers Tammie Dobbie and Andrew Leforet from Parks Canada.

    If you missed this session, do not fret! All Environmental Speaker Series sessions are being recorded, and you can click here to watch right now. To make sure you do not miss out on future lectures, click here to register for free and a link will be emailed to you directly.

    Categories: Blog, Collaborations, Environmental Stewardship Initiative, SSAS Student Contributor

  • Building better research through community partnerships

    Monday, March 01, 2021 | By

    Blog Contributor: Erica Harper

    On January 26th, 2020 Brock hosted a workshop called “Building better research through community partnerships”, which was the 11th event in the Building Better Research series – a collaboration between Brock’s Office of Research Services and the Library. The panelists included the following faculty and staff members:

    • Meaghan Rusnell – Director, Government and Community Engagement
    • Julie Rorison – Manager, Community Relations
    • Madelyn Law – Associate Provost, Teaching and Learning; Professor of Health Sciences
    • Sid Segalowitz – Professor Emeritus and Director, Centre for Lifespan Development Research
    • Ryan Plummer – Professor and Director, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC)

    All panelists detailed their experiences of conducting research through community partnerships, including Dr. Plummer who discussed the benefits of collaborating with the ESRC’s partners. The Centre now has over eight formalized agreements with partners such as the Trail Assets and Tourism Initiative with the Niagara Parks Commission, the Partnership for Freshwater Resilience with World Wildlife Fund-Canada, and the Brock-Lincoln Living Lab, to name a few.

    According to Dr. Plummer, here are three main benefits of working with community partners:

    • The ability to co-create knowledge in a way that honours and gives a voice to the partners in the community and bridges the gap between scientific knowledge and the needs of the local partners and communities. Dr. Plummer provided a recent example of how collaborating with partners is the key to meeting the needs of the community. He explained that the ESRC’s partners at Niagara Parks were dealing with a dramatic increase in tourism at the start of the pandemic due to the public wanting to get out of their homes and explore local greenspaces.

    Instead of having around 220,000 people visit the Niagara Glen per season, the added need for greenspaces led to over 300,000 visitors during the 2020 season. Dr. Plummer mentioned it was important to quickly pivot within the partnership to start responding to an acute community need to support people’s wellbeing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  This was possible due to a good working relationship with the partners at the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), and they were able to create a video that showcased best practices for trail safety amid COVID-19 and beyond.

    • Every year (pre-pandemic), Master of Sustainability students go on a field trip to visit the ESRC’s community partners such as NPC, the Town of Lincoln, and Vineland, to name a few. During this trip, students have the ability to meet with partners and receive an incredible hands-on experience. This important fieldtrip can even inspire students to take on research related to the partners, which brings us to our last main benefit of engaging in community partnerships. To learn more about this engaging experience and how learning outside the classroom is beneficial for students, read this blog post.
    • Through meeting with partners and attending partnership events, thesis students within the MS program are able to look at concerns and needs that partners have and can tailor their research to address these needs. For example, Angela Mallette, a past graduate student, presented her research regarding Niagara Parks. Within two weeks of successfully defending her thesis, two Niagara Parks managers at the partnership’s bi-annual roundtable were able to implement her recommendations. Ultimately, student research related to partnerships has the power to impact hundreds of thousands of people in the community and beyond.

    All in all, engaging in community partnerships can lead to a number of impactful research projects and help our community by making a difference in the environment while also enhancing the student experience.

    Categories: Blog, Collaborations, Event, Innovative Partnership, Town of Lincoln

1 2 3