News

• 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

• Researcher offers words of encouragement on Fall Convocation day

  Friday, November 02, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018 | by Cathy Majteny

  

  Learn something new every day. Volunteer. Don’t let discouragement stop you. Follow your dreams.

  These are some of the life lessons arising from Liette Vasseur’s three decades of study and leadership in the area of environmental sustainability.

  The Brock University Professor of Biology delivered the afternoon address Friday, Oct. 12 as more than 1,000 students graduated during Fall Convocation. She advised the crowd to volunteer in places that may be of interest and learn at least one new thing every day.

  “It is amazing how you will learn, make new contacts and open new doors through these actions. You never know where your path will bring you,” she said.

  Vasseur said passion for “discovery of life” and a desire to help people are what give her the energy to balance her various roles and commitments. She urged the graduates to “embrace life, continue discovering and don’t forget that you are the leaders of tomorrow.”

  Vasseur’s research on ecosystems, biodiversity, sustainable development and community sustainability has taken her from small villages in Ecuador to large-scale farms in China and leadership roles in global institutions. She is the President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability: from Local to Global, and Vice-Chair (North America) and Chair (Ecosystem Governance) of the Commission on Ecosystem Management, International Union for Conservation of Nature.

  Along the way, she has published more than 100 papers, presented at more than 200 events, supervised several dozen students and won many awards. Her latest honour came Friday when she was awarded the 2018 Award for Distinguished Research and Creative Activity.

  “The award is not just mine, but shared with a team of students here in Canada as well as in China and Ecuador,” said Vasseur.

  In addition to Vasseur’s honour, also being awarded Friday was Psychology Professor Tim Murphy, who was the recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award. As an active mentor to young academics, he has worked with numerous teaching apprentices and has had six teaching assistants who have gone on to work as instructors at the university level after graduating from Brock. Murphy also won the OUSA Teaching Excellence Award in 2010 and the Faculty of Social Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017.

• 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

• Meet the Faculty of the ESRC: Dr. Julia Baird

  Monday, September 24, 2018 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Kaitlin James

  Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Julia Baird, an Assistant Professor at the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) to find out more about her research and role at the ESRC. Her research interests centre around water. She agrees with the notion that water issues are ultimately issues of governance, and so her research focuses on the human dimensions of water resources. She has numerous publications that exemplify her vast amount of research within the field of sustainability science. It was great to learn more about her and the journey she took to get to where she is today.

  

  Photo: Dr. Julia Baird, Canada Research Chair & Assistant Professor, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre

  Q1:  What path did you take to end up where you are today, and how did you end up doing research for the ESRC? 

  I started as an undergraduate student in agriculture – crop science to be exact – and I think that was due to an increasing appreciation for the farm I grew up on and realizing just how much I didn’t know about how agriculture works. I had an excellent professor in my final year that guided me toward an opportunity to undertake a master’s degree in soil science at the University of Saskatchewan, where I developed a real love of research and realized that I wanted to continue on. I pursued an interdisciplinary PhD in the School of Environment and Sustainability at the U of S. Around the time I was completing my dissertation, my husband and I made the decision to move to Ontario for him to start graduate school. Our plan was to spend one year here and I contacted Ryan Plummer on the advice of one of his colleagues about a potential short term post-doc. It’s almost eight years later and I’m thrilled to still be here!

  Q2: What are your research areas of focus? 

  I have a range of research interests that reflect my path to this position, but all of them share the common threads of decision-making about our environment and environmental sustainability. I have a keen interest in water resources, agriculture, and resilience, and bring a social-ecological systems perspective to all of them.

  Q3:What do you want to achieve with your research? 

  Save the world, of course! It’s really important to me that my research contributes to both theory and practice, and what’s really great about the ESRC is that it supports that goal in an explicit way through its emphasis on transdisciplinarity and community engaged research. I hope to make an impact on real-world decision making and enhance the resilience of governance of water resources, whether it be in urban or rural settings.

  Q4: What is it like being one of Brocks’ 11 Canadian Research Chairs? 

  It’s an honour to hold a CRC, and there are benefits in terms of being able to focus more of my time on research which I appreciate and truly enjoy. I’m also working very hard to ensure that I make the most of this position and building a program of research that will have an impact locally, in Canada and internationally well past the tenure of this position.

  Q5: Could you please share a turning point or defining moment in your work as a sustainability scientist? 

  This is an easy one – it was during the second year of my master’s degree at the U of S. I was doing my fieldwork, collecting weed densities, probably. My project was focused on identifying appropriate seeding rates for organic production of two legumes using a range of variables. I remember wondering how my research findings would be received and how you actually get farmers to change their practices based on the scientific knowledge I was generating. That was it for me – a short time later I decided to transition to an interdisciplinary social science doctorate and start to investigate these types of questions. My desire to focus on real-world ‘problems’ and use scholarly research as a mechanism to contribute to solutions was the foundation upon which this and all my research that followed was and is built (though I didn’t know that there was a term for it back then!).

   

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