April 11, 2019: IRES Student Symposium Speakers: various RES Master and PhD students

The IRES Student Symposium showcases research done by our Masters and PhD students.

Date: April 11, 2019, 2:00-4:30pm

Location: Earth Sciences Building 1012

Symposium Schedule

Click here to view the video recordings Part 1 and Part 2.

20 mins per speaker (15 min talk, 5 min questions)

2pm to 2:05pm – Introduction by Leila Harris
2:05pm to 2:25pm – John Driscoll
2:25pm to 2:45pm – Naya Arriagada Oyarzún
2:45pm to 3:05pm – Victor Lam

3:05pm to 3:25pm – Break (20 mins)

3:25pm to 3:45pm – Steve Williams
3:45pm to 4:05pm – Krista Cawley
4:05pm to 4:25pm – Connor Robinson

Cash Bar and Dinner in AERL Building Lobby: 4:30pm to 8pm

Analyzing NAFO fisheries yields in terms of nutrients, rather than catch weights, leads to novel insights

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO (2:25-24:50 min)

Abstract: Fisheries yields are typically expressed and analyzed in terms of the weight of the catch. However, catch weight is not necessarily a good indicator of food and/or nutrient production, as different taxa can vary greatly in the amount of food that they yield for humans and in the nutrient content of that food. Given the dietary importance of seafood, particularly for food-insecure populations, it is proposed that analysis and and management of fisheries’ yields should be expanded to consider nutrients of particular dietary importance. In this study, yields from Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) fisheries were re-expressed in terms of yields of specific nutrients. Results and conclusions from this analysis will be discussed, with a particular focus on how nutrient-specific analysis can reveal trends, insights, and conclusions that are not apparent from analysis of catch weights alone.

John Driscoll (PhD Program)

supervised by Kai Chan

Bio:

John is a Ph.D. candidate in Kai Chan’s lab, where his research focuses on the analysis and management of fisheries for food production outcomes. He received his B.A. in biology from the College of Wooster (Ohio), and a Master’s of Environmental Studies from Dalhousie University (Halifax). Prior to arriving at UBC, he was the fisheries program manager for a Canadian environmental organization. John has conducted a number of sustainability analyses for the Seafood Watch/SeaChoice programs, and has approximately 350 days-at-sea experience in fisheries, primarily as a fisheries observer in Alaska and New England.

“We fought like never before, but we lost as usual”: Environmental governance in red tide/salmon farming crisis in Chiloé Island (Chile)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO (25:25-47:00 min)

Abstract: In 2016, a social movement developed on the Island of Chiloé in protest against the consequences of the worst “red tide” algal bloom in Chile’s history, as well against the salmon farming industry. Research has shown that coastal communities are suffering a broad array of environmental changes that challenge them socially, culturally and economically. When these communities face chaotic multi-shock events such as the case of Chiloé Island, adaptive capacity is challenged. Through qualitative interviews, this research aims to describe the perceptions of Chiloé inhabitants regarding the multi-shocks of the red tide/salmon crisis, and how those processes impact their social adaptive capacity. Specifically, in terms of governance of the conflict, while a few positive outcomes are associated with the social movement’s efforts including Supreme Court decision, national and local governance strategies are rigid, short term oriented, and far from adaptive.

Naya Arriagada Oyarzún (MA Program)

supervised by David Boyd

Bio:

Naya was born and raised in Chiloé Island, Southern Chile, surrounded by nature and unique rural life. She graduated from Sociology in Chile in 2013 and has professional and academic experience in social research. In Chile, she has worked as a project manager for national and international public opinion surveys, as well as research assistant and consultant for UNDP. Her previous work in academic research has focused on regional social movements and conflicts, but currently is looking to broaden her scope to environmental conflicts and governance towards sustainable solutions for the affected communities.

Naya is working under the supervision of Dr. David R. Boyd. Her research is focused on social movement’s outcomes and social resilience in coastal communities where collective action regarding marine resources is contentious. Specifically, her research explores the links between governance and policy changes, social capital and adaptive capacity in the salmon farming conflict in Chiloé.

Examining How Religious Environmental Organizations Construct and Tailor Messages on Climate Change: A Case Study of the Trans-Mountain Pipeline Expansion Resistance

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO (47:20-1:06 min)

Abstract: Through education, advocacy and activism, religious environmental organizations (REOs) could play a critical role in addressing disengaged religious audiences on climate change. Based on a case study of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion resistance, this presentation examines how REOs construct and tailor the messages of climate change to religious audiences throughout the movement. Drawing on the framing approach, we identified major themes in 15 semi-structured interviews with key REO informants. Preliminary findings suggest that REOs drew upon and emphasized frameworks of environmental stewardship, interconnectedness, and climate justice to justify their actions in pipeline resistance. However, some REOs had to tailor their messages in light of wider, political and institutional considerations. This work contributes to the growing literature on the role of religious actors in climate change politics, and provides valuable empirical evidence of the nascent religious environmental movement in Canada.

Victor Lam (MA Program)

supervised by George Hoberg

Bio:

Victor is broadly interested in the social and cultural dimensions of climate change, with a focus on the role of religious actors in climate change politics and communication. Prior to his studies at UBC, he worked as a research assistant at the Department of Geography and Asian Energy Studies Centre at Hong Kong Baptist University, where he facilitated projects on energy policy and governance in China, Hong Kong, and Japan. He has also worked with several grassroots and religious environmental organizations in Hong Kong and Canada. He completed his BASc with Honours in Sustainability, Science and Society at McGill University.

Justice in Energy Transitions

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO (5:07-27:23 min)

Abstract: I argue that transitions research more broadly needs to take more account of justice in its analysis. This analysis draws primarily from environmental and energy justice literature to engage with the concept of justice in transitions research, as it seeks justice for people, communities, and the non-human environment from negative environmental impacts. This is achieved through different forms of justice: distributive, procedural, and recognition. I ground the theoretical proposal in the case of the Alberta Energy Futures Lab, a public engagement process designed to accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy future, to provide an empirical example of the application of environmental justice and sustainability transitions. I conclude with reflections upon the application of a justice approach to sustainability transitions research and offer insights into a potentially new research agenda.

Steve Williams (PhD Program)

supervised by John Robinson and Terre Satterfield

Bio:

Steve has extensive professional experience in evaluation, impact measurement, and data visualization for sustainability and social change projects. He combines his experience with information design to design and facilitate public events and collaborative professional development trainings, using data to engage the public and stakeholders in sustainability dialogue, and integrating art and theatre into public engagement. Steve is currently a PhD candidate at UBC evaluating the societal impacts of sustainability transition experiments with the Energy Futures Lab in Alberta, Canada as case study. In 2018, Steve was a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam, Germany and continues as an Affiliate Scholar with IASS.

What do plants and waves have in common? An evaluation of the flood protection potential of a coastal brackish marsh near Richmond, BC, Canada

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO (28:00-47:18 min)

Abstract: Coastal communities are at an elevated risk of coastal flooding from the combined impacts of future sea level rise, storm surge, and winter storms. While communities situated in these low-lying areas are planning for future flood risk, often nature-based solutions are vaguely described due to the complexity of their flood protection services. Vegetation in tidal marsh ecosystems can act as a buffer to flooding by reducing wave height and dissipating wave energy. However, most research on tidal marshes focuses on salt marshes and mangroves, and little is known about the variability of flood protection across seasons. Using field measurements and numerical modelling, this research aims to evaluate the potential flood protection of the Sturgeon Bank brackish marsh near the City of Richmond, to provide evidence informing nature-based solutions which may assist in planning for flood risk reduction in the future.

Krista Cawley (MSc Program)

supervised by Stephanie Chang

Bio:

Krista is an MSc student working under the supervision of Dr. Stephanie Chang. She is interested in how vegetation in coastal tidal marsh ecosystems can act as flood protection during winter storm events. Previously, she completed a BSc in Environmental Science with a concentration in Ecology and Conservation at UBC. Born and raised in Powell River, she has developed a keen interest in marine and coastal systems and has worked in outdoor leadership and youth education for 10 years.

Modeling and Comparing the Effects of Agricultural Land Application of Biosolids and Biochar on Soil Health

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO (47:40-1:10:04 min)

Abstract: The Capital Regional District (CRD) is currently determining what the preferred beneficial reuse option is going to be for its soon-to-be-produced Class A biosolids (highly treated sewage sludge). This could mean directly using the biosolids in agriculture or turning them into biochar before use in agriculture. Each of these options comes with its own set of pros and cons to soil and environmental health, and social and economic implications. In this thesis, system dynamics modelling is used to compare the pros and cons, in terms of effects on soil health, of agricultural land application of biosolids and biosolids-derived biochar in the CRD. This is done by looking at how the stocks of fixed and plant-available nitrogen, permanent and labile carbon, and two endocrine-disrupting compounds change over time as a result of land application of either of these soil amendments.

Connor Robinson (MSc Program)

supervised by Gunilla Öberg and Steve Conrad

Bio:

Connor is a second-year MSc student at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability under the supervision of Dr. Gunilla Öberg. He grew up in Vancouver, a place that he once thought of as having a steady, secure water supply given the amount of rain we receive and the highly-engineered nature of the urban water system. This notion was quickly flipped on its head, however, as he learned more about how environmental systems work and at the same time the effects of climate change started to be locally seen.

Connor received his Bachelor of Environment with a major in Global Environmental Systems from Simon Fraser University. During his undergraduate studies, he acquired a keen interest in water resources management, particularly in working towards environmentally, socially and economically sustainable management of this important resource for its many purposes. As an undergraduate, he served as a research assistant, assessing the regulatory environment surrounding distributed energy resources at water and wastewater utilities, under the supervision of Dr. Steve Conrad. His MSc thesis is focusing on analyzing and mapping the nature and extent of scientific and technical production in the wastewater treatment field, and creating an interactive tool that experts and policymakers can access to easily learn more about the field or aspects of it.

Photo Credit: from openclipart.org

New Climate Solutions Research – Opportunity Projects

New Climate Solutions Research – Opportunity Projects

The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions is pleased to announce the first four research projects to be awarded funding under its new Opportunity Projects Program (OPP).

Opportunity projects are partnership-driven, research initiatives that aim to generate high-impact climate mitigation or adaptation solutions. OPP launched in late 2018, resulting in 29 applications.

PICS executive director Sybil Seitzinger says the four chosen projects from this inaugural call address British Columbia climate change challenges and opportunities, but are scalable for end-users well beyond the province’s boundaries. Each will receive up to $60,000 per year for a maximum of three years, to fund its operations.

The four projects will address either climate change mitigation and/or adaptation, specifically—thermal energy storage; adaptive management of coastal kelp and fisheries by First Nations; designing a multi-family residential buildings framework that incorporates climate mitigation and adaptation needs, and developing an open-access, climate-adapted planning tool for conservation land and protected areas.

Projects are summarized below. The next call for Opportunity Projects will be issued later this month around April 30, 2019.

Integration of Mobile Thermal Storage in City of Surrey’s District Energy Network . Project lead: Majid Bahrami, SFU

District energy networks can play a central role in reducing building-related emissions due to their high efficiency and the flexibility they offer for integrating energy from renewable sources. The building sector is a major contributor to GHG emissions in Canada and worldwide. In collaboration with the City of Surrey and Canmet ENERGY, this project aims to develop a novel modular (scalable) thermochemical-based mobile thermal energy storage (M-TES). The proposed system will be capable of capturing waste heat from distributed, non-connected sources and moving this heat to connect into a district energy system. The heat stored in the M-TES can be used for load shaping and to offset requirements for generating peak power from non-renewable sources. The resulting benefits from this project include a reduced reliance on non-renewable fuels for peak loads, reduced carbon emissions and lower operating costs. The project will serve as an example for sustainable energy initiatives in other municipalities in BC and beyond.

Climate Adaptive Planning for British Columbia. Project lead: Oscar Venter, UNBC

There is currently no planning tool available that takes into account future climate change when establishing protected areas in British Columbia (BC) and projecting impacts on natural systems. This project, in partnership with The Nature Trust, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the BC Parks Foundation, will address the core question: How can we adapt our conservation plans in BC to minimize the impacts of a changing climate? The first online, open-access, fully operable and user-friendly tool will be developed to support climate–adapted systematic conservation planning across BC. This tool will be accessible and flexible for diverse user groups, as well as updatable with future enhancements in understanding climate change in BC.

Designing solutions to the hidden impacts of climate change on Canada’s undersea forests. Project lead: Anne Salomon, SFU

In 2015 First Nations communities on central BC’s coast observed an expansive outbreak of an encrusting bryozoan. This outbreak occurred in correlation with extreme ocean temperature anomalies (“warm blob”) in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Giant kelps were heavily encrusted by the bryozoan, causing them to sink to the seafloor where they rapidly disintegrated. This project—in partnership with the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance that encompasses all four First Nations of BC’s central coast (Heiltsuk Nation, Kitasoo/ Xai’ xais Nation, Nuxalk Nation and the Wuikinuxv Nation)—will determine whether adaptive management of traditional community-based kelp harvest and herring spawn-on-kelp fisheries can minimize the negative impact of temperature-induced bryozoan outbreaks. This project aims to enhance the resilience of both kelp forest ecosystems and coastal communities to climate change.

Adaptive Mitigation: A framework for assessing synergies, conflicts, opportunities and trade-offs between climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban neighbourhoods.* Project lead: Stephanie Chang UBC

In partnership with BC Housing, this project will investigate how strategies for adaptation and mitigation in urban neighbourhoods intersect, focusing specifically on multi-family residential buildings and their immediate context, in order to maximize the opportunity for “shelter-in-place”—or safety within the building one occupies. The research goal is to develop an integrated building adaptation and mitigation assessment (IBAMA) framework and tool to help decision-makers identify solutions that simultaneously incorporate both elements. The long-term objective is that the IBAMA framework will influence future building codes, standards, and construction best practices in both British Columbia and abroad.

*Note that this project supports the research of IRES MSc student Ilana Judah.

For more information on OPP visit the PICS website Research Engagement Program

April 4, 2019: IRES Faculty Seminar with Navin Ramankutty

IRES Seminar Series

Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (every Thursday)

Location: AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall

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*** VIEW SEMINAR VIDEO HERE (starts at 3:07min)***

Can we produce our way out of food system problems?

Abstract:

The global food system is one of the biggest drivers of global environmental degradation. This will only worsen if increasing population and consumption generates increased production in the future. Solutions to this challenge often focus on increasing production through ‘sustainable intensification’, and commonly include closing yield gaps, genetic engineering, or expanding organic and/or urban agriculture. However, an assessment of existing studies suggest that such “hard path” solutions, from the supply side, will be insufficient to meet our food and environmental goals of the future. On the contrary, “soft path” solutions, such as reducing waste and shifting diets, are needed to deal with the magnitude of the problem. Soft path solutions, focused on improving efficiencies and reducing demand, have huge leverage, such that even small changes can have large impacts. The open question is how we can achieve such shifts.

Navin Ramankutty

Interim Director and Professor, IRES

Bio:

Navin Ramankutty is Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Change and Food Security at the Liu Institute for Global Issues and the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. His research program aims to understand how humans use and modify the Earth’s land surface for agriculture and its implications for the global environment. Using global Earth observations and numerical ecosystem models, his research aims to find solutions to the problem of feeding humanity with minimal global environmental footprint. He contributed to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report and to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He was an editor of the journal Global Food Security and Global Ecology and Biogeography, and is an Associate Editor of Environmental Research Letters. He is a Leopold Leadership Fellow.

Website: https://ires2015.sites.olt.ubc.ca/person/navin-ramankutty/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=POHYXREAAAAJ&hl=en

Photo Credit: Susanne Nilsson from Flickr/ Creative Commons

The Future of Renewable Infrastructure is Uncertain Without Good Planning: Op-ed by IRES PhD Students, Vikas Menghwani and Sandeep Pai, and IRES Associate Faculty Member, Hisham Zerriffi

File 20190326 36270 1wn7c5r.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1 — These photovoltaics panels provide this village with energy now, but they could become obsolete when the main grid arrives.
(Shutterstock)

Vikas Menghwani, University of British Columbia; Hisham Zerriffi, University of British Columbia, and Sandeep Pai, University of British Columbia

In 2005, a small hydropower plant was installed in the Sukajaya district of West Java, Indonesia. This was an off-the-grid project, owned by the community, that provided electricity locally through a mini-grid to about 150 households mainly for lighting. But after 10 years the plant was discontinued when the community was connected to the recently expanded central grid.

This is the story for many such projects in the region, including solar-powered residential systems. Over and over again, the value of renewable energy investments is lost as the installations are left abandoned as the grid arrives. In Indonesia alone, more than 150 villages have abandoned mini-grid projects since late 2000s.

While investing in fossil fuel-based energy has become riskier, there are also unique investment risks with small-scale renewable systems. In developing countries, in many sites relying on off-grid or mini-grid electricity, this infrastructure faces the risk of becoming a “stranded asset” — abandoned infrastructure that no longer holds value — which may work against efforts to limit climate change.

This is a significant issue for the 1.1 billion people that still do not have access to any electricity globally. According to the International Energy Agency, to achieve 100 per cent electrification by 2030, we need to rely heavily on solutions that do not depend on a central electrical grid. In highly unelectrified regions like sub-Saharan Africa, nearly three-quarters of the new connections must come from off-grid and mini-grid systems.

Threatened renewables

Traditionally, the dominant approach to electrifying regions without electricity has been to extend the centralized grid into those regions. Most of these grids are run on fossil fuels such as coal, which still remains the dominant electricity fuel source globally.

A wind farm in the Seychelles.
IRENA/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

However, in recent decades, off-grid technologies based on renewable energy such as solar photovoltaics, wind power or hydropower have received a lot of attention for their ability to easily electrify remote communities. This has happened in the form of mini-grids, smaller versions of a large transmission grid, that connect tens or hundreds of households, or off-grid standalone systems for a single or a few households.

But mini-grid and off-grid developments are threatened by the arrival of the main grid, because customers will readily defect to the main grid. This compromises the expectations of the mini-grid developers and sellers of standalone systems.

A study of mini-grids in three developing countries in Asia shows that this phenomenon is widespread. In another study, one mini-grid investor in India noted that the government did not give him:

“…the assurance that if you do these projects is the grid going to reach there in one year, three years, five years? So there is no solidity in all of that.”

In fact, in a recent report by the UN Development Program (UNDP), grid expansion has been identified as one of the key barriers facing off-grid and mini-grid development.

Options for developers

There are two options for developers to partially save their assets, when the grid arrives.

Off-grid and mini-grid developers can partially protect their investments by letting go of the electricity generation related assets — like the power plant or generator, but keep the distribution power lines in place.

In Cambodia, for example, which had mainly diesel-based mini-grid systems, when the main electrical grid was expanded, larger mini-grids were integrated into it. This allowed the mini-grid developers to change their business model and become small-scale power distributors. Unfortunately, this approach often eliminates the clean-energy benefits that come from mini-grids running on renewable energy.

In September 2015, the town of Les Côteaux in the south of Haiti switched on its lights for the first time after a mini-grid was installed.
UNEP/Marc Lee Steed

Another option is to abandon the distribution network and use the generation system to feed power back to the main grid. For example, in Sri Lanka, three hydropower projects became small-scale power producers. These are low success rates, however, and an NGO had to do significant work to convert the three projects.

Policy fixes

But these courses of action cannot happen in the absence of appropriate regulations. Competition from a future centralized grid can be avoided through integrated planning for electrification.

Both grid and decentralized systems (off-grid and mini-grid) can be used together successfully if governments work towards the twin imperatives of universal electricity access and emissions reductions. By creating off-grid zones and non-overlapping service areas, they can reduce the investment risk for decentralized solutions. They can then focus on enhancing the operation and maintenance capacity of local systems.

Decentralized energy has been hailed in many developed countries as the harbinger of democratization of energy. But the picture is very different in developing countries.

Electrification using conventional means, growing consumption levels and simultaneous reliance on decentralized solutions without planning, may mean many small-scale low-carbon projects get discarded, and leave consumers, investors and governments in a fix.

Since deploying renewables is considered one of the most important ways to mitigate the climate change crisis, understanding their vulnerability and mitigating these vulnerabilities are indispensable for any bold climate action.

Vikas Menghwani, PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia; Hisham Zerriffi, Associate Professor, Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia, and Sandeep Pai, Ph.D. Student & Public Scholar, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

March 21, 2019: IRES Faculty Seminar with Dr. Ron Stewart (University of Manitoba)

IRES Seminar Series

Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (every Thursday)

Location: AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall

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*** VIEW SEMINAR RECORDING (Begins at 3:17 min)***

Near 0°C Temperature and Precipitation Characteristics across Canada

Temperatures and associated precipitation (including freezing rain and wet snow) near 0°C lead to many impacts on society and ecosystems. This presentation provides a Canada-wide perspective on near 0°C conditions (-2°C ≤ T ≤ 2°C) using 92 hourly reporting stations over the 1981-2011 period. The average number of days per year experiencing such temperatures varies widely from approximately 20 in the Arctic to 200 in interior British Columbia, whereas the associated number of hours varies from 600 in the Arctic and southwestern British Columbia to almost 1800 in Newfoundland. In southern Canada, associated precipitation often occurs near mid-winter but it typically does not occur near summer. The development of these and numerous other characteristics is establishing a solid foundation for understanding near 0°C patterns; this is needed for best adapting to their future shifts driven by our changing climate.

Dr. Ron Stewart

Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba

Bio:

Ronald Stewart is a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Manitoba. Previously, he was a professor at McGill University and a senior scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. Professor Stewart’s research focuses on extreme weather, precipitation and regional climate; current research topics include winter precipitation formation and its occurrence as well as recent and future droughts, forest fires and flooding over Canada. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society and he has been awarded the Patterson Medal by the Meteorological Service of Canada.

March 14, 2019: IRES Student Seminar with Marco Vázquez Pérez and Alejandra Echeverri

IRES Seminar Series

Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (every Thursday)

Location: AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall

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*** Due to technical difficulties, this seminar was not recorded***

Exploring values in scientists’ perspectives on the relationship between nature and humans in the case of the wastewater controversy in the CRD, BC, Canada.

Values are held to be a central reason why more research does not solve scientific controversies around complex societal issues. In Victoria, BC, Canada, scientists have positioned themselves for and against building a wastewater treatment plant in a debate framed as purely technical. This study aims to investigate if the scientists’ positions are linked to their perspective on nature and its relationship with humans. We analyze peer-reviewed publications from scientists with a public position on both sides of the controversy. Those against treatment frame nature as a source of knowledge and human impact as one factor among many. In contrast, those pro-treatment portray nature as something humans can and should aid, while also being its major threat. Our study suggests that value-laden perspectives are present in scientific publications and impact scientists’ position in a seemingly technical issue.

Marco Vázquez Pérez

IRES MSc Program

Bio:

Marco started his MSc student at IRES in 2017. He is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Gunilla Öberg. Marco studied at UNAM in Mexico, receiving his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 2016. His interest in science and the best use of scientific knowledge in environmental issues drove him to expand the focus of his studies and explore the intersection between the environment, science, and policy. The project he is working on for his master thesis focuses on the decisions and judgments that scientists make when considering uncertainties and risks in their own research. The case study that he will be using is the Victoria wastewater treatment controversy.

marco.vazquez@alumni.ubc.ca

http://esvp.ires.ubc.ca

Iconic Manakins and Despicable Grackles: Understanding Human-Bird Relationships in Costa Rica

Despite the great cultural and economic benefits associated with birdwatching, little is known about other kinds of benefits that people derive from and construct with birds. My research explores how birdwatchers, farmers, and urbanites perceive and value birds in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Additionally, I evaluate which characteristics of birds (e.g., species traits) make them prone to be liked or disliked by different groups of people. I surveyed 404 people and asked them to rate their perceptions of birds for the whole bird community (n=199 species). I further evaluated which among 20 traits were shaping people’s perceptions of birds. In this talk I will discuss, among other things, why Long-tailed Manakins are loved while Great-tailed Grackles are despised.

Alejandra Echeverri

IRES PhD Program

Bio:

Alejandra Echeverri is a PhD Candidate in Resources, Environment, and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Alejandra’s research focuses on integrating the ecological and the social dimensions of bird conservation. She holds a B.Sc in Biology from the Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia), and an M.Sc in Resource Management and Environmental Studies from UBC. Aside from her academic work, Alejandra is an environmental consultant for infrastructure projects in Colombia and advocates for youth engagement in the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity.

Photo Credit: Rocio Lopez, IRES PhD Student

Congratulations to Megan Peloso (IRES and EDGES Alumna) on her new job!

EDGES alumna Megan Peloso is based in Smithers, BC and works as a Land and Resource Coordinator with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. In her role with the Skeena Regional Initiatives team, Megan applies her background in watershed sustainability and governance to modernized land use planning.

Megan graduated in May 2014 with an MA in Resource Management and Environmental Studies at IRES, University of British Columbia. She also holds certification as Program Manager and Field Technician in CABIN (Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network) from the University of New Brunswick, and a Bachelors of Social Sciences in International Development and Globalization from the University of Ottawa.

March 7, 2019: IRES Professional Development Seminar with Nafiza Ali

IRES Seminar Series

Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (every Thursday)

Location: AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall

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*** Video recording unavailable due to microphone issues***

Stress and Mental Health in Academia

Nafiza Ali

UBC Wellness Advisor

Join Nafiza Ali from UBC Wellness to learn about stress and mental health:

Understand what mental health means and when to get help
Learn about and practice strategies you can use to manage distress at any time
Get info and ask questions about different mental health resources on and off campus

Royal Society of Canada Lecture: Negotiations over Groundwater Contamination

Learn more about Negotiations over Groundwater Contamination in a special Royal Society of Canada lecture with Dr. Keith W. Hipel, University Professor of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

National Geographic Young Explorers Award Recipient: Helina Jolly

Congratulation to IRES’ very own Helina Jolly for receiving the prestigious National Geographic Young Explorers award! This award is in support of Helina’s proposed project, “De-mystifying the Adivasi knowledge of forest and wildlife in India,” which will be used to help her conduct her field study on the Kattunayakar communities of the Western Ghats and their relationship with forest ecosystem services.