Adrian Semmelink, MSc – New Entrant Agrologist, BC Ministry of Agriculture
This interview features Adrian Semmelink, a 2018 RES MSc graduate! Adrian is currently working as a New Entrant Agrologist at the BC Ministry of Agriculture.
What is your current position?
New Entrant Agrologist with the BC Ministry of Agriculture.
What kinds of responsibilities do you have in your current position, and what kinds of challenges do you face?
I develop, manage, and evaluate programs for new farmers and ranchers throughout BC. My major challenge is time management and balancing all the priorities that come from working in such a diverse sector.
What do you like most about your current job?
The knowledge that my work can make a concrete difference to some BC farmers. It’s easy to motivate yourself when you know the people you support are responsible for the food on your plate.
In what ways did your experience in IRES help prepare you for what you do now?
The RES program encourages you to take initiative and manage complex projects, which is a critical skill for anyone working as a professional. IRES also improved my ability to address problems without straightforward solutions which remains a large part of my work.
Why did you choose the RES program (and UBC)? What was your previous educational background, and how did this influence your choice?
The high calibre faculty and interdisciplinary focus were the major factors . I completed a dual degree in Environmental Sciences and Sociology at UBC and had the opportunity to work with Kai Chan and his lab on an honours research project. This opportunity gave me a window into how committed the department is to high quality interdisciplinary research and I was hooked.
What was the most enjoyable and/or impactful part of your experience in IRES?
The people! My research took me all over B.C. interviewing farmers and I still think of these farmers as I approach problems in my work today. The faculty and students were also some of the most brilliant and compassionate people I’ve met.
Do you have any advice for current RES students?
Yes! Be honest about what you do and don’t know and don’t wait to talk to the people involved in your research. Take advantage of the opportunities that IRES offers, including the internship, student society, and random hallway conversations.
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March 12, 2020: IRES Student Seminar with Helina Jolly
IRES Seminar Series
Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (every Thursday)
Location: AERL Theatre (room 120), 2202 Main Mall
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Gidiku Vapathu (2020)
Gidiku Vapathu is an ethnographic research documentary about the Indigenous Kattunayakan (Nayaka) people of India. In Kattunyakan language, ‘Gidiku Vapathu’ means ‘Going to the forest’ (Gidiku – Forest; Vapathu – Going). A term commonly used by the community members to invite their friends and family as they start their daily walk into the forest.
With around 700 ethnic groups, Adivasis (translated in the Sanskrit language as Original Inhabitants) of India forms the world’s largest Indigenous population. Kattunayakans are one such Adivasi community living within the sub-tropical forests of Southern India. They belong to a particularly vulnerable group of hunter-foragers of South Asia and speak a Dravidian dialect (a combination of three Dravidian languages – Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada). Characterized by animistic belief systems, deep-rooted relationships with the local forest ecosystem, they believe they are the true ‘leaders of the forest.’
Set in Kattunayaka settlements in and around the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in rural Kerala, the documentary is an attempt to understand how these traditional societies perceive and interact with forest and non-human beings. It unfolds through the storylines of a Kattunyakan child, an octogenarian ethnobiologist, and a middle-aged chief. We hear them speak about the joys of living in and with forests interlaced with their anticipations and anxieties.
Gidiku Vapathu also brings forward the ‘uncomfortable’ conversations on ‘what constitutes development and conservation?’ by acknowledging how several Indigenous and traditional societies across the world continue to live in fear of getting displaced from their lands. It highlights the different ways in which Indigenous people perceive their local ecosystems, both as their home and as the means to understand lived experiences, memories and future aspirations.
Click here to watch the trailer.
Helina Jolly
IRES PhD Program
Bio:
Helina Jolly is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Resources Environment and Sustainability working with Dr. Terre Satterfield and Dr. Milind Kandlikar. She is a National Geographic Explorer (2018), UBC Public scholar (2017 and 2018), and Liu scholar (2016). An ecologist and environmental policy analyst by training, she studies the relationship between forest ecosystems and Kattunayakars, a lesser-known hunter-gatherer society of South Asia. Her doctoral research examines the complexities of human and nature connections within the forest landscapes of the Western Ghats in Kerala, India, through the conversations on human-wildlife interactions, food security, forest fire and rights- capabilities. Helina is also the founder of an international web-based project, ‘The Everyday Nature’ (www.theeverydaynature.com) that focuses on documenting the perception of people towards nature. She also leads the Collective for Gender+ in Research at the UBC that seeks to develop a network to articulate methods and tools to engage gender in research. Before joining UBC, Helina worked in India for six years on various environmental projects in South Asia with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), Centre for Science and Environment and Clinton Climate Initiative. She is a Commonwealth Scholar and has an MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science.