UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship wishes to congratulate Rosalia Jaffray on being awarded the Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for 2026!
This recognition is presented each year to a small number of graduate students who have made outstanding contributions to teaching and learning at UBC.
This Earth Day, the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is inviting UBC students to take part in a simple but powerful idea: small actions—done consistently and collectively—can create meaningful environmental impact.
Through our Small Acts, Big Impact challenge, we’re celebrating the everyday choices that make a difference—on campus, at home and in our communities.
From biking to class and bringing reusable mugs to thrifting clothes and cooking low-waste meals, sustainability doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with small, intentional habits—and we want to see yours.
Students can submit short videos, photos or stories showcasing a sustainable habit they practice in daily life.
Submit your entry through our online form.
✨ Selected submissions will be featured across our channels leading up to Earth Day.
Examples include:
Participants can earn bonus entries by engaging with campaign content:
Winners will receive sustainability-themed prizes, including:
Grand Prize (2)
Winners will be contacted within one week of Earth Day.
Congratulations to the winners of the Jordan L. Burke Memorial Award!
FIRST PLACE | Rosalia Jaffray – MASc FRM, Supervisor – Gregory Paradis
SECOND PLACE | Henry Pham – PhD FRM, Supervisor – Younes Alila
The award has been made available through an endowment established by friends, family and colleagues in memory of Jordan L. Burke (1982-2019) for graduate students in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship who have demonstrated a passion for teaching in their roles as Teaching Assistants. Jordan was a postdoctoral research and teaching fellow with the Forest Insect Disturbance Ecology Laboratory in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. His research focused on the range expansion of the mountain pine beetle in British Columbia and Alberta. Jordan served as a TA and instructor to many undergraduate students in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. This award was established in recognition of Jordan’s legacy as an enthusiastic and encouraging instructor.
Throughout human history, forests and their management have been a major contributor to our success, from being sources of fuel to shelter, medicines, shade and hunting and foraging grounds. In this issue of Branchlines magazine, we look at how our connection to forests plays out in a modern context, particularly in British Columbia. You’ll see examples of present-day community and small-scale forestry, along with grassroots organizations and emerging value-added businesses, that are reshaping the profession and its connection to communities and the environment.
Thursday, April 9 | 11:00 am – 1:30 pm | Irving K. Barber Learning Centre 301 (Peña Room)
You are invited to attend the final project presentations by students of the Global Perspectives Capstone (CONS 452)!
Everyone is welcome to celebrate the students’ great work, but perhaps especially 2nd and 3rd year CONS students who want to see what your future might hold!
You don’t need to come to all the presentations, but please enter or leave in-between presentations so you don’t distract the presenters. See below for the list of presentations:
Each year, the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF-IFC) Silver Rings are presented to new graduates to welcome them as forestry professionals. The Silver Ring is a symbol of achievement, presented to those who have completed a CIF-IFC recognized program. The ring signifies a national bond among forestry professionals and a commitment to sustainable forest stewardship.
The first Silver Ring ceremony was hosted in 1953 at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. It has since become a growing tradition at forestry schools across Canada. The ring is typically worn on the little finger of the recipient’s dominant hand. The maple leaf engraved on the ring is to be pointed towards the tip of the finger, representing a growing professional responsibility.
The Silver Ring unites graduates from forestry programs across Canada in a shared promise to uphold the values and responsibilities of the forestry profession.
Since 1953, the Gold Medal, a prize and a medal, the gift of the Canadian Institute of Forestry, is awarded to the student in the graduating class who has had the best all-around record in professional forestry in all years at the University, and who has demonstrated a high quality of character, leadership, sportsmanship, and scholarship.
As a Bachelor of Urban Forestry student with a minor in Urban Green Space Management, Benjamin Nixon has earned numerous honours, including the Wesbrook Scholar designation and awards such as the Stephen Sheppard Award, HSBC Emerging Leader Scholarship, and H.R. MacMillan Scholarship.
Beyond his academic success, Ben has made substantial contributions to the forestry community through research assistantships with Diamond Head Consulting and the UBC Urban Ecology and Sustainability Lab, where he has supported canopy modelling, climate-adaptive species research, and tree equity and heat mitigation projects.
He has also demonstrated a deep commitment to community building and engagement, as every student who has ever taken a class with him will attest that his ability to elevate classmates through discussion, critical analysis, insightful suggestion, and leadership through action and just being an all-round kind person who makes being in the classroom fun.
Hanna Sobkowich exemplified an exceptional blend of academic excellence, research achievement, and leadership. An Honours Forest Sciences student, she has ranked in the top 5% of UBC undergraduates for three consecutive years as a Trek Excellence Scholar and earned four Academic All-Canadian designations while competing in varsity athletics. Her research experience includes two NSERC USRAs, with work spanning stream ecology to her honours thesis on modelling wood bison habitat under climate change, alongside her role in the UBC Forest Genetics Lab supporting genomic research in forest health.
As Captain of the UBC Track and Field team, she led the women’s team to six consecutive national championships while advocating for female athlete health, and has contributed to the broader community through the Thunderbird Athletic Council and mentorship with the “I’m Going to UBC” program—making her an outstanding reflection of the faculty’s values of leadership, curiosity, and impact.
Sara Xu has demonstrated outstanding academic excellence in the Wood Products Processing program, achieving a 94.1% average with A+ grades in nearly all courses. After transferring from Beijing Forestry University in 2023, she earned the Level-1 UBC-UBC Forestry Scholarship and the Wood Products Processing Award.
Sara has shown exceptional dedication to her coursework, refining projects beyond completion, and has actively engaged in research as a Co-op student and Research Assistant in the Surface Science Lab under Philip Evans, where she contributed to the development of plasma-etched super-black wood and co-authored an IRG-WP conference paper.
Joel Kentel began his undergraduate studies at UNBC before transferring to UBC in 2022 to pursue Forest Operations, where he quickly distinguished himself academically, earning the Dave Husby TLA Scholarship after his first year. He now graduates as the top student in the program while completing the rigorous RPF/PEng pathway, reflecting both his academic excellence and dedication to the profession. His strong passion for the outdoors is evident through his extensive experience exploring British Columbia’s backcountry.
Known for his humble and approachable demeanor, Joel brings both authenticity and drive to the forestry and engineering fields. He has gained valuable industry experience through four seasons with Tolko Industries across BC and Alberta, and will begin a full-time role with Onsite Engineering in Salmon Arm this May as he works toward his professional designations. His combination of achievement, work ethic, and community spirit makes him a highly deserving recipient of this award.
Mary Haanen has been an exceptional and engaged member of the Faculty since her first year, contributing across academics, athletics, and student life. As an active member of the Loggers Sports team, she competed in international intercollegiate and professional events while also leading fundraising efforts to support the team’s post-COVID resurgence. She served as a Senior Orientation Leader for two years, playing a key role in Imagine Day, and contributed to the faculty through her role as FUS Green Sales Representative, organizing merchandise initiatives and even adding to the UBC Great Trek time capsule.
Beyond Forestry, Mary demonstrated outstanding leadership as head of the UBC Student Environmental Centre, where she supported student-led sustainability initiatives and helped relaunch the Free Store to promote a circular economy on campus. She also gained hands-on research experience as a Wildlife Research Assistant in the Wildlife Coexistence Lab, supporting projects on caribou, grizzly bears, and mule deer across BC. Her involvement is further enriched by her Go Global exchange to Spain, reflecting her curiosity and commitment to global learning.
Vanessa Duthie has combined outstanding academic achievements with contributions to research in conversation. She has maintained a very high academic average while gaining extensive research experience. She helped with a growth chamber experiment in the Team Shrub Lab, volunteered in the xʷc ̓ ic ̓ əsəm Indigenous Garden at UBC, and at the Mossom Creek Hatchery in Port Moody. Last summer she won an NSERC Undergraduate Research Award and helped collect camera trap data across BC with the Wildlife Coexistence Lab. She is currently working on a directed studies research project examining the spatial ecology of pumas in Peru and Ecuador.
Gracie Brade has combined outstanding academic achievements with a commitment to inclusive conservation that engages with Indigenous worldviews. She has maintained a very high academic average while working as a teaching assistant in Biometrics, Forest Plant Biology, and Conservation Science & Sustainability. She completed a semester of study in Haida Gwaii, and currently works with the Mother Tree Project, coordinating events, doing science communication, and fieldwork in Haida Gwaii. On top of all that, she volunteers at Agora Café and the Environmental Youth Alliance, inspiring the next generation of conservationists.
Lizzie Woodley is an outstanding student and a highly deserving recipient of the Best in Program certificate, having excelled academically with a 92.6% GPA while contributing extensively to undergraduate research. Her experience spans multiple labs, including the Conservation Decisions Lab, the Advanced Renewable Materials Laboratory, and Civil and Environmental Engineering, where her work on life cycle analysis of critical mineral recovery will lead to a peer-reviewed publication and conference presentation. Alongside her research, she supported fellow students as a PASS leader and collaborated with UBC SEEDS on a project examining the impacts of disposable nitrile gloves in labs, all while balancing part-time work in retail and agriculture.
Faculty consistently praise Lizzie’s exceptional intellect, attention to detail, and research excellence, noting her top performance across courses and her ability to produce work at an extraordinary level, including one of the best undergraduate papers they have encountered. Inspired by her off-grid upbringing and early exposure to renewable energy systems, Lizzie has developed a strong passion for sustainable innovation and will continue her academic journey as an MSc student in FES. Her achievements, curiosity, and commitment to advancing the bioeconomy make her truly deserving of this recognition.
Evan Shea is an exceptional graduate of the Urban Forestry program, recognized for his outstanding technical expertise, leadership, and research impact. As part of Dr. McHale’s GIS technical team, he quickly mastered advanced analytical tools and applied them across diverse urban ecology projects. He also led his capstone team in developing an innovative method to downscale land surface temperature for climate resilience planning at UBC. Building on this work, Evan earned an NSERC USRA, applying these methods in Kelowna to support a major initiative optimizing urban tree planting for long-term success and ecological benefit, with presentations to professional audiences and partner cities.
In addition to leading a scientific publication as an undergraduate, Evan is known for his collaborative spirit, resilience, and positive leadership. He consistently brings enthusiasm, curiosity, and kindness to his work, earning deep respect from peers and mentors alike. His combination of academic excellence, innovation, and character makes him a truly deserving recognition as one of the best in the program, with an exceptionally bright future ahead.
Hanno Southam is a registered Allied Science Forester-in-Training with FPBC and is actively working towards obtaining his RPF designation. His long-term aspirations are to manager a community forest in BC. In alignment with that goal, Erik Leslie (Harrop-Procter Community Forest Manager) is his RPF sponsor. After job shadowing Erik, he quickly realized the importance of diverse forestry experiences as a community forest Manager. After completing the MSFM program, Hanno will be moving to Smithers to work as a Forest Technician in timber development for a Silvicon Services to enhance his field experience. Prior to MSFM, Hanno completed an MSc (2025, UBC FES) looking at hemlock dwarf mistletoe persistence in different silvicultural systems. Hanno conducts himself in a professional and inclusive manner within the MSFM program. He brings a lot to the MSFM cohort including his witty riddles of the day.
Joshua Quaite, originally from Ontario, has called Northern Alberta home for many years. Despite 20 years of experience within the forestry sector, he remains notably humble about his accomplishments and extensive expertise, recognizing there is something to learn from everyone you meet. Throughout the program, Joshua played a key role in fostering a positive and inclusive environment for this year’s cohort. He consistently recognized and valued the contributions of his classmates, contributing to a strong sense of community. His calm, confident leadership style, paired with a high level of professionalism, was evident at every stage of the program. He placed a great deal of dedication and effort into his coursework, all while continuing to work part-time as the Operations Manager for Spectrum Resources.
Here’s a look at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship in the media throughout April 2026.
April 1, 2026
Researchers develop cleaner way to make rayon-type fibers
Feng Jiang, Huayu Liu
Specialty Fabrics Review
Raccoons Are Solving Complex Logic Puzzles Just for the Fun of It ,We Should Be Paying Attention
Hannah Griebling, Sarah Benson-Amram
Fortune Herald, The UIS Journal, AOL UK
Indigenous stewards on BC’s coast left in the dark as sun sets on federal guardianship program
Garry Merkel
The Regional
April 2, 2026
An Eve with Suzanne Simard
Suzanne Simard
The Buzz
Fire Ecologist honoured by National Geographic
Kira Hoffman
Frequency News
Are fire-loving fungi mother nature’s first responders after wildfires?
Monika Fischer
The Optimist Daily
April 3, 2026
Are fire-loving fungi mother nature’s first responders after wildfires?
Monika Fischer
National Today, The Optimist Daily
April 4, 2026
The Forest That Breathes
Suzanne Simard
Vocal
April 5, 2026
This spider looks like the victim of a zombie fungus. But scientists say it’s a big faker
Monika Fischer
Atin Ito
April 6, 2026
Before wildfire season begins again, Indigenous firekeepers gather in Interior B.C. to share knowledge
Jennifer Grenz
The Narwhal
Can logging be reshaped by forest regeneration? Suzanne Simard says yes.
Suzanne Simard
The Christian Science Monitor
Welcoming Philip, Royal Roads University President, to Talk About the Bloom Castle
Tara Martin
Salt Spring Exchange
April 9, 2026
Forests, Water and Our Future: A Community Conversation
Garry Merkel
E-know.ca
April 10, 2026
UBC reshapes forestry research to connect nature and human health
Robert Kozak
treefrognews
April 11, 2026
What’s In Your Fridge: Pat Carrabré of The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Suzanne Simard
The Georgia Straight
April 13, 2026
Does Burning Wood Actually Fight Climate Change?
Kathy Martin
The Tyee
April 14, 2026
ICYMI – Trash Panda Puzzles? Raccoon Science to Save Your Garbage – Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift
Hannah Griebling
iHeart
Smarter forest practices could help protect B.C. forests from wildfire and climate stress, new research suggests
Teresa Ryan
University of British Columbia, EurekAlert!, ENN and more
Mother Tree Project Reveals Forest Response to Harvesting
Suzanne Simard
Life Technology
April 15, 2026
The Fungal Network – The Wood Wide Web Communicating Beneath the Forest Floor
Suzanne Simard
Crop Protection
UDS, UBC commit to promoting gender-inclusive growth
Terry Sunderland
Business & Financial Times, MSN, Ghana Webbers, News Ghana
April 17, 2026
Book Review: An Impassioned Lament for Our Imperiled Wild Forests
Suzanne Simard
UNDARK
‘When the Forest Breathes’ Review: Tree Talk
Suzanne Simard
The Wall Street Journal
April 18, 2026
Smarter Forest Practices Could Help Protect B.C. Forests From Wildfire And Climate Stress – Interview
Suzanne Simard
Eurasia Review
April 19, 2026
This northern Yukon island shows how thawing permafrost is transforming the Arctic
Isla Myers-Smith
Yahoo News, Head Topics
Earth Day is coming: Find your joy as a nature ally with these books at the Redlands library
Suzanne Simard
Redlands Daily Facts
April 21, 2026
From cleanup parties to plant sales: Here are some fun Earth Day events to check out in Metro Vancouver
T. Patrick Carrabré, Suzanne Simard
Curiocity, EuropeSays
April 22, 2026
Pt 1 | What the River Wants to Be
Jennifer Grenz
CBC Listen
April 24, 2026
Suzanne Simard WHEN THE FOREST BREATHES: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World
Suzanne Simard
Forthright Radio
April 25, 2026
Tipping points in our environmental stewardship: Muskoka Watershed Council
Suzanne Simard
MuskokaRegion.com
April 26, 2026
This Simple Fruit Wash Could Make Produce Safer and Last Days Longer
Tianxi Yang
SciTechDaily
Sustainable forestry would support industry, jobs and ecosystems
Chris McGourlick, Younes Alila
Island Social Trends, TreeFrogNews
April 27, 2026
Canada’s biggest sustainable forest label has a clear-cutting problem
Peter Wood
Corporateknights, TreeFrogNews
April 30, 2026
Dive into these 13 new books for summer
Suzanne Simard
The Spokesman – Review
This is AIDR calling
Jennifer Grenz
Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience
Research Assistant – Sustainable Built Environment Lab, UBC
I had the opportunity to continue the light frame wood construction project at UBC’s Sustainable Built Environment Lab. In this phase, I focused on timber-to-timber connection systems and how they might support more reversible construction. I tested joinery-inspired ideas, guided by the Design for Deconstruction guide. And the final goal is to see which concepts were actually workable within light-frame construction.
Much of the work involved small prototypes, learning from what failed, and recognizing the limits of certain “reversible” ideas in practice. This experience gave me a more grounded understanding of how design, fabrication, and material behaviour intersect, and how timber connections can contribute to more circular building systems.
Dr. Suzanne Simard, Professor of Forest Ecology at the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is publishing her second book: ‘When the Forest Breathes”, an immersive journey through the heart and soul of the forest to experience the workings and impact of the rich ecosystems. The novel also explores the impact and contribution of Indigenous people in protecting these forests for millennia, and that there is much to learn from their way of seeing, caring for, and tending the forest.
We interviewed her at the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest to learn more about her writing process and the inspiration behind her book.
In the last couple of hundred years, forests have been deeply impacted by forestry practices and colonial stewardship. Through my work, including the Mother Tree Project, I have investigated the condition of our forests—what they are telling us about how to care for them and how listening to Indigenous voices can help guide the path forward to keep forests healthy and resilient.
We have learned many things about forest biodiversity, how forests store carbon, how they interact with climate, and how we can better protect these incredible places. My earlier work in Finding the Mother Tree focused on the connections within forests how trees are interconnected in communities through fungal networks called mycorrhizal networks.
These networks bind trees together, and we discovered that large, old trees what we call mother trees, serve as central hubs in these networks. This helps us see forests as whole ecosystems rather than separate elements like trees, soil, or fungi.
In When the Forest Breathes, I talk more about how we have been disrupting these connections through modern forest management. I also describe better ways forward, such as protecting large old trees, soils, and forest floors, to maintain the vitality and regenerative capacity of forests. The book points to new ways of tending forests while also drawing on ancestral knowledge rooted in care, respect, and reciprocity.
We are currently facing several environmental crises. Climate change is real and affects the everyday lives of people across Canada and around the world. At the same time, we are experiencing a biodiversity crisis, with scientists warning that we are in the sixth mass extinction.
Forests play a huge role in stabilizing these systems and helping mitigate these losses. The book discusses how we can protect forests and also log them more responsibly so we can still obtain materials while doing so in a gentler way that protects plants and carbon pools. If managed properly, forests can help solve climate change rather than contribute to it.
Another important issue is wildfire. Canada—especially western Canada and western North America—has been experiencing increasing wildfire activity. The book discusses how these fires affect our lives and how we can help forests become more resilient to fire. By strengthening forest ecosystems, we can also help society better deal with these wildfire challenges.
I work with a number of First Nations across British Columbia, both along the coast and in the interior. Together we are incorporating Indigenous perspectives that view forests as connected systems in which humans are part of the natural cycle.
When we understand forests in this respectful way, it changes how we manage them. I collaborate with several Indigenous leaders and communities across the province. Together we are exploring ways to protect old trees—especially cedar trees, which are considered the tree of life for many coastal nations.
We are also working to restore forests that have been damaged by industrial forestry over the past century. Many of these lands are now covered by second-growth forests that are not in healthy condition. These ecosystems require careful restoration and stewardship.
In the interior regions, we are also working on approaches that reduce wildfire risk while improving biodiversity and ecosystem health so forests can better withstand climate change.
I have been a professor at the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship at the University of British Columbia for 23 years. Before that, I was an undergraduate student there in the early 1980s, so I have been connected to the faculty for a long time.
All of my work builds on the experiences I have had within the faculty. Through teaching and research, I have contributed to the body of knowledge that the faculty has shared with the world.
More recently, my collaboration with Indigenous communities has become especially important to me. Working with people who have lived on these lands for thousands of years allows us to honor their knowledge and learn from it. Their insights can help us improve how we interact with and care for these landscapes.
While I have contributed through science and teaching, my community-based work has become the most meaningful part of my career.
The main message is that there is a great deal of hope in the world, and forests are places of hope. Forests are highly regenerative systems. Even after disturbance, they are filled with seeds, roots, stumps, animals, and life that allow them to recover.
Because of this regenerative capacity, forests are one of the most important natural solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss. They provide habitat for about 80% of terrestrial species in Canada, store around 80% of the country’s carbon, and supply roughly 80% of Canada’s freshwater.
Many Indigenous communities in Canada also live in forested regions, making forests essential culturally as well as ecologically.
My hope is that people understand that forests can recover if we take the time to care for them. If we invest our effort, respect, and commitment into working with these ecosystems, we can help restore what has been lost and create a healthier future for generations to come.
Originally posted on The Conversation, authored by Dr. Sarah Benson-Amram and Hannah Griebling
Ever woken up to find that a crafty raccoon has overturned your garbage bin and spread the discarded contents of your life across the street?
Raccoons — sometimes referred to as “trash pandas” — are renowned as excellent innovators and problem-solvers who can often find their way through the trickiest barriers in their search for food.
So how do raccoons adapt their problem-solving strategies as tasks become more difficult? And will they still engage in problem solving even if it doesn’t lead to a food reward? We designed a research experiment to find out.
We were startled to discover that raccoons were intrinsically motivated to solve multiple puzzles within a 20-minute trial, even when finding a solution did not directly lead to an irresistible marshmallow.
Raccoons often engage in problem-solving when foraging in human-dominated areas, and have several adaptations that allow them to do this.
First, they have a high number of neurons packed into a relatively small brain. Their neuronal density is more similar to that of primates than other carnivores.
They also have highly dexterous forepaws adapted for foraging in streams, and a generalist diet that allows them to eat nearly everything we throw away.
As researchers, we were curious to discover whether raccoons change their strategies as problems become more difficult. For example, what does a raccoon do if the garbage bin is open, versus if it has a lid or if that lid is locked?
We were also curious whether their problem-solving follows what we call an exploration-exploitation trade-off.
To explore these questions, we gave raccoons a multi-access puzzle box. These boxes are used in animal cognition research to study problem solving and innovation. They have multiple problems to solve so the animal can access a single food reward.
Typically, researchers give the animal a multi-access box and let the animal solve a puzzle of their choosing to access the reward. Then, the researcher locks that solution and the animal must innovate a new way into the box.
Instead of locking the solutions on the box we asked a simple question: What would happen if we left the box unlocked and let the raccoons freely interact with it? Would they keep going back to the same solution type that they already knew how to use, or would they explore and open new solution types?
Would they open the box once, get their food reward — a single marshmallow — and be done? Or would they keep playing with the box even after the food reward was gone?
What the raccoons did was surprising. We expected them to find multiple solutions on the box. We did not expect them to continue looking for solutions after they found the single marshmallow inside the puzzle box.
They seemed to be intrinsically motivated to open multiple solutions within a 20-minute trial, even when solving the puzzle didn’t directly lead to a marshmallow reward.
In fact, the raccoons were discovering multiple solutions on the puzzle box even when the problems got more difficult to solve, and they could see and feel with their forepaws that there wasn’t another marshmallow in the box.
As those problems became more difficult, the raccoons began to quickly hone in on a single solution to keep returning to.
This follows an exploration-exploitation trade off, where it’s more beneficial to exploit a single solution when the problems are more difficult, since solving them takes more time and effort from the raccoon.
Imagine standing on a city street, feeling hungry. You see your favourite restaurant, where you love the food, and you see an interesting new one next door. Where do you choose to eat?
Humans and non-human animals are faced with these decisions all the time: when to “explore” and try a new thing, and when to “exploit” our own knowledge.
If that new restaurant down the street is expensive, you might be less inclined to try it over your favourite dish served at your usual place.
This propensity to innovate and problem-solve, even when it doesn’t directly lead to an extrinsic reward like food, might be familiar to most of us. It’s what drives our desire to solve a crossword puzzle or conquer a new video game.
This intrinsic motivation could help raccoons succeed in urban environments. In cities, resources are often changing rapidly — one night a raccoon might get into someone’s garbage, and the next night there’s a brick on top of the garbage bin to try and keep the raccoon out.
The more problems raccoons learn to solve, the more they might be able to access resources in ever-changing cities. Of course, that might annoy some of us, but we can admire raccoons’ ability to thrive alongside us.