Isabelle Roth is a fourth-year student in the Natural Resources Conservation program – Science and Management major at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. This summer, Isabelle is working as a Summer Seed Associate at Bayer CropScience.
She shares her experience thus far, how her time and coursework at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship have prepared her for this role and what she has been working on this summer!
As a Summer Seed Associate at Bayer CropScience in Cranbrook, I’ve developed a wide range of skills related to sustainable agriculture. My main responsibilities include maintaining drip irrigation systems, managing the quality of various canola varieties, supporting soil fertility, and conducting field assessments to monitor crop health.
This role has shown me how closely forestry and conservation connect with sustainable agriculture—through work in soil analysis, plant biology, data collection, and species identification. It’s also given me the chance to explore a diverse range of ecosystems throughout the East Kootenays.
One of the highlights of my summer has been working with leafcutter bees to enhance pollination across our fields, as well as installing soil and atmospheric sensors to monitor changing field conditions. Another favourite part has been operating heavy-duty farm equipment and driving tractors—getting hands-on experience with the machinery that makes large-scale agriculture possible.
Bayer CropScience’s motto, “Health for all, hunger for none,” reflects the meaningful impact this work can have, and I’m grateful to be part of an effort that contributes to more sustainable and resilient food systems.
When: September 18, 2025 | 10:30-11:30 am (PST) Where: Online via Zoom
Online Micro-Certificates
Designed for working professionals, UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship’s wide array of programs offers an accessible opportunity to elevate your skills, engage with industry leaders and advance in your career. Delivered exclusively online, UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship’s micro-certificates are paving the way to providing quality, industry-aligned and accessible forestry education across Canada. Join one of the information sessions below to hear from the program director and past alumni to learn more.
August 21, 2025 | 10:30 am (PST)
Natural Resource Management: Comprehensive Strategies for Managing Natural Resource Environments and Systems
This session will cover the following micro-certificate programs:
With extensive experience in large-scale climate vulnerability assessments across different sectors and organizations, Dr. Andrews-Key brings her expertise in the development and implementation of adaptation, specifically as applied to business cases for adaptation across all sectors. She is passionate about exploring how we can bridge science, theory and action to provide students with the comprehensive and applied knowledge necessary to excel in their careers.
We are pleased to announce the UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship faculty members who have been awarded new NSERC and SSHRC grants this year. The NSERC Discovery Grant supports foundational research in the natural sciences and engineering, while the SSHRC Insight Grant honors excellence in the social sciences and humanities. Congratulations to the following recipients on their success in these highly competitive programs:
NSERC Discovery Grants
Cole Burton(Forest Resources Management) Caribou conservation and mammal community dynamics under top-down and bottom-up influences
Tzeng Yih Lam (Forest Resources Management) Particle Filtering in Forest Growth: Closing the Gap between Modelling and Sampling
Eliot McIntire (Forest Resources Management) Advancing predictive ecology within a changing world: improving inference, forecasts, and policy influence
Monika Fischer (Forest & Conservation Sciences/Botany) Elucidating the mechanisms of fire-response in fungi
Emily Cranston (Wood Science) Functional-by-design nanocellulose for sustainable bioproducts
Kwang Ho Kim (Wood Science) Advancing Universal and Greener Biomass Fractionation Technologies for a Circular Bioeconomy
Minghao Li (Wood Science) Developing next generation seismic resilient mass timber structures
Scott Renneckar (Wood Science) Recipient of NSERC Discovery Grant & Research Tools and Instruments Grant Biobased Polymer Engineering: Better Bonds via Deconstruction and Derivatization
Taraneh Sowlati(Wood Science) Optimization of forest-based biomass supply chains: considering sustainability, uncertainties and government policies
SSHRC Insight Grant
Hamish van der Ven(Wood Science) The Indirect Impacts of Internet Use on the Climate Crisis
Insight Development Grant
TahiaDevisscher (Forest Resources Management) Enabling equitable nature-based solutions for social-ecological resilience to climate change
Here’s a look at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship in the media throughout June 2025.
June 21, 2025
Why the summer solstice is a ‘celestial starting gun’ for trees Elizabeth Wolkovich The Guardian
June 19, 2025
Trouble in the Headwaters: the hidden impacts of clear-cut logging in B.C. Younes Alila The Narwhal
June 11, 2025
Claims Canadian wildfires are caused by arson and not climate change are misleading Jen Baron The Canadian Press
City of Dawson Creek warns residents to prepare for floods even as wildfires loom Younes Alila CBC
June 10, 2025
Summer solstice is an optimal day for plants—but climate change could disrupt this timing Elizabeth Wolkovich Phys.org, Earth.com
June 9, 2025
This wildfire season is going to be intense. Here’s what to expect. Lori Daniels Environmental News Network
June 7, 2025
B.C. climate news: Latest updates on wildfires ravaging Western Canada | How UBC’s sustainability hub is helping reduce embodied carbon in the construction industry | Sunday is World Oceans Day Lori Daniels Vancouver Sun
June 6, 2025
Smoke knows no boundaries: What Canada’s fires mean for the U.S. in the future Lori Daniels NPR
Join us for an evening of powerful storytelling and ecological reflection. This free double documentary screening explores the vital connections between forests, water, and the people working to protect them.
The Salmon Forest Project
Written, directed, and produced by Bill Heath, this film follows Indigenous leaders, researchers, and advocates in the territory of the Heiltsuk Nation, around the coastal community of Bella Bella. Alongside UBC’s Dr. Teresa (Sm’hayetsk) Ryan and Dr. Suzanne Simard, the film features powerful contributions from Heiltsuk community members who speak to the cultural and ecological significance of salmon and forest stewardship. It offers a visually rich reflection on ecological interdependence, traditional knowledge, and cultural resilience.
Trouble in the Headwaters
Directed by Daniel J. Pierce, this urgent and revealing film follows UBC hydrologist Dr. Younes Alila into the forest headwaters above Grand Forks to investigate how widespread clear-cutting is intensifying floods, landslides, and drought across British Columbia. Through science and storytelling, the film raises important questions about the long-term impacts of industrial logging on watershed health and community safety.
Stay after for a reception and Q&A with the filmmakers and featured UBC researchers.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship wishes to congratulate Brian Duarte on being awarded the Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS) Best Student Presentation Award for 2025.
About Brian
Brian Duarte is an evolutionary biologist and plant pathologist. He completed his Bachelor of Science at the University of Toronto and he is currently working on his PhD in forest pathology at the University of British Columbia. He studies a deadly invasive tree pathogen, white pine blister rust, and works to unravel the evolution and host specificity of this pathogen. Brian was the recipient of several awards, including an NSERC-EvoFunPath graduate scholarship (2024), the President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award #6817 (2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024), the Imre S. and Irena Otvos Graduate Scholarship in Forestry (2020) and the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Graduate Award (2019 and 2020).
About the CPS Best Student Presentation Award
The Canadian Phytopathological Society Best Student Presentation Award recognizes outstanding oral and poster presentations in plant pathology at the annual CPS meeting. Eligible candidates must be CPS members who are current students or recent graduates (within six months), and the work must not have been previously presented in another professional competition.
Anya Titus is a fourth-year student in the Natural Resources Conservation program – Science & Management major at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. She is also the new UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Marketing and Communications WorkLearn student helping out with the website and the social media! Anya is a part of the Bachelor’s + Master of Management (B+MM) program with the Sauder School of Business.
In this Q&A, she answers what motivated her to pursue the dual degree, what she has learned and offers advice to Forestry students considering the program.
What made you decide to pursue the B+MM program alongside your degree in Forestry?
I’ve always been passionate about conservation and the environment, which drew me to the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship in the first place. But as I went through my undergrad, I realized I wasn’t exactly sure what specific career path I wanted to take. I knew I wanted to work in conservation, but I also wanted to keep my options open and explore how I could make a difference in various ways. This led to me applying to the B+MM program as a third-year entry student. The B+MM program stood out to me because it offers such a versatile skill set, skills that are valuable in virtually any field. I saw it as an opportunity to expand my toolbox and prepare myself for a wider range of career opportunities. The program is also very unique and allows you to get both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in 4.5 years!
How has the B+MM program complemented your Forestry degree academically?
In my Forestry classes, I learn about the natural world, the problems it faces and how to manage it in a sustainable and responsible manner. The MM portion has introduced me to the business side of things. The business classes introduce you to a wide range of business skills including marketing, accounting, finance, organizational behaviour, and business communications. The fundamentals of business that you learn during your undergrad are then built upon and strengthened once you enter the Master’s portion of your degree. The B+MM has allowed me to follow my passion while also gaining practical and real-world skills that I can apply to my future jobs. Studying these two areas will allow me to hopefully embed sustainable business practices in organizations in the future.
What skills have you developed through the program?
The Commerce classes are conducted quite differently from Forestry classes. Class sizes are much smaller and emphasize group work and collaboration. This has helped me grow more confident in group settings and tend to simulate team dynamics post-graduation. Due to the smaller size of the cohort, participation in class discussions is important. This has strengthened my public speaking and communication skills. I’ve also further developed my analytical and strategic thinking skills. I have worked on a lot of case studies and hands-on projects that require you to think critically, consider multiple perspectives, and make decisions based on limited information.
What has been your favourite part of the program so far?
I have really enjoyed being able to work with students in other faculties. In your group projects you could be working with other forestry students, a sociology major and even a biology major for example. It’s super interesting because everyone offers their unique perspectives using prior knowledge to tackle business-related problems. I think without being a part of the program, I would not have had the opportunity to work with students who are studying things that are very different from Forestry.
How do you think the B+MM program will impact your career path after graduation?
I think the B+MM program will be pivotal for me as it will open a lot of doors for me after graduation. While I’m still figuring out exactly what direction I want to go in, having a strong foundation in natural resources conservation as well as business and managerial skills gives me the flexibility to explore a wide range of roles. From the program, I have also gained confidence in areas like leadership, decision making, and communication, which are essential in almost any career. I feel more prepared to take on roles where I can influence change.
What advice would you give to other Forestry students considering the B+MM program?
I would say to go for it! Especially if you are like me and are unsure of what career path you want to follow. It’s a really great opportunity to focus on developing professional skills that you might not be able to learn from other undergraduate classes. It’s okay if you don’t know anything about business beforehand as the program is designed for non-commerce students and will teach you all the things you need to know. It’s a unique opportunity to connect what we learn in Forestry, like sustainability and conservation, with business practices. Being able to bridge these two areas gives you the tools and knowledge to create meaningful change in the industries and organizations you will work in. In the long run, it really sets you apart and gives you confidence stepping into the workforce. If you’re even a little bit curious, it’s definitely worth looking into.
Christopher, who is of mixed syilx and Cree background, comes to UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship with over 25 years of experience in the public and private sector, having served in public office and on numerous boards, and worked as an Indigenous planner and entrepreneur. He has also authored or co-authored several reports and publications, including the 2010 Westbank First Nation Community Plan, CCP Handbook – Comprehensive Community Planning for First Nations in British Columbia, Cultivating Safe Space: An Overview and Formative Evaluation, and Ceremony is for Us, for Mother Earth.
Notably, Christopher played an instrumental role in the initial development of the Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship program. He holds a degree in Political Sciences from UBC-O, a Juris Doctor from UBC Law, and an MBA from the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University.