Join a panel of experts from the Allard School of Law, Vancouver School of Economics, Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, and Political Science to explore the evolving Canada–U.S. economic relationship and what it means for Canada’s future.
As the 2026 joint review of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) approaches, Canada faces significant shifts in its most important trading relationship. From tariffs on steel to ongoing tensions in British Columbia’s forestry sector, long-standing trade dynamics are being tested and the era of predictable trade and stable multilateral rules may be coming to an end.
This discussion will move beyond the headlines to examine emerging geopolitical realities and their implications for Canada and for Canadians’ daily lives. Panelists will:
Clarify the current moment: unpack the political and economic shifts shaping Canada–U.S. relations and the key issues surrounding the upcoming CUSMA review.
Examine Canada’s role as a middle power: explore how Canada can maintain strategic independence in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Highlight BC forestry as a case study: consider how international trade pressures are affecting local industries, workers, and communities.
This session is designed for policymakers, industry leaders, and members of the public interested in understanding the structural changes shaping Canada’s economic future.
Featured Speakers:
Ljiljana Biuković (Allard Law)
Harry Nelson (UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship)
Join the UBC Forestry Summer Institute for an online information session about the 2026 program – a three-week immersive academic experience in Vancouver.
Learn about the program structure, courses, field-based learning opportunities, application process, fees, and student life. The 2026 Institute features three innovative courses:
Advancing Sustainable Development: Smart Forestry and Carbon Neutrality Management
AI in Green Space and Public Health Management
Bio-based Renewable Materials
The session will conclude with a live Q&A covering admissions, academics, housing, visas, and life at UBC.
When: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 | 12 – 1 pm Where: Forest Sciences Centre 4001 (boardroom)
This event is open to all and will be held in person only.
Seminar Abstract
In this joint research seminar, two visiting faculty members from the University of Helsinki will discuss their research at the intersection of digital technologies and natural resources education. Dr. Petri Parvinen will present ‘Cloning a Professor.’ The talk will showcase a digital AI-driven clone of a professor and explain the possibilities and problems related to digitally cloning real human experts. The talk is of interest for scholars in the fields of information systems, university education, computer science, artificial intelligence or related commercial endeavors. Dr. Mika Rekola will present ‘What myself and my students know about forests: A case of the open online textbook FORESTS.’ The talk asks: do we know what CAI, MAI, phenological shifts or stomatal conductance are? Generally speaking, what is the core curriculum of forest sciences that all professionals should master? The concept of curriculum knowledge is also discussed from teachers’ perspective. The role of Open Education (OE) and Open Educational Resources (OER) are introduced and reflected in the light of forest education in general and core curriculum in particular. All these terms are merged together though the concrete case under preparation: an open online textbook FORESTS.
Speakers
Petri Parvinen
Dr. Petri Parvinen works as Full Professor of Strategic Marketing and Management at the University of Helsinki, the leading university in Finland, and as part-time Visiting Distinguished Professor at the Aalto University School of Business. His interdisciplinary research has been published in a variety of journals spanning the disciplines of marketing, sales, management, service science, innovation, natural resources management, information systems and computer science, and he has authored several best-selling books. He has worked with hundreds of businesses, reinforcing modern business thinking particularly in engineering and science-driven contexts and does most of his research collecting data at the front-line of sales and marketing organizations.
Mika Rekola
Dr. Mika Rekola serves as a university lecturer in forest economics and the leader of the MSc dual degree program Green Business at the University of Helsinki (UH). He is also a member of Teachers’ Academy at UH. His research interests encompass economic valuation of ecosystem services, education, and human resources (HR). Rekola has been coordinating IUFRO Research Group “Forest Education” during 2016-2024. He was the PI in the large international forest education study consortium by FAO, IUFRO, and ITTO. Rekola is currently acting as Silva Network vice-president and an editor-in-chief for an open online textbook FORESTS.
2025 Forestry Summer Institute participants outside the Forest Sciences Centre. Credit: UBC.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is thrilled to invite international students to the 2026 Forestry Summer Institute (FSI). The program offers a diverse range of new courses, allowing students to explore cutting-edge topics such as AI in green spaces, carbon management, and bio-based renewable materials.
FSI is designed to provide a holistic, enriching learning experience, featuring expert-led lectures from four esteemed guest lecturers. Dedicated Welcome and Farewell Day events will also give students the opportunity to build lasting relationships with their peers.
Participants will experience UBC’s vibrant teaching culture while enjoying the breathtaking Vancouver landscape during academic field trips.
AI in Green Space and Public Health Management: This three-week intensive course explores how Artificial Intelligence can support innovative and sustainable management of forests and urban green spaces to enhance human health and well-being.
Bio-based Renewable Materials: Explore the future of sustainable bio-based materials in this dynamic, experience-driven course that blends theory, innovation, and real-world application.
Here’s what students had to say about their time in the FSI program:
“While attending UBC’s Summer School on Forestry and Carbon Neutrality, I took a trip to Whistler and rode the gondola up the snowy mountain. As I rose above endless conifer forests, I recalled how each tree stores carbon, quietly fighting climate change. That day, I realized: climate action isn’t only policy—it’s also a promise to protect what we can still stand on, breathe in, and believe in.” – Yixiang Wei
“During the official check-in at FSI, we felt the teachers’ warmth and classmates’ friendliness, and were amazed by UBC’s beautiful campus.” – Shaoran Zhang
“In the carbon neutrality course, we discussed real-world case studies and learned how to calculate and reduce carbon footprints. What stood out to me was the connection between global policies and local actions—how even small behavioural shifts can influence broader sustainability goals.” – Jianyuan Yao
“I’m especially impressed by the lectures at UBC. Compared to what I’m used to, the professors here are highly engaging and actively encourage student participation and discussion—especially on important topics like carbon neutrality.” – Jianxu Wang
Applications are now open and the deadline to apply is March 31.
For more information on admission requirements or application details read more here.
Previously a Liber Ero Fellow, Dr. Piczak now joins the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences. Morgan is a conservation scientist with an interest in aquatic ecosystems and movement ecology.
Morgan’s academically impressive record includes an undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Guelph and an MSc from McMaster University, where she studied the movement ecology of common snapping turtles in Lake Ontario. Morgan has also worked at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, researching how harmful algal blooms affect fish communities in Lake Erie.
Morgan then pursued a PhD at Carleton University, where she utilised acoustic telemetry to investigate the impact of invasive species on freshwater fish and expand our understanding of restoration ecology, with a significant focus on the Toronto Harbour.
Dr. Piczak looks forward to building her research on how we can mitigate human impacts on aquatic ecosystems through a movement lens. Morgan is building her research program around the impacts of wildfire on freshwater systems, an issue that is becoming more urgent as wildfires increase in frequency and severity.
What inspired you to pursue a career in aquatic sciences?
I grew up along the shores of the Laurentian Great Lakes and spent a lot of time on Lakes Ontario and Huron. I was always fascinated by the idea that there was so much happening beneath the surface that we couldn’t see. Acoustic telemetry, the primary method I use, allows us to better understand those hidden processes and uncover how aquatic animals move through their environments.
Can you tell us a bit about your research areas and some important projects you’ve worked on?
My research focuses on movement ecology, freshwater conservation, and applied management. I’ve worked on projects ranging from snapping turtle movement in Lake Ontario, to invasive species and restoration in Toronto Harbour, to Atlantic mackerel movement and fisheries management in Atlantic Canada. Across all of these systems, my goal is the same: to understand how animals move through their environments and use that information to improve conservation, restoration, and management decisions.
You’ve described yourself as a ‘part-time fish surgeon’. What does that involve, and why is it important?
A big part of my research uses acoustic telemetry, which means implanting small transmitters into fish. To do this, we anesthetize the fish, similar to how humans would be anesthetized for surgery, then we make a small incision, insert the tag, and close it with a couple of small sutures. We then monitor the fish to ensure they recover properly before release. This allows us to track movement rates, habitat use, and spatial patterns over long periods of time. That information is incredibly valuable for conservation because it helps identify critical habitats, priority areas for protection, and places where restoration efforts are most likely to be effective.
What brought you to the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship?
Moving to Vancouver and working at UBC has been a long-standing dream of mine! The Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is an ideal home for my research because of its strong history in freshwater science, conservation, and wildfire ecology. Being part of a faculty that actively works on wildfire coexistence and ecosystem resilience aligns closely with where I want my research program to go.
What do you hope to achieve at UBC FES?
I hope to build a research program that helps conserve British Columbia’s freshwater biodiversity, particularly in the context of increasing wildfire disturbance. I want my work to be applied, collaborative, and useful for decision-makers, while training students to think critically about conservation challenges in a rapidly changing world. I also want to continue supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion priorities within aquatic sciences by creating an inclusive lab environment and expanding opportunities for students from historically underrepresented groups.
How do you hope your work inspires young women to pursue a career in aquatic sciences?
Whether I’m in the field, at conferences, or in meetings, I am often reminded that fisheries remains a male-dominated field. While that can still feel intimidating at times, I can only imagine how people from historically marginalized communities might feel. Increasing representation truly matters. I hope that simply being a woman in this space helps make a career in aquatic science feel more achievable and accessible. I’m committed to building an inclusive and diverse lab, creating opportunities for students from different backgrounds, and helping increase representation in the field more broadly.
When: February 26, 2026 | 12:45 – 1:45 pm Where: Forest Sciences Centre Room 1222
This event is open to all and will be held in person only.
Seminar Abstract
Reconciliation is a catchy phrase, but what does it mean? In this talk, Dana-Lyn Mackenzie will talk about the principles of the 4Rs (respect, responsibility, relevance and reciprocity) of Indigenous education in the context of Weaving Relations, a self-directed Canvas based course on Indigenous peoples, settler colonialism and the Indigenous Strategic Plan.
Speaker
Dana-Lyn (Wilson) Mackenzie is a Coast Salish lecturer in the Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship degree and the senior manager, EDI & Indigeneity in FES and LFS. When Dana-Lyn is not talking about decolonization or being on the land, she can be found cuddling her golden retriever, Lady, on the couch while watching Modern Family reruns and reels of cats doing poorly thought-out things.
Flooding in Abbotsford in 2021. Credit: BC Government.
Researchers from UBC’s Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship argue that a widely used method to understand and predict flood risk has led scientists to miscalculate how forests can prevent major flooding.
The paper, published in Ambio, synthesizes decades of research to explain why the standard approach used to evaluate how forests impact flooding – comparing individual flood peaks before and after disturbance – fails to capture how floods actually develop.
The authors say earlier studies oversimplified flood behaviour and consequently underestimated the role of forests in mitigating flood risk.
“When we look at flood risk in probabilistic terms – how trees and forests change the likelihoodof a flood – the picture changes,” said Samadhee Kaluarachchi, lead author and PhD student. “Forests are part of the solution, even for big floods.”
Rethinking forests and floods
For decades, many studies have concluded that forests mostly influence small floods in small basins, with limited impact on larger events. Those findings have influenced policy discussions, making governments hesitant to rely on forests for flood mitigation strategies.
But authors Kaluarachchi and Dr. Younes Alila, a professor at UBC’s faculty of forestry and environmental stewardship, argue these findings stem from flawed “before-and-after” comparisons that ignore the probabilistic nature of flooding.
“When studies focus only on peak flows from individual events, it overlooks how forests influence the broader distribution of food risk over time,” said Dr. Alila. “Our synthesis shows forests can alter the frequency and probability of floods, including major events. This doesn’t mean forests alone will stop catastrophic floods – but they can reduce flood risk at the source, making floods not only smaller but also rarer in cities and communities downstream.”
Forests as a natural flood defence
Previous research by Kaluarachchi and Dr. Alila has empirically shown that B.C.’s natural landscape – including lakes, wetlands and forests – offers built-in flood protection by storing and gradually releasing runoff, ultimately reducing peak flows and flood frequencies downstream. The new paper explains why this effect is scientifically sound and why these findings, and others like them, should be trusted over the conventional approach that dominates forest hydrology. It challenges the long-standing scientific assumption that forests do not influence large flooding events.
The authors emphasize that while infrastructure like dams and dikes remain essential, ignoring the role of forests and land cover in upstream areas risks poor land-use decisions downstream.
“It’s about broadening the toolbox,” says Kaluarachchi. “Engineering infrastructure is part of the solution, but it cannot address the root causes of flooding. When land management and forest removal in the headwaters increase flood risks downstream, forests and healthy ecosystems must be a core part of flood management.”
Implications for flood management
The researchers call for a shift in how flood impacts are evaluated – moving away from single flood event comparisons and toward assessing how forests affect the likelihood of floods over time.
Drawing on their own studies as well as research across the field, the authors aim to clarify the scientific basis for considering forests as a core component of long-term flood resilience. They also call for policy guidance to be updated to reflect this more rigorous, causal science.
They suggest that adopting a broader lens could improve how governments integrate land-use management into flood mitigation strategies.
Interview languages: English (Kaluarachchi, Alila), French (Alila)
Media contact: Charlotte Fisher Marketing & Media Relations Strategist Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship University of British Columbia charlotte.fisher@ubc.ca
Kendall McLaughlin holds a degree in Natural Resources Conservation and is dedicated to fostering inclusive community building through ecology and community science. Kendall currently works part-time in three roles: Engagement Coordinator with the B.C. Wildlife Federation, Education Researcher with Access to Media Education Society, and Outreach Projects Manager for the Galiano Arts Alliance.
Kendall has been a Mentor in the Tri-Mentoring Program for three years. Read below to learn more about why they became a mentor and what role mentorship plays in shaping the next generation of leaders and professionals.
Navigating Non-Linear Career Paths
Reflecting on their journey from mentee to mentor, Kendall shares the biggest lessons they have learned from their career so far:
“I originally participated in the Tri‑Mentoring Program during my final year of undergrad in 2016–2017. At the time, many of the available mentors were retired professionals who hadn’t experienced the rapidly changing job market that new graduates were entering. While their advice was well‑intentioned, it didn’t always align with the realities of the current workforce.
Now, nearly ten years after completing my Bachelors with UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, I’m still early in my career—but I’ve gained enough experience to offer current undergrads guidance that reflects today’s professional landscape. I want to share what I’ve learned so far to help students set realistic expectations and navigate the transition from school to full‑time work.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that career paths are rarely linear. It can take a few roles you didn’t expect—or didn’t initially want—before discovering the career direction that truly fits you, and sometimes that direction isn’t even in the same field you studied. Being a mentor now not only allows me to support students, but also encourages me to reflect on my own evolving career goals. It’s meaningful to show mentees that even mentors continue to ask questions, explore possibilities, and learn along the way.”
Mentorship in Action
Kendall also recalled a standout experience that highlighted the value of connecting beyond traditional mentorship settings.
“I’ve been a mentor in this program for three years, but this was the first time my mentees expressed interest in visiting me on Galiano Island for an in‑person experience. We spent the day hiking to Dionisio Provincial Park, which created a unique opportunity to connect outside the usual virtual meetings.
During the hike, I was able to challenge them on their flora and fauna identification skills in preparation for their FRST 200 lab exams. The hike also turned into a wildlife spotting day. We encountered an abundance of species, including Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani), Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus), California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus), Northern Red‑legged Frogs (Rana aurora), Rough‑skinned Newts (Taricha granulosa), and Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina). It was rewarding to watch my mentees apply their knowledge in the field and to share a place that means a lot to me. Experiences like this remind me how mentorship can extend beyond career guidance. It can spark curiosity, build confidence, and strengthen connections in meaningful ways.”
For Kendall, mentorship is not just about giving advice—it is about supporting and learning from the next generation.
“Mentorship is an invaluable way to support the next generation as they enter the workforce. It helps prevent them from having the same challenges or repeat the same mistakes many of us faced—especially for those who didn’t have mentors themselves. It’s particularly important that mentors are active in today’s workforce, because they understand the current job market, evolving expectations, and rapid changes that shape modern career experiences.
Mentorship is also a two‑way exchange. While mentors offer guidance, mentees help mentors better understand how to integrate younger professionals into the workplace. By learning about the values and priorities of emerging generations, mentors can bridge gaps between traditional workplace expectations and the needs of a modern workforce. Research consistently shows that younger generations prioritize purpose‑driven work, meaningful impact, flexibility, and healthy work–life balance. In contrast, many older generations—many of whom are now retired—often emphasized stability, long hours, and financial obligation, even in roles they didn’t necessarily enjoy. These differing perspectives can create misunderstandings in the workplace if not openly discussed.
Mentorship provides a safe environment to explore these differences. It fosters mutual understanding, encourages adaptability, and helps workplaces evolve to support both new and existing employees. By sharing perspectives, experiences, and expectations, mentors and mentees can build stronger, more inclusive, and more responsive work cultures.”
Finding Meaning in Shared Success
Looking back, Kendall described how staying connected with mentees continues to be a source of motivation and reassurance.
“I enjoy seeing updates on LinkedIn from my mentees and watching them grow in their careers. It’s exciting to see them step into new roles and pursue opportunities.
I’ll admit, I sometimes overthink and worry that I’m not a “good enough” mentor because my own career path continues to evolve and shift. But when my mentees tell me that my advice has been helpful, or that they were able to connect with an organization I introduced them to, it reassures me.
Their feedback helps quiet those doubts and reminds me that support doesn’t have to come from someone with a perfectly linear career path. It can come from someone who’s still learning, growing, and navigating their journey too.”
Advice for Future Mentors
“You don’t need to be a project manager or a CEO to offer meaningful advice. Every experience—whether positive, challenging, or unexpected—has value, and there is always something to learn from it. You often learn the most from the jobs you didn’t enjoy or the situations that pushed you outside your comfort zone. Understanding what you don’t want to do can provide just as much direction as discovering what you desire for an occupation.”
“Career paths are rarely linear, and I think it’s important to share that reality with mentees. Exploring different roles, environments, and opportunities is part of the process, and each step contributes to building clarity, resilience, and confidence in where to go next.”
Interested in getting involved in the Tri-Mentoring Program? Check out our website!
