Genfor is seeking Assistant Forest Engineers to join their growing engineering and silviculture field teams. Visit the file below for more information if interested.
Haida Gwaii Institute: Q&A with Carrie Anne Vanderhoop
Carrie Anne Vanderhoop is currently the Director of the Haida Gwaii Institute. She holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Comparative Literature and Sociology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her own work and research focuses on anti-racism, social justice, Indigenous cultural safety, and systems change. We chatted with her about her connection with Haida Gwaii, connecting with the community, and what students can expect in their semester at HGI.
How did you come to HGI?
I have a deep connection to Haida Gwaii through my ancestral roots. My mother’s family comes from Gaw Tlagee, Old Massett Village. I am Gaw Git’ans, Masset Inlet Eagle clan. Although I grew up most of my childhood in Aquinnah, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, I’ve always felt a strong tie to Haida Gwaii and my Haida heritage. During a summer break after my first year in University, I had the opportunity to visit and spend some time here. This place holds so much cultural and familial significance for me. My family has a history of weaving, and I joined my mother and grandmother in weaving the first Raven’s Tail robe in the village in over 100 years. This opportunity allowed me to connect with my roots and following graduate school, I moved back with my sister in 2002 and have been building a life here ever since.
What drew you to this work?
My passion for education and teaching has been a constant thread in my life. With a Masters in Education, I’ve taught across various educational levels. Joining the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society (HGHES) as the academic lead was an exciting opportunity. There were two-semester programs running at that time, and I became closely involved in curriculum and program development. From the beginning, HGHES partnered with UBC Faculty of Forestry, over time, that partnership evolved and the Haida Gwaii Institute was established which has helped us to expand programming, adding several new semesters and professional development. It’s been great to have been with HGI now for 7 years and witness and be part of its evolution and growth.
What is the relationship between HGI and UBC?
HGI has a relationship with UBC that blends academia with community engagement. We are a part of UBC, but we take a distinct approach that combines western scholarly learning with a strong emphasis on building relationships with the land and the community. Our collaboration with UBC involves creating partnerships and co-creating knowledge, ensuring that traditional knowledge and academic perspectives are equally valued.
What do you hope to see for the future of HGI?
I’ve always appreciated that HGI is a community-led initiative, deeply rooted in the rights and values of the Haida Nation. The institute emerged during a crucial time when the Haida people were asserting their rights and asserting their connection to the land. All of Haida Gwaii from mountain top to ocean floor is Haida territory. This connection is central to Haida culture. I hope that HGI continues to foster this deep relationship with the land, focusing on preservation and protection. The ecosystems here are unique, and the cultural significance of these forests is immense. I’d like to see HGI’s role in educating and advocating for the conservation of Haida Gwaii continue to flourish and give students a chance to look at the environment through a different values perspective.
What is some of the biggest change you’ve seen in the years since you’ve been at HGI?
Over the past few years, there has been a growing emphasis on building relationships, particularly after the challenges posed by the pandemic. We’ve also expanded our collaborations, such as partnering with the Center for Indigenous Fisheries at UBC and working with experts like Dr. Andrea Reid. These partnerships have enriched our approach to learning and sharing knowledge, embracing a spirit of co-creation.
What can learners expect in their semester at Haida Gwaii? Who would be a good candidate for your programs there?
At HGI, we offer a unique learning experience that goes beyond traditional academia. Learners can expect to engage with content experts, knowledge keepers, and the community. We approach education holistically, incorporating scholarly and academic perspectives along with traditional knowledge and ways of learning. Our programs are ideal for individuals who are passionate about preserving and conserving the environment, particularly those interested in Indigenous knowledge and community engagement.
Can you highlight the impact of HGI on students and the community?
When students come to HGI, it’s often a transformative experience. They connect with the community, volunteering and engaging with local residents. For Indigenous students, it’s an opportunity to connect with Indigenous knowledge keepers in community, learning in an environment that values both traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western perspectives. HGI’s impact goes beyond the classroom; it fosters relationships within community and with the land and ocean, and shapes the future stewards of our environment.
Follow HGI on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and Facebook for updates on programs, events and life at Haida Gwaii.
Emily Cranston Receives the Rutherford Memorial Medal in Chemistry
Congratulations to Dr. Emily Cranston on receiving the 2023 Rutherford Memorial Medal in Chemistry!
About Emily’s Research
As the President’s Excellence Chair in Forest Bio-products, and Professor in UBC’s Departments of Wood Science and Chemical and Biological Engineering, Emily’s research focuses on sustainable nanocomposites and hybrid materials from cellulose and other biopolymers. Featured in top journals, her work has significantly impacted the broad scientific community, driving eco-friendly material innovation towards a greener future.
“We are not just replacing plastics — designing functional new materials from natural resources will also contribute to improved health, through developments in food, cosmetics, biomedical and pharmaceutical products,” said Cranston. “This research is particularly important for Canada — we have a lot of trees and with nanocellulose, you only need a tiny amount to enhance existing materials or create entirely new ones.”
About The Rutherford Memorial Medals
The Rutherford Memorial Medals were established in 1980 by the RSC in memory of Lord Rutherford of Nelson, a great scientist and a leader in nuclear research. The medals are awarded annually to individuals who have done outstanding research during the formative stages of their careers in any branch of physics and chemistry.
Booker, Tom
Booker, Tom
Assistant Professor
Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences
Forest Sciences Centre 3032
2424 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Canada
work phone: 604-822-9974
Research Areas:
Applied Conservation ScienceResearch
I’m an evolutionary geneticist studying forest trees. By understanding how species have evolved to tolerate the variable conditions of life, we hope to understand how they may be conserved into the future. My research draws on population and quantitative genetics, bioinformatics, statistics and ecology.
Selected Publications
The Nature-based Future Challenge – WUR Student Challenge
In November 2023, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) launches the Nature-based Future Challenge with the support of the Foundation for Food & Agricultural Research (FFAR).
In short, the Nature-based Future Challenge is planned to start November 2023 and takes the students on a journey to create their own visions for a nature-based future in river deltas around the globe. In this first edition, we focus on the Bengal Delta in Bangladesh and think along with its stakeholders to envision a nature-inclusive and climate resilient transformation. This is the perfect opportunity for students to develop their ideas with the help of industry coaches, and experience what it is like to work across disciplines and contexts. This is an international competition and participation is fully online with a chance to visit our Wageningen Campus in the Netherlands for the top classified teams.
For an additional information and to join the challenge please visit their website. For any questions please contact monica.vidal@wur.nl.
Haida Gwaii Semester in Community Resilience
Calling all senior undergraduate students:
The Haida Gwaii Semester in Community Resilience is designed for students from interdisciplinary backgrounds who have completed the first two years of an undergraduate degree. With its roots in complex adaptive systems theory, resilience includes the ability to: persist in the face of challenges, adapt to changing circumstances and new realities, or transform to fundamentally new paths for development. Using a transdisciplinary, cross-cultural approach, this program explores the intertwined nature of people, place, and environment from the perspective of resilience theory drawing on Indigenous science and ways of knowing, and Western science and ways of knowing. The courses introduce the theory of resilience as it can be applied to cross-cultural community settings, using case studies from communities on Haida Gwaii and other exceptional cases.
Registration is closing soon, explore this opportunity and apply here if interested.
Navigating UBC: A Guide to Making the Most of Your First Year
Your first year at UBC can be overwhelming. Juggling a new way of learning, a newfound sense of independence, and clubs for just about everything is not the easiest of tasks.
While adjusting to university life may come with its challenges, UBC has so much to offer including a number of stunning outdoor spaces to explore, a wide array of delicious food options and plenty of unique, can’t-miss events.
Raunaq Nambiar, a fifth-year Natural Resource Conservation student, shares his top-10 must-see and do guide to navigating your first year at UBC in the Faculty of Forestry.
1. Visit every garden on campus
If it has the word “garden” in it, it’s a must-visit. UBC is one of Canada’s most walkable and well-planned, and the amount of green space on campus is one of those things you’ll learn to take for granted (as I did). Many of these spaces are free to enter for UBC Students.
The Nitobe Memorial Garden and UBC Botanical Gardens are highlights that must be checked out. The former’s Japanese design elements and koi ponds, and the latter immense plant biodiversity and outstanding reading spots make them excellent core first-year memories. Go along with your friends or relish in this new phase of your life on a solo adventure, you’ll be sure to have a good time regardless.
BONUS: Pacific Spirit Park, on the outskirts of campus, is a must-visit if you’re looking for a casual trail through the woods to walk through or bike through.
2. Places to grind the hardest for those finals
Asking university students what their favourite study spots are is like asking philosophers what the best way to salvation is. You’ll always get a different answer, people will change their answers all the time, and each one is convinced that they’re in the right. That being said, here’s my go to list of study spots which are objectively good and not totally skewed by my personal experiences and circumstances.
Forestry – you’ll soon find out that everyone thinks this, and the building often gets crowded very quickly with everyone vying to study under the trees. If you can nag a spot, relish it. We truly do have the best building on campus. Bonus points for sitting on the fourth floor under the sun.
Libraries Galore – UBC is home to a plethora of libraries, each one carrying their own unique charm that facilitates being as productive as lo-fi girl. Personal favourites include the upper floors of the Allard Law Library (north campus), the Ridington Room in the Irving K. Barber Library, the basement of Koerner’s library (if you’re feeling like being bunkered in a basement during a cold winter storm and want that closed in ultra-focussed feel), and the Education Library.
AMS Nest – Yes, I know, this place doesn’t need any more exposure, but the upper floors of the Nest have some lovely seating areas that face both campus and the MacInnes field and bus loop. These both make for therapeutic study spots as you see the motions of life pass you.
3. NYOM NYOM: Essential UBC Eats
Studying and potentially living on campus means you will have to come to terms with the food on campus. As you’ll soon come to know, campus eats are consistently two things – unpredictable in terms of quality and portion sizes, and predictable in its not-so-affordable pricing. $20 poke bowls will certainly eat into your wallet. Hence, I’ll let you in on the places that us seniors go to to find good food that still allows us to pay rent.
International Food Village – Located just below, this space is filled with cheap gems, the Crown Jewels which include My Home Cuisine (for cheap rice + 2 sides Chinese takeout) and Miyamae sushi (good value for sushi).
FreshSlice – This establishment near McDonald’s has the cheapest slices of pizza in the area. While certainly lacking the diversity of Pizza Garden or the Sesame Crust of Uncle Fatih’s, if all you’re looking for is some late night grease, this will get you to that goal with the fewest dollars.
Flavor Lab – Located in the Nest basement, this place isn’t that cheap, but for the amount it charges you get some absolutely outstanding food. The frybread Korean burger is a personal favourite, and their low-cost menu is sure to help when looking for quick bites (like their one-piece chicken and fries!)
ELITE TIP: In Forestry, you may be tempted to get your food and coffee fixes from the Tim’s in the building. However, across the street in the MacMillan building is one of the best-kept secrets of campus food – the one and only Agora Café. Run by the students of LFS on a volunteer basis, their chana masala, Thai curry, and chocolate chip muffins are delectable!
4. NYOM NYOM: Coffee Edition
No relationship is more toxic than an undergraduate student’s relationship with caffeine. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to get that caffeine in a somewhat flavourful cup of coffee. Forestry is surrounded by coffee shops, with Starbucks, Bean Around The World, and Tim Hortons all being located 30 seconds – 3 mins away from the building. That being said, explore other shops on campus!
Coffee Shops to check out:
Great Dane Coffee – Located on the north end of campus next to the Allard Law Library, this dog-themed cafe is well known for their “Jeremy” sandwich and offers a warm outdoor seating area complete with a fireplace!
Corner Store – Located next to the bookstore, this little grocery store isn’t anything special in the coffee world. Desperation, however, allows one to see the joy in everything, and if it is for you, they sell a cup of black coffee for $1 (!!!). It doesn’t get lower than that!
The Beanery – Located in Fairview Crescent, this little cafe is tucked away amongst some summer UBC residence areas and is a divine place to relax with a cup of coffee and either work or read. Located in the sleepier parts of campus, peace is found abundantly, and you’ll find that to be a rare commodity as your classes pick up in pace.
5. NYOM NYOM Shoutout: Blue Chip
Blue Chip Cafe is a must-visit. Located in the Nest, they serve coffee, and sandwiches, and even have some of their baked goods for a discounted price from the previous day. Their claim to fame, however, is their wide selection of cookies. From the ooey-gooey chocolate chunk to the ever-iconic Marbelous cookie, these sweet discs of joy will come to be reliable partners by your side throughout your time at UBC. At least one of them will become your go-to. It’s a cannon event I can’t help it.
6. Best Beach-Offs (any Barbie fans?)
Our campus is home to beaches (a statement that is, for the rest of the country, a dream).
You may have already heard of Wreck Beach, the most popular beach on campus (for reasons both innocent and not so).
There are many other beaches in and around campus worthy of your time! Tower Beach on the north end of campus is one such spot. While mostly rocky, it offers a skyline view of North and West Vancouver and is much quieter than Wreck.
Walk further eastwards and you’ll come across Spanish Banks, where low tide offers a vast expanse of freshly exposed intertidal zones for you to walk everywhere.
7. Feel the Burn!
UBC is home to a wide range of fitness options and opportunities, and many of these are either significantly discounted for students or, on certain occasions, are completely free! Gym memberships start at $40/term, and it’s completely free to use the aquatic centre to get a quick swim in!
From September 11th to 17th, UBC Recreation is hosting a Free Week, where normally paid services like Pilates and Power Cycling sessions are absolutely free to attend! Don’t forget to register for them beforehand.
Bonus tip: The faculty is home to a large number of climbers, and if you’re one (or are just curious), you’ll be happy to know that there are not one, but two climbing spaces on campus! Located on the upper floors of the AMS Nest is The Aviary, while the Recreation Centre has the BirdCoop Climbing Cave, located inside the BirdCoop Gym (hence requiring a gym membership to use).
8. UBC Special Events
UBC is host to a bunch of events that happen throughout the year that really crystallize what it means to be here, and you’re more than welcome to try how many ever you feel like! Some include:
Day of the Longboat – It’s just you and your friends on a boat in Jericho Beach fighting for your life trying to beat the other teams. What’s better than that?
Storm The Wall – Can you and a team get above a wooden wall erected in front of the Nest the fastest? That’s what this seeks to find out! If you’re feeling truly olympic you can also do the whole race and the climb by yourself!
UBC Triathalon – Swim, run, bike, celebrate!
Polar Bear Swim – It’s uncertain what possessed people to engage in this, but its status as a UBC staple is certain. Gather on the beach in the cold and run into the icy waters come December. That’s it. It’s fun though (trust).
Snowball Fight – Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like, and it is FUN. Hosted by the UBC Calendar (a party club), keep an eye out for their announcement and get ready for some sanctioned icy acts of war against your fellow students!
9. Museums
From the Beaty Biodiversity Museum’s massive blue whale skeleton to the innumerable number of rocks at the Pacific Museum of the Earth, UBC is host to immense knowledge (truly Alexandria in its scale if you ask me). You also get in for free as a UBC Student, what more of a reason do you need?
10. UBC Farm
That’s right, we have a farm! Not only that, but we have a farmer’s market (Saturdays from 10 AM – 2 PM). From produce to science experiments to cinnamon buns to hidden trails, this hidden gem is essential for the Forestry/LFS kind of person, and can be found in Wesbrook Village!
Emily Cranston Elected as a Member of The College of the Royal Society of Canada
UBC Forestry would like to congratulate Professor Emily Cranston on being elected as a Member of The College of the Royal Society of Canada Class of 2023.
About Emily’s Research
Emily’s research group (the Sustainable Nano Biocomposites Group) aims to design high-performance materials to replace those that are based on non-renewable resources by learning from nature and using biological components.
Currently, the bio-component of choice is nanocellulose (both nanocrystals of cellulose and nanofibrils of cellulose). This work includes investigating and modifying interfacial properties between nanocomposite components and encompasses disciplines such as polymer and surface chemistry, nanotribology, and pulp and paper science.
About The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists
The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists is Canada’s first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership. The Members of the College are Canadians and Permanent Residents who, at an early stage in their career, have demonstrated a high level of achievement. The criteria for election is excellence, and membership is for seven years.
FUS By-Elections Fall 2023
Calling all undergraduate Forestry students:
Do you want an active role in shaping student life in the Faculty of Forestry? We invite you to join us at
the Forestry Undergraduate Society (FUS)! From planning and hosting events to media design, the
executive and general councils both have positions to suit your interests.
Our election nomination period will run from September 8 – 17, with voting from September 25-October 1.
Please see the attached document for details about all open positions and nomination instructions.
Investing in the Future of Wild Pacific Salmon
Numbers-based decision-making may be our best bet to save threatened salmon populations.
“Despite all the pressures they’re facing, Pacific salmon are still showing up,” says UBC Forestry Prof. Tara Martin.
Chinook, coho and sockeye salmon runs are quintessentially BC; however, stocks have been on a marked decline since the mid-1990s, largely due to habitat loss, warming ocean temperatures from climate change, fishing and shifting landscape uses.
“Climate change is perhaps the single biggest overarching factor because it’s depleting salmon’s food sources in the ocean, where some species spend the majority of their lives,” notes UBC Forestry Prof. Scott Hinch, Director of the Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Lab.
“Compounding the impacts of climate change are land use practices such as forestry, agriculture, urbanization and water extraction that degrade habitat and can also create numerous barriers for fish to access habitat,” Scott adds. “It’s almost like death by a thousand cuts.”
In the Fraser Valley, around 85% of floodplain habitat used by 19 genetically and ecologically distinct Pacific salmon populations has been lost to agriculture, housing and businesses. In addition, “our research also shows that around 64% of stream length is now either lost entirely or inaccessible to salmon due to barriers, such as dams, floodgates and road culverts,” says Tara.
To address this, Tara and her team have embarked on a project that takes a Priority Threat Management approach to quantify threats to wild Pacific salmon species and the related costs of protecting them. Developed by Tara’s Conservation Decisions Lab, Priority Threat Management is a decision-making tool that illustrates how to recover the most species for the least cost using a scientific, data-driven approach.
“Priority Threat Management draws on empirical data and expert knowledge of major threats to biodiversity to forecast the expected outcome of tailored management strategies on species recovery and persistence, along with the cost and feasibility of those strategies,” says Tara.
The approach can help decision-makers in Indigenous, federal, provincial and municipal governments select the most prudent path forward to save as many species as possible for the least cost. Importantly, research also shows that the expected benefit of implementing salmon management strategies increases when supported by Indigenous and crown governments, Tara adds.
Habitat restoration is a key lever
Tara and Scott’s research, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology in April 2022, calculated that to support healthy populations of 14 distinct salmon species in the Lower Fraser River would cost approximately $20 million per year for 25 years. Moneys would go towards a suite of habitat restoration strategies that would involve restoring coastal areas found at the tidal mouths of rivers, along with freshwater restoration, barrier removal, habitat protection and updates to watershed management policies.
Implementing conservation strategies for an additional three salmon species would double the cost, their assessment concluded. Doing nothing will likely lead to the slow decline of all 19 salmon species found in the Lower Fraser.
“Run sizes in the southern latitudes are shrinking, whereas salmon populations in northern regions are doing ok,” says Scott. While the number of salmon in the north Pacific continues to increase, population diversity is declining, which will ultimately further weaken salmon’s resilience to climate change, adds Scott.
Learn more at: pacificsalmonecologyconservationlab.ca
This article was originally published in the Spring 2023 issue of Branchlines Magazine. View the full issue here.