The BC Wildlife Federation is hiring 2 Educators with their Education & Volunteer Engagement department. Please see the job description attached for more details.
Researchers Awarded $21.5M for Sustainable Agriculture Research
Congratulations to the UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship faculty members involved in projects that were awarded $21.5 million in funding to advance solutions for sustainable agriculture within a net-zero economy.
The research teams and projects are supported by grants awarded through the NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative (SARI), a joint initiative between the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship researchers & projects
- PERCS: Perennial Plant Restoration for Carbon Sequestration in Canadian Agricultural Landscapes
Jeanine Rhemtulla (Forest and Conservation Sciences ); Matthew Mitchell (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Land and Food Systems); Jennifer Grenz (Forest Resources Management / Faculty of Land and Food Systems); Juliet Lu (Forest Resources Management / School for Public Policy and Global Affairs) - The Canadian Soil Data Portal – Transforming Canada’s Soil Data Infrastructure to Facilitate GHG Reductions and Climate Change Mitigation
Maja Krzic (Forest and Conservation Sciences / Faculty of Land and Food Systems)
Imagine Day 2024
When: September 3, 2024
Where: Various locations around the Forest Sciences Building
First year students get ready for UBC Imagine Day! This annual event welcomes new students to the Forestry community to participate in various activities like campus tours, faculty and program orientations and social events. The day is designed to help students get familiar with the university, connect with peers and learn about available resources and services.
Learn more about Imagine Day at UBC here.
Check out the UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship photo galley from Imagine Day 2023 here.
Applications now open for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application Deadline: October 31, 2024
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship joins forces with the Mastercard Foundation to empower next-generation leaders
The UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is excited to announce our continued partnership with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program for the 2025/26 academic year. This collaboration plays a crucial role in empowering the next generation of leaders from economically disadvantaged communities, providing them with the education and skills needed to contribute to social and economic progress in their home countries.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: A Vision for Change
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is a global initiative with a 10-year mission to educate and develop young leaders who will drive social and economic transformation in their communities. This program particularly targets young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Africa, aiming to bridge the gap in secondary and tertiary education in the region.
Africa has seen remarkable economic progress and political resurgence in recent years. With more than 60 percent of its population under the age of 25, it is the youngest continent globally. However, Sub-Saharan Africa faces significant challenges in enrolling its youth in quality secondary and tertiary education. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program aims to change this narrative by providing comprehensive support to scholars, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for success in the global economy.
UBC’s Commitment to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
The University of British Columbia is proud once again to work with the Mastercard Foundation in realizing their vision. By continuing the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, UBC ensures that young leaders have access to quality education and support, enabling them to positively impact their communities and beyond.
“We are proud to be part of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, empowering young leaders who will shape their communities and contribute to global progress,” says Rob Kozak, Dean of UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. “This partnership aligns with our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability, offering scholars the opportunity to advance their expertise in forestry and natural resources management, ultimately benefitting our planet and inspiring positive change.”
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC: Opportunities for the 2025/26 Academic Year
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC offers opportunities for Master’s degree studies in various faculties and programs. For the 2025/26 academic year, aspiring scholars can apply for the following programs at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship:
Master of Sustainable Forest Management (MSFM)
MSFM is a comprehensive 9-month course-based master’s program designed to prepare students for careers in professional forest land management. The program focuses on equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective forest land managers who contribute to the health, sustainability, and productivity of forests.
Master of International Forestry (MIF)
MIF is an intensive, 10-month, course-based master’s program that provides the knowledge, skills, and tools required to address the social, environmental, and economic challenges of global forest and natural resources management.
Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM)
MGEM is an accelerated, 9-month, professional master’s degree program that provides essential training in the use and application of geospatial tools used to plan, develop, manage, and evaluate programs to protect and regulate natural habitats and renewable natural resources.
Master of Science/Master of Applied Science in Forestry (Thesis-based)
The research-oriented degrees offer students the opportunities to tailor their studies and work closely with their supervisor and affiliated department.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of British Columbia is a beacon of hope for talented and motivated young leaders from economically disadvantaged communities in Africa. By providing access to quality education and support, this program is not only transforming the lives of the scholars but also igniting a positive change that will ripple through their communities and the world.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is proud to be part of this inspiring initiative, working hand in hand with the Mastercard Foundation to make a lasting impact. The call for applications for the 2025/26 academic year is now open, and we invite all qualified candidates to explore this opportunity to further their education and contribute to a brighter future for all.
For detailed information about these programs and the application process, please visit the official Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC’s website.
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Application Deadline: October 31, 2024
From Classroom to Canopy: How MUFL Lessons Are Shaping the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest Arboretum
Written by Robin Hastings, Master of Urban Forestry Leadership student.
For an arborist, there aren’t many better places to work than an arboretum. I jumped at the chance to join the team at the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest (MKRF) Arboretum. It was an ideal opportunity to incorporate some of the lessons from the Masters of Urban Forestry Leadership (MUFL) course into the underway arboretum redevelopment project. I and fellow UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship student Lucila Gonzalez were both fortunate to be given summer intern positions at MKRF thanks to a Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) grant.
The arboretum at MKRF is a 3.4 ha site, mostly planted in the 1960s with a large number of coniferous trees. Over the intervening years, understory vegetation has grown up, creating a unique ‘forest’ style arboretum. While this creates an interesting dynamic between natural and managed, it was felt that some updating was required to showcase the arboretum in its best light and prepare for future redevelopment at the site.
The work fell into two broad categories. The first was revamping the arboretum with some new signage and trail systems. This included creating an ArcGIS Story map, to highlight the tree collections. Second was creating a design process that incorporates student feedback into a larger redevelopment of the arboretum, and the new MKRF Welcome Centre. The goal is to showcase cutting-edge urban forest practices, elevating the arboretum as an educational resource for UBC students and the wider community.
Funding from the TLEF allowed us to go to Chicago as part of a research trip. Here we visited some world-class arboretums and botanic gardens, speaking to staff and observing what makes interesting and engaging content. This informed our work at MKRF and inspired us to design elements for a world-class teaching arboretum. It was interesting to see how the work being done in various locations around Canada and the US fits within the broader principles of urban forestry management that I had been studying in the MUFL program.
Increasing the public awareness of the arboretum and improving its education capacity underpinned our work. The ArcGIS Story map component is a publicly available interactive tool that people can use to learn more about specific tree species in the arboretum. It allows users to locate the living specimens within the arboretum, and links to QR codes on the tree labels. The MKRF Arboretum Story map is now live and can be accessed here.
One of the biggest lessons that I learned from my time at MUFL was that community buy-in is vital to building a sustainable and resilient urban forest program. Incorporating student feedback into the MKRF redevelopment was therefore a key component. We created a blueprint for a design charette workshop that could be delivered to UBC students so that they could have a voice in the process. Although due to the timing of the internship, we were not able to facilitate this workshop for students, we did have a group of staff and faculty attend our ‘beta’ testing event.
“We used a drone to help identify trees using their cones. These were inaccessible from the ground and so we needed a way to take pictures from the top of this 30m tall noble fir (Abies procera).“
Both MUFL and the experience gained from working at the MKRF Arboretum have helped to open the door for the next steps in my career.
I am excited to take those lessons forward with me and to see how the MKRF redevelopment projects progress. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to practically apply the knowledge gained in MUFL while working at MKRF.
I am sure that I won’t be the only one and that a strong, fruitful partnership will provide benefits to students, the community and the environment for many more years.
Learn more about the TLEF and the ongoing work at Malcom Knapp Research Forest including the ongoing renewal project to allow MKRF to sustain itself as a natural education hub for generations to come!
Feau, Nicolas
Feau, Nicolas
Adjunct Professor
Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences
Forest Sciences Centre
2424 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Canada
Research Areas:
Ecosystems and Climate ChangeBio
I am a research scientist in forest pathology with the Canadian Forest Service at the Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria, B.C since July 2021. I conducted studies in several tree-pathogen systems, and I have developed a strong interest and expertise in the use of genomics and bioinformatics tools to detect forest pathogens and get a better understanding of their mechanisms of emergence and interaction with trees.
Alexandra Hankins (Natural Resources Conservation)
Environmental Student Consultant – Urban Systems
As an Environmental Student Consultant with Urban Systems in Kamloops, BC, I have been introduced to the world of consulting and a wide range of projects. I have a balanced schedule of office work and field work. Some field work include bird nest surveys, badger den surveys, amphibian salvages, water quality testing, and environmental monitoring construction works.
One particularly rewarding experience was obtaining my electrofishing certification and using this technique to salvage hundreds of fish including juvenile rainbow trout, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, suckers, dace, and lampreys. My field work has also brought me all over BC including Lillooet, Merritt, Vernon, Dawson Creek, Revelstoke, and Vancouver.
Another two exciting projects involved a permit for snake handling and training by an expert. I had the opportunity to search for Western rattlesnake dens throughout the Nicola River Valley and remove snakes from a project area alongside one of the best species at risk biologists in BC, Jared Hobbs. I also assisted him in instructing an eDNA course where I met many environmental professionals from around the province working on exciting projects and plans to incorporate eDNA. I plan to use my knowledge from the course to help eDNA projects at Urban Systems.
My desktop work has been equally beneficial to my learning as I write Environmental Management Plans, conduct species-at-risk searches, fill out funding and permit applications for clients, and gain knowledge on legislation requirements for various projects.
This co-op has given me the opportunity to work closely with federal agencies like DFO, Local Government, and Indigenous communities to understand their perspectives and integrate them into environmental planning and assessment processes. Some clients I have worked with include Penticton Indian Band, Simpcw First Nation, Skeetchestn Indian Band, Whispering Pines / Clinton Indian Band, the City of Merritt, and the Village of Pouce Coupe.
Being an Environmental Student Consultant with Urban Systems for 8 months has allowed me to dive deeper into the world of consulting and work on a wider range of projects.
Andy Chen (Wood Products Processing)
Research Assistant – University of Victoria, Math and Statistics Faculty
Hi, my name is Andy Chen and I am currently a Research Assistant at the University of Victoria for my first co-op workterm. I am a research assistant for Dr. Xuekui Zhang in the math and statistics faculty where I am working on a project called Diagnostics of Viral Infections Using High-Throughput Genome Sequencing Data.
This term I have been learning about data analysis and machine learning models to diagnose plants correctly in order to prevent further infections. I have learned to code in R to process this data. Viral plant infections cause major economic losses and with no treatment for virus-infected plants, accurate and efficient diagnosis is important for preventing and controlling these diseases.
In the co-op program, I have learned what a data analysis career consists of and I can determine if I would like to pursue it as a future career path. I have also learned many new skills that are useful for future employment.
I realized I am enjoying this job as it makes me feel I am positively contributing to the world even if it is as small as diagnosing plant viruses through data analysis. I feel motivated and proud to work and be able to contribute to a good cause.
Mary Englezos (Forest Sciences)
Community Education Team Leader – Salmon Habitat Restoration Program (SHaRP)
For my first co-op work term this summer I have had the opportunity to be a part of the SHaRP (Salmon Habitat Restoration Program) team as a Community Education Team Leader.
Throughout the summer, I have planned community events, day camps and booths to educate and engage community members about our environmental work to improve salmon habitats in the City of Surrey.
This has been an incredible opportunity to deliver engaging educational content about ways that urban environments can affect salmon habitats, and about the amazing salmon populations we have in British Columbia!
I have also had opportunities to do field work including invasive plant removals and stream enhancements, improving my understanding of environmental restoration work with hands-on experience.
This work term has helped me develop skills in community engagement, teamwork as well as plant and fish ID.
#UBCForestry Goodbye Summer Photo Contest
Contest Details
As summer comes to an end, we’re excited to welcome new and returning students back to UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. To celebrate a new school year, we want to see how you spent your summer! Whether you’ve been working in a lab, out in the field, exploring beautiful BC, or anything in between, share your favourite summer memories with us for a chance to win $500.
Eligibility
All current and incoming UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship students, undergraduate and graduate, are eligible to submit photos/reels, win prizes, and potentially have their photos reposted to our social channels.
Faculty, staff, and alumni are welcome to submit photos for the chance to win the merch prize packs, but are not eligible for the grand prize.
Photos and videos must be taken by individual submitting them.
How to Enter
- Must be following @ubcforestry on Instagram
- Post up to three (3) photos/reels using #UBCForestryContest and tag @UBCForestry
- If your Instagram account is not public, please direct message the post to the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship’s account
- Contest runs from Tuesday, August 20 – Friday, September 13
Bonus Entries
- Share the announcement photo as a story and tag @ubcforestry
- Tag friends in the comments (1 tag = 1 bonus entry)
Winner Determination
The week after the contest period, the UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Marketing and Communications team will randomly select one (1) winner and one (2) runners-up among all eligible submissions received during the applicable entry period, based on the following criteria:
- The photo/reel was submitted using the #UBCForestryContest
- The Instagram account that submitted the content belongs to an incoming or current UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship student
- The submission demonstrates an individual’s summer activity
- The account that entered the contest is following the @UBCForestry Instagram account
Winners will be contacted via Instagram DM within seven days following the closing of the contest period. If the winners do not respond within 24 hours, UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship reserves the right to select a new winner.
The @ubcforestry Instagram account will always comment on a photo and ask permission to repost it.
*The $500 grand prize will be awarded on pre-paid Visa or Mastercard*