When: Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM Where: Online & In Person (Centre for Advanced Wood Processing Caseroom – Room 2916 | Forest Sciences Centre)
This event is free and will be held virtually and in person. Lunch will be provided to the first 20 in-person attendees and granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bring your own drink.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to course design and delivery that aims to maximize learning outcomes by fostering accessibility and inclusivity in the learning space. In practice, UDL means that all course participants are appropriately challenged by the learning materials regardless of their barriers to engagement, and it should result in a greater number of expert learners by the end of the course. Some of the principles of UDL were implemented in “Tree and Stand-Level Measurements” (FRST 239), a course which involves extensive mathematics and physical hands-on learning. Over the past year, two representatives from Forestry (Lee Salmon and Frederick Qi) participated in the UBC UDL Fellows Program to enhance this course. Join us for this seminar to learn more about UDL’s implementation in FRST 239, with an emphasis on what barriers to learning were addressed, the solutions deployed, whether these solutions were successful in developing expert learners, and what could be incorporated into other courses within the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship.
Lee Salmon is a professional forester who specializes in forest development planning and management. These practice areas are his passion and represent his core teaching interests. Coming from a professional background, his teaching approach is centered around experiential and active learning. Lee is committed to preparing students for their careers after UBC while improving himself as a teacher.
Frederick Qi works as the Teaching & Educational Technology Specialist in Forestry’s Teaching & Learning Support Team. He supports teaching teams in exploring and implementing a diverse range of educational technologies, and is committed to facilitating an accessible, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is pleased to congratulate Dr. Warren Cardinal-McTeague on being named Canadian Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Governance and Environmental Relations.
About Warren’s Research
Warren’s research centres on plant biodiversity, Indigenous relationships with the land, and the monitoring of ecosystem health and function. His work seeks to address questions about how plant biodiversity has evolved, and how we might use that information for trait improvement and environmental sustainability. As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Warren’s approach to research and teaching blends together science, art, Indigenous perspectives (specifically Métis and Cree), and the decolonial return of land and lifeways.
About Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP)
The Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) enables Canadian universities to achieve the highest levels of research excellence and become world-class research centres. Chairholders aim to achieve research excellence in engineering, natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Their contributions deepen our knowledge and quality of life, bolster Canada’s international competitiveness, and help facilitate the training of future skilled professionals through teaching, student supervision, and collaboration with fellow researchers.
The NSERC Discovery Grant Program is a competitive grant program supporting basic discovery research at Canadian universities in the natural sciences and engineering.
A new proposal has emerged in response to the November 2021 floods that swept Sumas Prairie in the Fraser Valley, causing mass evacuations and millions in damages.
Highway 1, Sumas flood by Dru! available under a Creative Commons license.
New paper finds restoring the lake will help in climate adaptation, endangered species restoration and Indigenous reconciliation
A new proposal has emerged in response to the November 2021 floods that swept Sumas Prairie in the Fraser Valley, causing mass evacuations and millions in damages.
Instead of rebuilding the dykes to manage water flows and prevent future floods, scientists at UBC, along with members of the Sumas First Nation and other research partners, suggest an alternative: let Sumas Lake, which was drained in the early 1920s and converted into the farmland known as Sumas Prairie, return to its natural state.
This can be done by buying out properties on the lakebed – a solution that is projected to cost around $1 billion, less than half of the estimated $2.4 billion cost of repairing the dykes and installing a new pump station.
“Dyke rehabilitation programs tend to assume that future waterflows will be predictable, however climate projections show that flooding events are likely to increase in the future – and the water needs somewhere to go,” says study author Riley Finn, a researcher at the Martin Conservation Decisions Lab at UBC in a paper published today in Frontiers of Conservation Science.
“By restoring Sumas Lake – Semá:th Xhotsa – we can help the region adapt to future floods, facilitating climate resiliency in the long term. It is the most ecologically responsible solution for flood management in the region.”
Ecological reconciliation
The authors note that restoring the lake will also promote healthy food systems and ecological reconciliation, addressing the ongoing harms caused by the loss of the lake to the Semá:th people.
Before its conversion to agricultural land, Sumas Lake supported thriving populations of salmon, sturgeon, ducks, and food and medicinal plants, many of which are now endangered.
Chief Dalton Silver, Sumas First Nation said “For the Semá:th people, the lake represented life and livelihood. In 1924, the lake was drained in an instance of land theft, decimating an ecology that supported a rich and diverse Indigenous food system and replacing it with a settler food system.
“My grandpa used to say that in the Coast Salish Territory, Semá:th was the central location where the people used to gather. The people gathered in the summertime as we had Semá:th Lake that once offered every species of fish right there at the front of our village and in the wintertime, people gathered there from all parts of the Coast Salish Territory for the winter ceremonies.”
Managed retreat
The study integrates Indigenous laws and oral tradition and the concept of “managed retreat” – the purposeful relocation of people and infrastructure to safer areas.
“In a time when climate-change induced flooding is predicted to increase, our study shows that incorporating Indigenous laws and knowledge is essential for developing more sustainable and just solutions,” said Dr. Tara Martin, the study’s senior author and a professor of forest and conservation sciences at UBC. “We need to explore innovative solutions, not just build more dykes.”
Humans seem to want to build bigger and better infrastructure but it is always at the detriment of our ecosystem and environment, added co-author Murray Ned, a member of the Sumas First Nation and executive director of the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance.
“Mother Nature signaled to us in 1990 and 2021 that the spirit of the Semá:th Xhotsa is alive and well, and ready to return with or without our cooperation. This research demonstrates that there are more economical and logical options that would allow us to reconcile some of the past harms of draining the lake a hundred years ago, and still maintain agricultural opportunities and the farming community in the region,” said Ned.
Interview language(s): English Written by Lou Bosshart via UBC News
When: June 5, 6 & 12, 2024, at 10:30 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.
June 5, 2024 | 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.
Networks of Care for Green, Healthy Cities Co-applicants: Andrew Binet, Christopher Carlsten, Liv Yoon, Melissa McHale, Michael Brauer (UBC) Partners: City of Vancouver, Diamond Head Consulting, Farmers on 57th, Metro Vancouver, Tree Canada, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Zero Emissions Innovation Centre
About the SSHRC Partnership Development Grant
SSHRC Partnership Development Grants award between $75,000 and $200,000 in value for a duration of between one and three years. They support the development of partnerships or the design and testing of new partnership approaches to nurture existing and emerging opportunities for research collaboration, best practices and/or models that can be adapted by others or scaled up to a regional, national or international level.
Here’s a look at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship in the media this month
The lake that keeps trying to come back UBC forestry scientists, members of the Sumas First Nation and other partners co-authored a study which recommended allowing B.C.’s Sumas Prairie to revert to a lake. CBC What On Earth, City News Now You Know (1:23:30 mark) UBC News coverage
We went forest bathing in Whistler and here’s everything you need to know Media mentioned a study led by forestry professor Dr. Guangyu Wang which found that forest bathing has therapeutic benefits. Daily Hive
Geese love the grassy Vancouver waterfront in June. Here’s a solution to all the poop Forestry master’s student Dominic Janus said although geese droppings can be off-putting, there is no scientific consensus as to whether the droppings are hazardous to humans. Postmedia via Vancouver Sun, The Province, Prince George Post
Research finds log booms harmful to B.C. salmon and fish habitats Forestry professor Dr. Scott Hinch led a study in collaboration with the Musqueam Nation which found that log booms in the Fraser River, a floating structure where logs are tethered together, have a significant effect on nearby habitat. CBC News
The Vancouver park board is endangered. Should it be saved? An op-ed mentioned a study by forestry professor Dr. Tahia Devisscher which found that Vancouver ranks among the least equitable of Canada’s major cities when it comes to green space access. The Narwhal
B.C. politicians debate reflooding Sumas Prairie UBC forestry scientists, members of the Sumas First Nation and other partners co-authored a study which recommended allowing B.C.’s Sumas Prairie to revert to a lake. CBC News via Yahoo,Radio-Canada,City News, Weather Network,Fraser Valley Current
As Vancouver and New Westminster plan to plant more trees, what is the best strategy? Forestry professor emeritus Dr. Stephen Sheppard commented on municipal discussions around planting more trees in Vancouver and New Westminster. CBC On The Coast
Masked bandits are taking over the world, one trash can at a time Professors Drs. Daniel Heath Justice (Indigenous studies) and Sarah Benson-Amram (forestry, zoology) were quoted in an opinion piece about raccoons expanding beyond their original territory. The Globe and Mail
Stanley Park falls victim to climate change Forestry professor Dr. Danielle Ignace emphasized the importance of consultation with multiple communities and perspectives when it comes to handling tree infestations and replanting trees. National Observer
B.C.’s wildfires are ‘different beasts’ than those seen in past decades Forestry professor Dr. Lori Daniels said wildfires are exceeding the capacity of B.C.’s existing infrastructure during a panel discussion at the Wildfire Coexistence Symposium in UBC Okanagan. Castanet
What are the top Indigenous novels and authorsin Canada? Forestry professor Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Nlaka’pamux Nation) of mixed ancestry and a restoration ecologist, integrates sacred stories, field observations, and personal experiences to present teachings from the four directions of the medicine wheel. CKNW Mornings with Simi via Spotify Podcasts
When: June 3-5, 2024 Where: UBC Okanagan, Kelowna campus
We invite the public to join us June 3-5, 2024, in Kelowna and learn about the stark realities of the societal, health, cultural, environmental, and economic costs of wildfires across British Columbia and the actions needed now.
This Symposium will bring together British Columbia’s leading wildfire experts and practitioners to highlight the urgent need to develop a transformative vision and implementation strategy for wildfires before it is too late. We will shed light on the profound impacts of wildfires and tremendous costs to the BC population, emphasizing that the 2017‒2023 fire seasons were not an anomaly but a new and escalating reality fueled by climate change.
As a Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Terry’s work is focused on applied research, biodiversity conservation sustainable resource management and linkages to levering policy influence.
Through the Co-developing Decision Support System for Coastal Mangrovebased Socio-ecological Systems in Eastern and Western Africa (CoastMan) project, Terry explores the essential ecosystem services and climate change protection that Coastal Mangroves provide to communities in Eastern and Western Africa. The main objective is co-production and uptake of a Multi-Criteria Decision Support System (DSS) that provides vulnerable coastal mangrove-dependent communities and decision-makers a knowledge-based decision-making capacity for the restoration and conservation of socio-ecological systems.
About the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)
The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) supports world-leading interdisciplinary, international, high-risk/high-reward, transformative and rapid-response Canadian-led research. Within the program, the International stream enhances opportunities for Canadian researchers to partner on international projects.
The 2023 International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Competition is a collaborative funding opportunity designed to support international research projects addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Field Team Member – Surrey’s Natural Areas Partnership (SNAP)
I have been working in the Surrey’s Natural Areas Partnership (SNAP) program as a member of the Fall Field Team. The work content at SNAP varied every day, ranging from removing invasive species, preparing for community planting events, and planting trees and seedlings in Surrey parks. Other activities included bird watching, snail hunting and building beaver fences in collaboration with other organizations.
Working at SNAP with the support from co-op program is my first job experience, the starting page of my career related to Urban forestry, so I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity.
I improved my professional knowledge and skills, physical endurance in an outdoor working environment, and social networking and team cooperation through every day work.
Even though the job means getting up early every day and a long commute, at the end of the work term, I still found it enjoyable to be out in the field facing sun or rain with the lovely team. Joining co-op with lots of valuable job opportunities like SNAP that encourages thinking, hard work, and growth is beneficial for all students throughout our lives.
