Past graduate student profiles
2012 graduates
Trevor Bennett, MA candidate
Trevor is using visual and participatory research methods to document and communicate local observations of environmental conditions in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, of the western Canadian Arctic. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of these methods to monitor environmental conditions to adequately communicate, and contextualize local hunter and trapper observations.
Research supervisor: Trevor Lantz
2011 graduates
Dane Stabel, MSc candidate
Dane's research focuses on the epidemiology of groundfish populations in the Broughton Archipelago. He is using spatially explicit ecological models to explore the relationship between salmon aquaculture, the parasitic copepod (Phrixocephalus cincinnatus) and it's definitive host, arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias).
Shinsaku Shiga, MSc
Shinsaku is interested in how ecological restoration can transform relationships between and within social and ecological systems. He is also interested in how cultural perspective on nature influences such relationships. His research focus is in restoration projects in Japan.
Abe Lloyd, MSc
Abe's academic interest is in ethnoecolgy. He is studying estuarine root gardens of the NW Coastal First Nations with an emphasis on learning how traditional management effects the root productivity and palatability of silverweed (Potentilla anserina). Abe's passion is for wild edible foods, which he tries to regularly incorporate into his diet.
Sara Duncan, MSc
Sara's research focus is the potential to actively restore terrestrial lichens in caribou habitat that has been disturbed by industrial activity. She will be investigating potential propagation and dispersal methods for the terrestrial lichen species used by caribou in forested and alpine environments, and hopes to determine whether the potential exists to establish lichen on reclaimed sites more rapidly than by natural ingress alone.
Helen Ford, MSc
Helen's interests lie in the conservation and ecology of near shore marine ecosystems. The focus of her research is on plankton communities surrounding Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) aquaculture sites along the west coast of Canada and the United States. She aims to determine the trophic footprint of a Pacific oyster farm. This is particularly relevant in light of sustainability questions in shellfish aquaculture.
2010 graduates
Carla Mellot, MSc
Carla is studying the autecology and ethnobotany of the mountain potato (Claytonia lanceolata) on Potato Mountain, British Columbia.
Valerie Huff, MSc
Valerie is studying restoration using native grasses in northeastern BC. Her research focuses on plant traits in response to disturbance. It draws on the fields of traditional ecological knowledge as well as botany and biogeography. Valerie will also consider practical policy aspects of revegetation using native species.Her work is part of a larger Northern Grass Project which is developing an online interactive key to grasses of northern BC, including a restoration decision support tool.
Ryan Hilperts, MSc
Ryan is studying the social and educational issues surrounding two impending dam removals on the Elwha River of Washington State. She is interested in the ways a major restoration project, which necessarily involves a wide array of organizations, community groups and individuals, transforms the human community as it transforms ecological ones. Ryan's specific areas of interest are: oral histories, environmental education and social justice, and community involvement in restoration. Ryan's CV.
Hilary Harrop-Archibald, MSc
A significant component of the landbase in British Columbia is composed of young second growth plantation forests. Due to their simplified nature these forests are often considered unsuitable habitat for many forest dwelling species and less resilient to potential climate change impacts. Hilary is interested in the efficacy of alternative silviculture practices aimed towards increasing structural complexity and species diversity, and the effect of said practices on stand level carbon dynamics, particularly soil carbon. Hilary is working in collaboration with the Pacific Forestry Center and is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Hilary's CV.
Jennifer Gee, MSc
Jennifer's research focus is aquaculture on a global scale. Currently, intersecting ecological, economic and social dynamics widely prevent this sector from operating in a sustainable manner. Jennifer is using meta-analysis to incorporate triple bottom line indicators to explore the facets of sustainable aquaculture operations.
2009 graduates
Glenn Bartley, MSc
Glenn is working with the Canadian Wildlife Service, CRD and a local First Nations community towards a conservation and restoration plan for one of Vancouver Islands rarest and most fragile ecosystems. He is especially interested in the protection and enhancement of migratory bird habitat and in making connections between a variety of diverse stakeholders. www.glennbartley.com
Karen Hurley, PhD
Karen's research aims to contribute to an understanding of what the dominant images of the future may, or may not, be doing to our ability to envision ecologically sound and socially just futures, and where change can happen.
Jeff Ralph, MA
Ignorance and greed
Suffering ecosystem
Restoration heals
Jeff is focusing on the interconnectedness between the life, teachings and work of Bhikkhu Buddhadasa and the practice and promise of ecological restoration. He is using Buddhadasa's interpretations of Buddhist dhamma (teachings, way of life) to assist the process of how we approach and conduct ecological restoration. The teachings of anatta (no-self), impermance, greed and ignorance are highlighted in his study.
Adrienne Shaw, MSc
The goal of Adrienne's research is to assess tree establishment in subalpine meadows in both Waterton Lakes National Park and the Castle Wilderness and address the implications for conservation and ecological restoration. Over the past century fire exclusion and climate change have been factors in the advancement of forest in open meadow habitats throughout the Rocky Mountains. Despite the ensuing habitat loss and its powerful consequences, comprehensive long term historical information detailing these changes remains sparse in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Lise Townsend, MSc
Lise's area of interest is the integrated management of water resources for sustainable development. She is studying the Swan Lake watershed, an urban system that has been degraded over time but still provides valuable habitat, recreation/education and attenuation of stormwater flows. Lise is using resilience theory (a.k.a. Panarchy) as a framework to assess the health of the watershed and to provide restoration recommendations. Components of her study include history and ethnoecology, Proper Functioning Condition assessment of the watershed components, hydrological monitoring, and vegetation ecology.
2008 graduates
Severn Cullis-Suzuki, MSc
Severn is studying the use of Tsatsayem-- eelgrass (Zostera marina L.), by Kwakwaka'wakw peoples around Vancouver Island. She works primarily with Dr. Nancy Turner at the School of Environmental Studies and Chief Adam Dick, Kwaxsistala, of the Dzawada7enuxw of Kingcome Inlet. Among many other fascinating eelgrass aspects, Severn is investigating how this marine angiosperm figured into the year's traditional round of food harvesting, how this clonally reproducing plant was affected by the harvesting techniques of the First Nations, and how the observations of the land by today's elders can inform our biological evaluation of the health of our current ecosystems.
Jen Pukonen, MSc
Jen is studying Nuu-chah-nulth traditional root gardens. This research project was originally suggested by members of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation communities of Clayoquot Sound, as a way of promoting and maintaining important traditional knowledge about nutrition and the environment. In collaboration with students and interested community members she will be helping to research and re-create a traditional root garden of a iits'uqmapt (springbank clover), tlitsy'upmapt (pacific silverweed) and kuuxwapiihmapt (northern rice root). This community-based restoration project, will involve an interdisciplinary approach to ecocultural restoration, drawing on the fields of ethnobotany, ecology and social sciences.
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