emma jarek-simard
Dr. Carly Ziter: Understanding Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Across Urban Landscapes
Co-Sponsored by: Institute for Environment, Resources and Sustainability March 27, 2025, 12:30-1:20PM Henry Angus Building, Room 347 (Third floor, 2053 Main Mall). Watch the video recording here. Carly’s research is centered in the growing field of urban landscape ecology. With her students, she employs citizen science, environmental sensors, field observations, and social-science methodologies to explore […]
Career Paths in Conservation: Dr. Emily Rubidge’s Path to Marine Biodiversity Research (Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
April 22, 2025 Speaker(s): Dr. Emily Rubidge 3:30-4:30 PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Register here! Discover the fascinating work of Dr. Emily Rubidge, who works as Lead scientist of the Seascape Ecology and Conservation program for the Government of Canada, and conducts research on marine ecology and biodiversity as a […]
The Public Scholars Initiative – Information Session with Dr. Serbulent Turan (Manager of Public Scholarship Initiative
April 7, 2025 Speaker(s): Dr. Serbulent Turan 12-1 PM in the BRC Building, Room 224 (2212 Main Mall). Register here! The UBC Public Scholars Initiative (PSI) supports doctoral students in connecting their research to real-world public benefit while incorporating broader and career-relevant scholarship into their studies. PSI offers up to $20,000 in funding ($10,000 twice) […]
Reflecting on Truth and Reconciliation with Dr. Warren Cardinal-McTeague (Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences)
April 29, 2025 Speaker(s): Dr. Warren Cardinal-McTeague 3:30-4:30PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Register here! Truth and Reconciliation in science requires a commitment to ethical conduct and decolonization. Join us for this reflection and discussion session on reconciliation in science with Dr. Warren Cardinal-McTeague, an assistant professor in the Department of […]
Research to Impact – Skills, tools and practices for Knowledge Exchange and Mobilization (UBC Knowledge Exchange Unit)
March 10, 2025 Speaker(s): Alia Januwalla 12-1 PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Register here! Join us for a workshop with Alia Januwalla, Knowledge Exchange Learning and Development Specialist with UBC’s Knowledge Exchange Unit. Knowledge exchange and mobilization (KxM) is a process in which researchers and knowledge partners collaborate on research […]
Research Blitz: Grad Students Share Their Research on Biodiversity Conservation
March 4, 2025 Speaker(s): Graduate Students 3:30-4:30PM in the BRC Building, Room 224 (2212 Main Mall). Register here! Are you curious about what other grad students are researching? Join us for speed presentations, where you’ll get a glimpse of the diversity of topics in biodiversity conservation. Connect with peers and expand your academic network. Plus, […]
Career Paths in Conservation: Dr. Tahia Devisscher’s Path to Nature-Based Solutions Research (Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry)
February 10, 2025 Speaker(s): Dr. Tahia Devisscher 12-1 pm in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Register here! Dr. Tahia Devisscher, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Forestry, focuses on managing forests and other greenspaces in and around cities to support human well-being and build social-ecological resilience to climate change. Dr. Devisscher is […]
Career Paths in Conservation: Dr. Elizabeth Nelson’s Path to Becoming an Ecosystem Scientist for Parks Canada
January 28, 2025 Speaker(s): Dr. Elizabeth Nelson 3:30- 4:30 pm in the BRC Building, Room 224 (2212 Main Mall). Register here! Dr. Elizabeth Nelson, an Ecosystem Scientist at Parks Canada, is at the forefront of enabling climate-smart conservation across Parks Canada’s diverse protected areas. She is passionate about bringing diverse collaborators together to identify and implement […]
Your Future, Your Plan: Reflecting on an Individualized Development Plan
Jan. 20, 2025 Speaker(s): IBioS Program Coordinator Dr. Conny Scheffler + IBioS Student Ambassador Tatiana Chamorro 12-1 PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Register here! Are you feeling overwhelmed with graduate school? Need help to plan your future? Our interactive session guides you through the elements of an Individualized Development Plan […]
Research Blitz: Grad Students Share Their Research on Biodiversity Conservation
Jan. 14, 2025 Speaker(s): Graduate Students 3:30-4:30PM in the BRC Building, Room 224 (2212 Main Mall). Register here! Are you curious about what other grad students are researching? Join us for speed presentations, where you’ll get a glimpse of the diversity of topics in biodiversity conservation. Connect with peers and expand your academic network. Plus, […]
Career Paths in Conservation: Dr. Cole Burton’s Path to Mammal Ecology Research (Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry)
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Speaker(s): Dr. Cole Burton 3:30- 4:30 pm in the BRC Building, Room 224 (2212 Main Mall). Register here! Discover the fascinating research of Dr. Cole Burton (Department of Forest Resources Management), whose work focuses on conservation science and human-wildlife coexistence. Learn about his journey and connect with this inspiring faculty member. Plus, […]
Career Paths in Conservation: Dr. Soudeh Jamshidian’s Journey to Indigenous Conservation with the IISAAK OLAM Foundation
Monday, December 9, 2024 Speaker(s): Dr. Soudeh Jamshidian 12:00-1:00PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Register here! Meet and connect with Dr. Soudeh Jamshidian, Director of Education and International Relations of the IISAAK OLAM foundation, an organization focused on empowering Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in Canada. Learn about her path, and […]
Managing Stress and Building Resilience (Mélissa Lafrance and Vanessa Linton, UBC Wellness Centre)
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 Speaker(s): UBC Wellness Centre 3:30-4:30PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Register here! Is academia feeling overwhelming? Prioritize your well-being at UBC and beyond with our wellness workshop. Learn about the resources available to support your mental health and discover strategies for managing stress and building resilience in […]
Career Paths in Conservation: Prof. Matthew Mitchell’s Path Towards Interdisciplinary Ecological Research (Faculty of Forestry and Land and Food Systems)
Monday, November 4, 2024 Speaker(s): Dr. Matthew Mitchell 12:00-1:00PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Register here! Discover the fascinating research of Dr. Matthew Mitchell (Department of Forest Resources Management in the Faculty of Forestry and Faculty of Land and Food Systems), whose work focuses on the how to manage human-dominated landscapes, for […]
Creating a Compelling Grant Proposal: Advice for Success (Prof. Mark Johnson, Faculty of Science, IRES/ EOAS)
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 Speaker(s): Dr. Mark Johnson 3:30-4:30PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Does writing a research proposal feel daunting? Unlock funding opportunities by learning how to write a compelling grant proposal. In this seminar, Dr. Mark Johnson (Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric and Institute for Resources Environment and Sustainability) […]
Research Blitz: Grad Students Share Their Research on Biodiversity Conservation, Restoration, Management and Governance
Oct. 21, 2024 Speaker(s): Graduate Students 12:00-1:00PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Register here! Curious about what other grad students are researching? Join us for speed presentations, where you’ll get a glimpse of the diversity of topics in biodiversity conservation and interdisciplinary solutions. Connect with peers and expand your academic network. […]
Dr. Lucas Garibaldi: Optimizing Agricultural Landscapes: Enhancing Yields and Sustainability through Ecological Intensification
Co-Sponsored by: Institute for Environment, Resources and Sustainability September 12, 2024, 12:30-1:20PM Beaty Museum Allan Yap Theatre (Basement, 2212 Main Mall) This talk will explore the role of landscape configuration and ecological intensification in optimizing agricultural productivity and sustainability, drawing insights from recent studies across Argentina’s agricultural regions. Key findings demonstrate that smaller fields, increased […]
Your Future, Your Plan: Crafting an Individualized Development Plan
Sept. 23, 2024 Speaker(s): IBioS Program Coordinator Dr. Conny Scheffler, IBioS Graduate Student Ambassador Tatiana Chamorro 12:00-1:00 PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Are you feeling overwhelmed with graduate school? Struggling to plan your future? Our seminar guides you through starting an Individualized Development Plan (IDP), a tool to help you […]
What I Wish I Knew: Professors Share Grad School Lessons
Sept. 17, 2024 Speaker(s): Dr. Naomi Schwartz, Dr. Alex Moore 3:30-4:30PM in the AERL Building, Room 107 (2202 Main Mall). Ever wondered what professors wish they’d known before starting grad school? Join our panel with Dr. Naomi Schwartz (Department of Geography) and Dr. Alex Moore (Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences and Botany), to hear their […]
A systematic literature review of climate change research on Europe’s threatened commercial fish species
“Climate change poses a major challenge for global marine ecosystems and species, leading to a wide range of biological and social-ecological impacts. Fisheries are among the well-known sectors influenced by multiple effects of climate change, with associated impacts highly variable among species and regions. To successfully manage fisheries, scientific evidence about the potential direct and indirect impacts of […]
Equity and Justice should underpin the discourse on Tipping Points
“Radical and quick transformations towards sustainability have winners and losers, with equity and justice embedded to a greater or a lesser extent. According to research, only the wealthiest 1-4% of the global population will radically need to change their consumption, behaviours, societal values and beliefs in order to make space for an equitable and sustainable […]
Spatializing oil and gas subsidies in endangered caribou habitat: Identifying political-economic drivers of defaunation
“Reforming environmentally harmful subsidies is an international priority under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Research that links industrial subsidies to negative ecological impacts, however, is limited. This paper contributes to the emerging agenda of global “subsidy accountability” research by linking oil and gas subsidies to the decline of endangered caribou herds in British Columbia, […]
Community Forests advance local wildfire governance and proactive management in British Columbia, Canada
As wildfires are increasingly causing negative impacts to communities and their livelihoods, many communities are demanding more proactive and locally driven approaches to address wildfire risk. This marks a shift away from centralized governance models where decision-making is concentrated in government agencies that prioritize reactive wildfire suppression. In British Columbia (BC), Canada, Community Forests – […]
Dynamics in the landscape ecology of institutions: lags, legacies, and feedbacks drive path-dependency of forest landscapes in British Columbia, Canada 1858–2020
“Many landscapes are constrained into pathways featuring deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and rising mega-disturbances due to legacies and feedbacks preserved in ecosystems and institutions. Institutions are the norms and rules that emerge locally or are set by prevailing powers, and that mediate coupled social-ecological dynamics.” Read more in the article by IBioS faculty member Dr. […]
A global biodiversity observing system to unite monitoring and guide action
“The rate and extent of global biodiversity change is surpassing our ability to measure, monitor and forecast trends. We propose an interconnected worldwide system of observation networks — a global biodiversity observing system (GBiOS) — to coordinate monitoring worldwide and inform action to reach international biodiversity targets.” Read more in the article by IBioS faculty […]
The benefits of climate change mitigation to retaining rainbow trout habitat in British Columbia, Canada
“Climate change is increasing stream temperatures and thereby changing habitat suitability for a variety of freshwater fishes. We investigate how suitable stream habitat for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a valuable cold-water species, may change in British Columbia, Canada, currently near the north end of their range. We examine a no-mitigation climate change scenario (RCP 8.5), […]
Combating the unsustainable exotic pet trade: Effects of conservation messaging on attitudes, demands, and civic intentions
The exotic pet trade poses a major threat to biodiversity conservation. To combat biodiversity loss, it is essential to reduce demand for exotic pets and engage people in civic actions for wildlife conservation. Although messaging has been extensively used in conservation practice, little is known about how it can influence attitudes and various types of […]
Variable species establishment in response to microhabitat indicates different likelihoods of climate-driven range shifts
Climate change is causing geographic range shifts globally, and understanding the factors that influence species’ range expansions is crucial for predicting future changes in biodiversity. A common, yet untested, assumption in forecasting approaches is that species will shift beyond current range edges into new habitats as they become macroclimatically suitable, even though microhabitat variability could […]
Global change at nexus of climate change, biodiversity and disease
Climate change, biodiversity loss, and disease emergence are the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. While the pairwise interactions between climate, biodiversity and disease are well documented, we lack a framework that integrates all three and that recognizes the powerful positive and negative feedbacks between them. This symposium will illustrate the recent findings on […]
EcoEvo Symposium
The EcoEvo Symposium: Another exciting event coming up this month — join us on October 22nd and 23rd for a series of amazing talks on topics related to conservation, biodiversity, and environmental issues. Register before October 9th: Don’t miss out on a fun weekend of science, food and social activities with your colleagues!
Dr. Erin Sills: Causal Inference, Conservation Science, and Carbon Offsets
Dr. Sills will be discussing causal inference, and how it relates to both conservation science and climate change. Their research interests include markets and payments for non-timber forest benefits; Forest-based livelihoods and economic development (including current project on community forestry in Nepal ); Deforestation and land use in the tropics (including current project on sociohydrology […]
Chief Roland Willson: A Critical Balance
Chief Willson will address cumulative effects on West Moberly First Nations territories, including those stemming from hydroelectric dams, forestry, oil and gas development and now climate change. He will also speak about their path-breaking caribou recovery efforts in light of these cumulative effects.
Dr. Libby Lunstrum: The Dual Crisis of Conservation: Biodiversity Decline and Conservation’s Dispossessions
Biodiversity conservation is experiencing a dual crisis: the crisis of biodiversity decline coupled with the crisis of dispossession caused by efforts to protect and conserve nature. Each of these trends has emerged as a defining feature of conservation biology and political ecology respectively, two disciplines that often stand in tension with one another. In this […]
Dr. Simi Kang: What is Refugee Resilience? Reframing Survival Under Environmental Sacrifice
In this talk, I examine how the political imperative for racialized Louisianians to be resilient to ongoing environmental harm has specifically impacted Vietnamese American families who rely on commercial fishing. This includes thinking about disaster and responses thereto, restoration policy, and, increasingly, calls for structurally vulnerable communities to relocate away from the coast. In so […]
Dr. Onja Razafindratsima: Plants on the move: influence of lemur behavior on seed dispersal patterns
This talk will provide an overview of the roles and impacts of lemur frugivores on plant population dynamics and community structure in biodiverse rainforests in Madagascar, where a majority of plants have traits adapted for seed dispersal by animals and highly diverse plant communities are relying on a limited set of frugivore generalist taxa for […]
Dr. Eyal Frank: Campaigning for Extinction: Eradication of Sparrows and the Great Famine in China
How do large disruptions to ecosystems affect human well-being? In 1958, China embarked on the “Four Pests Campaign” that aimed to quickly eradicate flies, mosquitoes, rats, and sparrows nationwide, despite warnings from scientists that sparrows play important roles in pest control. Historians have long suspected that eradicating sparrows, by letting other pest populations grow out […]
Dr. Kathryn Fiorella: Environmental Change in Cambodia’s Social-Ecological Food Systems
Social-ecological systems are changing at an unprecedented rate. As our environments are revamped, what does that mean for the people who live and work within these systems? How does it impact their choices about how to use fisheries and their access to biodiversity within them? We will use the case of Cambodia’s social-ecological food systems […]
Dr. Jesse Popp: Weaving Ways of Knowing Among the Trees
Similar to the way diversity held within a mixed wood forest allows life to flourish; the inclusion of multiple ways of knowing, ways of being, and knowledge systems in the natural sciences and beyond provide holistic understandings that benefit all. From population monitoring to wildlife ecology, Indigenous and Western science can be woven in a […]