Skye McNeill
What does priority mean in a context of decreasing abundance? Upholding Nuxalk salmon rights
Journal: Facets (Open Access) Article by Dr. Terre Satterfield and colleagues.
When the wild things are: Defining mammalian diel activity and plasticity
Journal: Science Advances (Open Access) Article by Dr. Kaitlyn Gaynor and colleagues.
Grassland set-asides provide nesting habitat for bumble bees inagroecosystems
Journal: Journal of Applied Ecology (Open Access) Article by Dr. Risa Sargent, Dr. Claire Kremen, Dr. Juli Carrillo and colleagues.
Three ways that international financial architecture reform matters for biodiversity
Journal: Nature Ecology & Evolution Article by Dr. Jessica Dempsey and colleagues.
Sign the petition to amend Bill C-39; Deadline Dec 2
The federal government has tabled an omnibus Bill, called Bill C-39, that weakens Canada’s environmental protections. For example, Bill C-39 allows construction to start before environmental risks are fully assessed, allows companies to pay for environmental damage rather than avoid it, and gives ministers greater power to bypass existing safeguards. Strong environmental laws are needed […]
BUDR Seeking Micro-Experience Project Proposals
Deadline: Sunday, November 8th, 2026. BUDR (Biology Undergraduate Diversity in Research) is seeking micro-experience project proposals. Through the NSERC CREATE program, IBioS can support up to four undergraduate students interested in conservation and biodiversity projects. This is an excellent opportunity for graduate students ad postdocs to further develop their mentorship and leadership skills. BUDR will […]
Fast-tracking projects under Bill C-39 risks ‘irreversible harm,’ top scientists warn
IBioS member Dr. Sally Otto initiated an open letter appealing to Prime Minister Mark Carney to drop or rewrite provisions they say would weaken protections for species at risk and their habitats.
Claire Kremen and Colin Brauner named Fellows of The Royal Society of Canada
IBioS Faculty Director Claire Kremen has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, one of the highest honours recognizing outstanding scholarly, scientific, and artistic achievement in Canada.
‘We’re facing a double whammy’: America’s hottest tinned fish snack is shrinking by nearly half thanks to climate change and war in Iran
IBioS member Dr. Rashid Sumaila is features in this article that discusses the decline in Canned sardines in the US.
More than 80% of North America’s forests are entering dangerous territory
IBioS member Dr. Jonathan Davies explains how warming temperatures are reshaping where tree pests and diseases can thrive, leaving some forests far more vulnerable than others.
Dr. Alex McInturff: The bear on the flag (but not on the ground): grizzly bear recovery in California
Details: November 18 | 3:30-5pm BRC, Multipurpose room, Registration required Wildlife increasingly share space with people in human-dominated landscapes, generating both conflict and coexistence. Yet standard ecological frameworks have struggled to account for the social forces that shape these encounters, including who experiences them, how, and why. In this talk, I introduce the socio-ecological niche […]
With Knowledge Comes Responsibility: Increasing Conservation Scientists’ Impact in a Time of Global Crises
Journal: Conservation Letters (Open Access) Article by Dr. Tara Martin and colleagues.
Dr. Alex McInturff: The Socio-Ecological Niche: Environmental Justice and Wildlife Ecology
Time: 12:30pm to 1:20pm Location: Beaty Museum Allan Yap Theatre Ecologists recognise that we live on an increasingly human-dominated planet, yet most of the field’s foundational concepts remain essentially biophysical, with little reference to human society. There are few better examples of this divide between ecological and social theory than the niche concept. During its […]
Why Do We Feed Wildlife?
IBioS member Dr. David Hardisty discusses how humans justify risk versus reward, and why we should never, ever feed bears Timbits.
‘Radically different’—what deer overabundance has done to Gulf Island flora
IBioS member Dr. Tara Martin recounts growing up on Salt Spring Island, and how the explosion of deer population in the last 50 years has drastically reshaped the island’s flora.
Food systems performance evaluated against targets and benchmarks reveals urgent gaps and a path to 2050
Journal: Nature Food (Open Access) Article by Dr. Rashid Sumaila and colleagues.
Impacts of planned railways on landscape connectivity and its route optimization
Journal: Journal of Transport Geography Article by Dr. Jeffrey Sayer and colleagues.
Non-native and invasive tree species are abundant in neotropical secondary forest but decline over time
Journal: Nature Plants Article by Dr. Naomi Schwartz and colleagues.
Wildlife movement responses to the press–pulse–pause of the Anthropocene
Journal: Biological Sciences (Open access) Article by Dr. Kaitlyn Gaynor and colleagues.
Semi-Natural Habitats Buffer the Effects of CropDiversification on Arthropod Pest Control Services inAgricultural Landscapes
Journal: Ecology Letters (Open access) Article by Dr. Matthew Mitchell and colleagues.
BUDR Mentor Opportunity
The Biology Undergraduate Diversity in Research (BUDR) Program will be starting in September 2026, and they are looking for volunteer mentors to help guide and support undergraduate biology students as they explore research and develop their skills. As a BUDR mentor, you will: Mentors can be faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, research associates, or staff from […]
Proposed Oil Pipeline as Major Project – Comment Before Sep 18th!
On August 1st, the federal government proposed listing the West Coast Oil Pipeline as a federal ‘Major Project’. If the pipeline is listed as a Major Project, it will allow developers to bypass the normal process of environmental assessment and indigenous consultation, which scientists are very worried will make it impossible to understand the potential […]
Climate change strengthens the case for a high seas fishing ban
Journal: Frontiers of Biogeography (Open access) Article by Dr. Rashid Sumaila and colleagues.
Transforming economic and environmental sustainability through bamboo: a systematic review
Journal: Advances in Bamboo Science (Open Access) Article by Dr. Anil Shrestha and colleagues.
Measuring what matters for carbon removal
Journal: Environmental Science & Policy (Open access) Article by Dr. Terre Satterfield and colleagues.
Surrounding land use and land cover shape the soil microbiome to a similar extent as local diversification practices across organic farms
Journal: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (Open access) Article by Dr. Claire Kremen and colleagues.
Behavioral responses of black bears to human presence and infrastructure in Yosemite National Park
Journal: Wildlife Management (Open access) Article by Jennifer Green, Dr. Kaitlyn Gaynor, Dr. Naomi Schwartz and colleagues.
The politics and co-production of knowledge in Indigenous wildfire management
Journal: Environmental Science and Policy (Open access) Article by Dr. Shannon Hagerman and colleagues.
Agricultural intensification shapes community composition and parasite prevalence of native but not introduced bumble bees
Journal: Basic and Applied Ecology (Open access) Article by Dr. Claire Kremen and colleagues.
UBC experts available to comment on B.C. wildfires
UBC experts, including IBioS member Dr. Monika Fischer, comment on the BC wildfires through their different lenses of expertise.
To swat or not? These scientists suggest we rethink our fear toward insects
IBioS member Dr. Michelle Tseng discusses how our relationship with bugs is built largely on fear, economic damage and medical anxiety, and how to rethink this relationship.
Storms impact the architecture of webs and the survival of spiders
IBioS member Dr. Leticia Avilés’ study conducted in the Ecuatorian Andes shows how heavy rains damage silk-weaved spider traps and act as a kind of “ecological filter” for spider species.
From Recordings to Ecology – Turning Bird Sounds into Ecological Insights
This HWC discussion group was led by UNBC PhD student Sunny Tseng, where she shared her PhD defence on recording bird sounds. Sunny is an independent ecological consultant, R programmer, and scientific infographic artist based in Vancouver, Canada. She earned her PhD in the spring of 2026 and is currently leading international projects, including an […]
Setting Land Use Planning Objecitves for Species Recovery
This HWC discussion was led by Dr. Bill Harrower, and discussed how the BC government plans land use for endangered species. Dr. Harrower is a Carnivore Conservation Professional in Conservation Science Section of the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and a Research Associate at in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences […]
Trade-offs Between Urban Biodiversity and Sustainable Water Policy
This HWC discussion group was led UBC MSc student Brandon Wiegand. Brandon’s research seeks to understand how wildlife can persist and thrive within rapidly changing cities, aiming to identify both ecological thresholds and policy barriers that limit wildlife integration in urban environments. His work examines how urban landscapes reshape food web dynamics that support threatened […]
Human-bear conflict in BC campgrounds
This HWC discussion group was led by UBC PhD student Sima Khanal, Dr. David Hardisty, Dr. Sumeet Gulati, where they dicsussed their local project led by multiple members of the HWC group, which had a more social science perspective. The p Learn more about the human-bear conflict in BC campgrounds project here. Attendees included Henri […]
Raincoast: chinook salmon and killer whales
This HWC discussion group was led by Misty Macduffee, who discussed conservation conflicts with killer whale and chinook salmon. Attendees included Nathan Lewis; Kaitlyn Gaynor; Jag Athwal; Hannah Bates; David Hardisty; Caroline Dingle; Nicole Schroeter; Ali Dimitriou; Katie Grabowski; Nicholas Wright; Zoe Konanz; Kwasi Wrensford; Lindsay Watson; Tristen Brush; Jeron Leong; Jenny Green; Cole Burton; […]
Mount Robson Human-Bear Coexistence
In this HWC discussion group, MSc student Ali Dimitriou shared her camera trap project looking at recreation and bear activity. Attendees included Nathan Lewis; Kaitlyn Gaynor; Jag Athwal; Hannah Bates; David Hardisty; Caroline Dingle; Nicole Schroeter; Ali Dimitriou; Katie Grabowski; Nicholas Wright; Zoe Konanz; Kwasi Wrensford; Lindsay Watson; Tristen Brush; Jeron Leong; Jenny Green; Cole […]
Research flash talks
In the first HWC discussion group of the new school year, Jenny Green, Nathan Lewis, Hannah Griebling, Katie Grabowski, Sunny Tseng, and Jeron Leong led the discussion by talking about their current research topics. Attendees included Nathan Lewis; David Hardisty; Caroline Dingle; Nicole Schroeter; Katie Grabowski; Nicholas Wright; Kwasi Wrensford; Pinglan Yang; Jeron Leong; Claire […]
Fire effects on wildlife & project brainstorming for his upcoming lab at UBC
This HWC discussion group was led by Dr. Kendall Calhoun of UCLA/ UC Davis. Dr. Calhoun is currently a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis (Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology) and UCLA (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology). His research examines how ecological disturbances influence wildlife community assemblages and resilience. Building ecosystem resilience is […]
Career path in carnivore ecology and conservation
This HWC discussion group was led by Dr. Meredith Palmer of Yale University. Dr. Palmer is a wildlife ecologist and conservation technologist with over a decade of applied experience across academic, governmental, private, and NGO sectors. Her scientific focus lies in leveraging biodiversity sensors to develop data-driven strategies for protecting and restoring ecological systems. Moreover, […]
Indigenous data sovereignty
This HWC discussion group was led by UBC PhD student Erin Tattersall, who discussed her research in the Northwest Territories and set up discussion questions for attendees all to better consider data justice in their work. Attendees included Nathan Lewis; Hannah Bates; Felix L Yuan; Emma Lam; Nick; Katie Grabowski; Katie Tjaden-McClement; Hannah Griebling; Kwasi […]
Yellowstone to Yukon initiatives in BC
This HWC discussion group was led by Dr. Jodi Hilty, who is the president and chief scientist of Y2Y. Trained as a conservation biologist specializing in ecological corridor and large landscape research, she has more than 30 years of experience managing large landscape conservation efforts. This work focuses on applying best available information to address […]
Vancouver urban carnivores with Hannah Griebling and Nathan Lewis
This HWC group discussion focused on a UBC project led by UBC PhD students Hannah Griebling and Nathan Lewis. The group learned more about local projects on conflict and gave feedback to them. Attendees included Lindsay Watson; Hannah Griebling; Katie Grabowski; Nick; Emma Lam; Felix L Yuan; Hannah Bates; SIMA KHANAL; Kaitlyn Gaynor; Nathan Lewis; […]
Causal inference in human-wildlife coexistence research
This HWC discussion group was held by IBioS member Dr. Sumeet Gulati, where he shared his research in causal inference. Attendees included Nick Wright, Kaitlyn Gaynor, Nathan Lewis, Felix Landry Yuan, Kwasi Wrensford, Sunny Tseng, Hannah Griebling, Conny Scheffler, Ali Dimitriou, Katie Tjaden-McClement, Sima khanal, Robin Glover, Gopal Khanal, Zoe Konanz, Jordan Seider, Tatiana Chamorro, […]
Research Speed Talks
The third HWC discussion group was a research blitz where current UBC graduate students presented their current research. Presenters included Ali Dimitriou, Robin Glover, Zoe Konanz, Nicholas Wright, Kwasi Wrensford, Sima Khanal. This allowed the group to know each other better, including their research goals, themes, and interests! 24 people attended this session, including Hannah […]
Wildlife Trade with Dr. Caroline Dingle
The second HWC discussion group was led by Dr. Caroline Dingle from Capilano University, where she discussed research of wildlife poaching in Asia and Canada. 23 people attended, including Hannah Bates; Nick Wright; Kaitlyn Gaynor; Nathan Lewis; Felix Landry Yuan; Kwasi Wrensford; Sunny Tseng; Emma Lam; Hannah Griebling; Conny Scheffler; Aaron Skinner; Ali Dimitriou; Daniel […]
HWC Discussion Group 1
The first Human Wildlife Coexistence Discussion group was held on December 11th 2024. It consisted of a mixer lunch where the attendees got to know each other, their research lab, and their vision for the group. People wrote topics and speakers they’d like to see down on sticky notes. In total, 35 people attended, including […]
Welcome Back Party
Welcome back to the new school year! Join us on Thursday, September 17th as we reconnect with colleagues and friends, and meet some new IBioS members. Appetisers and drinks will be provided!
Biodiversity Research Centre Symposium and Open House
The Biodiversity Research Centre Open House will be an event to engage with ourselves as well as our colleagues and partners from across campus and beyond. There will be a symposium in the Alumni Centre featuring BRC Scientists (12:00-1:45 pm) as well as a networking reception and open house in the Beaty Biodiversity Centre building. […]