UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
School of Environment
and Sustainability
USASK.CA/SENS
TALKING SENSe
Fall Term 2015
Helping Farmhands:
Students examine local farm practices
Redberry Lake sits in central Saskatchewan
near the town of Hafford. This salt-water lake
nestled within rolling prairies is the nesting
grounds for over 180 species of birds – many
endangered or threatened – and is a popular
summer tourist destination. For the past 15
years, Redberry Lake has been designated
by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve where
maintaining the health of the natural
environment is practiced alongside a focus
on meeting the needs of the local, mainly
agriculture-based, community.
In September, SENS students worked
with local farmers to help them
assess the sustainability of their
farm operations as part of a five-day
field course primarily for students in
the school’s Master of Sustainable
Environmental Management (MSEM)
program.
“Exploring Redberry Lake Biosphere
Reserve was a wonderful opportunity,
and I learnt so much during the field
course,” said Alexandra Gresiuk, MSEM
student. “I’m from Saskatchewan, so I
know how important agriculture is. I
also care about the environment, but
until this course I didn’t realise that
sustainability and farming could coexist.”
Groups of three to four students were
paired with a local cattle or crop farm
and spent five days taking soil, water and
vegetation samples, and interviewing
farmers to evaluate the sustainability of
their operations. Students considered
environmental, economic and social
dimensions of sustainability. In late October
the teams met with the farmers to present
their reports and talk about their findings at
a community event held in Hafford.
Alex and classmates Ashley Shaw and Muzeyi
Bagonluri were paired with Nick Partyka, a
farmer with a 3,000 acre cropland operation
about 20 kilometers west of Hafford. The
Partyka family has been farming in the area
since 1914.
“Nick is doing a really good job. He includes
wetland buffers and uses a targeted instead
of blanket approach when it comes to
fertilizers,” said Alexandra. “Our report
focused on some of the potential
(continued on page 2)
From left:
Muzeyi
Bagonluri,
Alexandra
Gresiuk, and
Ashley Shaw, in
the field near
Hafford.
Talking SENSe | Fall Term 2015 2
IN THIS ISSUE
1 - Helping Farmhands
3 - Executive Director’s Message
4 - SENS Profiles
6 - A Certificate of Opportunity
7 - Fall Convocation 2015
8 - IPSSAS in Fairbanks
9 - New Staff at SENS
10 - SENS Faculty Receive Awards
10 - Upcoming Events
On the cover: SENS students at the
Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve. Photo by:
Vladimir Kricsfalusy
Helping Farmhands, continued
consequences we could see coming up in the
future like eutrophic wetlands, degraded soils
and flooding.”
work for a client while in school. I really liked
getting the feedback from Nick. It makes me
a better scientist,” said Alex.
To help prevent this from becoming a reality,
the students suggested the farm increase
existing buffer areas around wetlands, to
help the natural plant life filter the pesticides,
fertilizers and herbicides used on crops. They
also stressed the need for cover crops to limit
soil erosion and add additional nutrients.
Muzeyi, an MSEM student from Ghana,
enjoyed the field trip and his first time visiting
rural Canada.
“We were looking at not only the impact the
Partyka farm would have on its own lands,
but also the impact on the larger biosphere
reserve and ecosystem,” said Alex.
Nick was appreciative of the hard work done
by the students and is looking forward to
going through the recommendations in the
report.
“There are a lot of good points in the report.
We are doing quite a bit of it already and
planning to do more, especially to control
encroaching and noxious weeds, basically
those invasive species,” he said. “Otherwise
these weeds take over the land and need
more particular herbicides.”
“I liked working with the students – they are
a very diverse group and I found learning
about their local farm practices informative,
like Alex’s experience in BC and Muzeyi’s in
Ghana,” added Nick.
For the students’ part, working with the
farmers was a rewarding experience as well.
“Having a client was really nice. You typically
don’t have that experience of doing real
Muzeyi, Ashley, and Alex talk with farmer Nick Partyka.
School of Environment and Sustainability
University of Saskatchewan
Kirk Hall, Room 323
117 Science Place
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8
Executive Director
Toddi Steelman, PhD
Newsletter
Sharla Daviduik, MRM
Administrative Officer
Meagan Hinther, BSc
Communications Specialist
Please submit comments to
sens.info@usask.ca
“I had a very good experience,” he said. “In
Africa, we don’t have these same systems of
crops. So during the assessment, I came to
realise the importance of the Canadian and
Prairie farming systems.”
SENS has been doing research at Redberry
Lake Biosphere Reserve for five years now
and has close ties to the community and the
nearby town of Hafford.
“We wanted to give back to the community
in some way and this opportunity to work
directly with the farmers seemed a great fit.
We hope they can use the results to inform
their operations,” said Maureen Reed, SENS
professor and course instructor. “Spending
five days in the field means relying heavily on
the community and we couldn’t have done
this course without their support.
“We are really hopeful that this is the start of
an ongoing relationship with farmers in the
area.”
3 Talking SENSe | Fall Term 2015
Executive Director’s Message
Truth and Reconciliation.
Can we ever know anyone else’s truth? Probably not. We are so shaped by our own lived
experiences that understanding another’s
“truth” can be difficult—perhaps even more
so when we are from different cultures. Our
First Nations, Métis and Inuit colleagues have
a truth that is very different from those of
us who are not native to Canada. The call to
action from the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) asks all of us in
higher education to engage in the process of
healing the injustices and legacies that remain
from colonial practices. This raises important
questions for how we can engage in such a
process.
The federal government has been called upon
to take action on a number of fronts. In higher
education, specific actions relate to law, health
and education. While the federal government
gears up for action and the U of S embraces
the need for a university-wide response, there
is no reason for SENS to wait on others to give
us direction. What can we do?
First, truth and reconciliation can begin by listening with empathy. Our First Nations, Métis
and Inuit colleagues have stories to tell us, if
we are willing to listen.
Second, this year we are very fortunate to
have our second “Elder in Residence”—Mr.
Conrad Alfred Gamble from Beardy’s and Okemaskis First Nation. Conrad will be associated
with SENS through spring 2016 and will be
available to share his considerable knowledge
about traditional and western natural resource
management with students and faculty. Dr.
Maureen Reed is coordinating his visits with
SENS, so please reach out to her if you would
like to meet Conrad and spend some time
with him.
Third, SENS graduate attributes embrace
alternative ways of knowing. As such, different kinds of knowledge, including Indigenous
knowledge, are incorporated into several
courses across the curriculum. Dr. MJ Barrett
teaches ENVS 811 Multiple Ways of Knowing in
Environmental Decision-making this coming
term, for those who are interested in a termlong course on the topic.
Fourth, the TRC report encourages us to build
robust research programs that can advance
reconciliation. This would include co-creating
knowledge with Indigenous peoples and
communities that can bring benefits to all of
Canada. Many faculty and students in SENS
are engaged in this kind of knowledge creation, and it will be important to share our lessons about how to (and not to) build knowledge-sharing networks for Indigenous and
non-Indigenous alike, take part in community
engaged scholarship, engage with Indigenous
ways of knowing, and practice respectful and
ethical research.
Finally, I am interested in your ideas. Student
ideas have led to some great innovations in
SENS over the years. The TRC encourages us
to build skills in intercultural competencies,
conflict resolution, human rights and anti-racism. What are some ways we could be doing
this within SENS? I want to hear from you.
Each of us has a responsibility
to educate ourselves about
the TRC and its calls so that
we can more fully play a role
in helping with reconciliation
and understanding some of
the hard and painful truths
that are a legacy of Canadian history. Some of the
items listed above provide a
pathway for you to engage in
this important and historical
process.
Toddi Steelman, PhD
Executive Director
Talking SENSe | Fall Term 2015 4
Student Profile: Bethany Templeton, MES Program
Research Interests:
As a soil scientist, I am interested in phytoremediation, biomining, microbial inoculants, and agricultural activities. I also really like sea turtles!
Place of Birth:
Ormstown, Québec, Canada
Most Significant Achievement:
I think that my most significant achievement is
putting myself through school and paying off my
student loan less than 6 months after graduating.
Bethany Templeton is assessing
the phytoremediation potential of
Canadian native plant species and
characterizing their microbial root
communities for her MES thesis.
Favourite Music:
I love listening to Christmas music. I also enjoy
Celtic, folk, and indie. But I can listen to pretty much
anything on the radio that is catchy, upbeat and
easy to nod along to.
Influences:
I think that my family has had a large influence on
my life and who I am today. My parents, especially
my mom, told me at a young age that I can be
whatever I want to be. She doesn’t care which profession I choose as long as I am happy and contribute to society.
What impact do you hope your research will
have?
I hope that my research will make phytoremediation in Canada more efficient and effective. I would
also like to further the discussion on using microbial
inoculants to improve plant growth in contaminated soils.
How do you define sustainability?
For me, sustainability is living within the means of
our planet. Specifically, surviving and thriving in
harmony with plants and creatures that we share
the earth with. I also believe being self-sufficient is
a large part of sustainability. Learning to do things
yourself, whether it be growing your own food or
installing solar panels, comes with an indescribable
feeling of accomplishment and increasing independence.
Faculty Profile: Andrew Ireson, Assistant Professor
8 very enjoyable years in
London, which I would highly
recommend!
Most Significant Achievement: It would definitely
have to be marrying Theodora, my wife, and having our
two children, Aaliyah and Tobias. Second to that, landing
a job as a professor in SENS is
certainly my most significant
professional achievement!
Assistant Professor Andrew Ireson is a hydrologist, and is affiliated with
the Global Institute for Water Security.
Research Interests: I’m interested in trying to
better understand how water cycles through
the environment, so that ultimately we can
predict how much water will be available at
a given time and place. This is such a critical
issue for so many social and environmental
issues, and often we are making decisions
based on an incomplete, or even erroneous
understanding of the physics of the system.
Place of Birth: Birmingham, England. I’ve
moved around the south of England for my
whole life. Before moving to Canada I spent
Favourite Music: : I’m still
stuck with the music of my
adolescence – UK bands from
the late 90s, such as Radiohead
and Blur.
Influences: I was very strongly influenced by
my MSc in hydrology at Imperial College London, back in 2003. This was my first exposure
to hydrology, but more importantly it was my
first exposure to science/engineering that I
felt was aiming towards a worthwhile goal.
This was because of the subject matter, but
also because the lecturers at Imperial were so
brilliant. I came into the program motivated
by problems like the fact that there are about
a billion people in the world lacking access to
clean drinking water. I left that program with a
yearning to understand more about the maths
and physics that govern the distribution of
water and contaminants on the planet. My aim
is to marry both of these motivations through
my career.
What impact do you hope your research
will have? I really hope to make advances
in our understanding that will have real and
practical impacts on how we secure safe and
clean water for people and ecosystems around
the world.
How do you define sustainability?
I don’t think I have a sophisticated definition,
but as a hydrologist, I would use an equation. What goes in naturally, minus what goes
out naturally, minus what you take (or cause
to be lost) should sum to zero over the long
term. If that sum is positive (flood) or negative
(drought) then your system is not sustainable
and you should do something about that!
5 Talking SENSe | Fall Term 2015
Alumni Profile: Doyin Adesokan,
Class of 2013
Doyin Adesokan had very little time to acclimatize to her new surroundings when she
first came to SENS. One day, she arrived in
Saskatoon from London, and before she knew
it, she was in the field at the Redberry Lake
Biosphere Reserve. “It was a huge change
moving from a busy city like London to a
quiet lake side in the prairies within a few
days,” she remembers.
Doyin chose the MSEM program because she
felt it would add a sustainable management
dimension to her mining and environmental engineering background. “I have a keen
interest in sustainable resource extraction
and aspects related to it, such as sustainable
engineering and sustainable development.
I wanted a programme that would enrich
me with knowledge and experience in these
aspects of sustainability.”
Given her background, Doyin initially found
the social science part of the MSEM programme daunting. “I didn’t enjoy that back
then, because I wasn’t used to that style of
thinking. It wasn’t a huge part of the engineering programme,” she admits.
Now, two years after completing her degree
at SENS, Doyin has come to realize the value
of having training in the social sciences, as
well as in the natural and physical sciences. “I
think differently and more holistically about
environmental and developmental issues.
I see the human aspects of issues now as
opposed to just engineering or constructing
stuff to solve problems. I look at both hard
and soft path strategies now when I consider
solutions to problems.”
Doyin credits Helen Baulch’s ENVS 821:
Sustainable Water Resources course and the
then-required ENVS 801: Ecosystem Science
and Sustainability course, taught by Vladimir
Kricsfalusy and Christy Morrissey, as key. “I
think about multi-barrier systems to dealing with environmental issues now, in a way
that’s analogous to the multi-barrier water
treatment system I learned about in Helen’s
class.” As for ENVS 801, Doyin says, “The
course opened my eyes to the topic of placing monetary value on ecosystem services.”
She also values the reflexive
thinking skills she gained
through her ENVS 992 project, Assessing the Impacts
of Urban Development on
the Peak Flow of Opimahaw
Creek, Wanuskewin Heritage
Park. “Reflexive thinking has
become a part and parcel of
my person.”
Doyin has this advice for
students currently in the
MSEM programme. “You
can take your time with the
programme. If you can, find
time to take up a part-time
job or an internship to gain
hands on practical experience. Acquire practical
skills that could give you
an extra bit of edge in the
job market. Be creative, and
proactive. Don’t restrict your
job search or networking activities to just environmental
MSEM alumna Doyin Adesokan is now a PhD student in the
job sites. Many companies need
College of Engineering.
environment and sustainability
savvy people. Ultimately, a career path is usually not a straight
line. Expect twists and turns, but
keep a positive outlook and ensure you’re
acquiring practical skills.”
Now a PhD student in the Department of Civil
and Geological Engineering, College of Engineering, Doyin is conducting research in the
area of sustainable geotechnics and geosynthetics. “ I continue to draw from knowledge
acquired during the MSEM programme for
certain aspects of my PhD programme,” she
says. During her time as an MSEM student,
she says she sometimes felt like she was
“swimming in unfamiliar academic waters”
and that SENS wasn’t the right place for her.
“I’ve done a lot of reflexive thinking since I
completed my MSEM programme, and I must
say SENS was indeed a place for me and I’m
glad I went through the programme.”
Talking SENSe | Fall Term 2015 6
A Certificate of Opportunity
One of SENS’ first certificate grads shares her experience
Often the more we learn, the stronger our desire to seek
out the knowledge we are missing. This was the case for
SENS certificate graduate Leah Jordan. She spent her first
three years in the College of Arts and Science majoring in
Environmental Earth Sciences before deciding to make the
switch to Environment and Society as her focus.
“After learning about the science behind environmental
studies, I often found myself wondering why more isn’t being
done to mitigate issues like water shortages, food security,
climate change and urban sprawl,” said Leah. “I switched
majors with the hopes of incorporating a multi-disciplinary
approach to environmental management in my studies.”
their degree program, Leah has this advice: “Play to your
strengths. I found the certificate to be very flexible and
there is something for everyone. I also found it helpful to
see an academic advisor and mentor – they all want you to
succeed! Also, connect with like-minded individuals who are
interested in the same things as you. ENVS 201 may be your
first opportunity to meet people who are also pursuing the
certificate, so seize this opportunity to make friends.”
When Leah found out about the SENS undergraduate
certificate in sustainability, she saw it as another way to take
her degree one step further and pursue classes that suited her
interests in community and sustainability.
“I took a Political Studies course called Aboriginal
Development Strategies that was really different from
anything I had taken as part of my major. I wanted to
complement my Environment and Society degree with
courses that would also apply to my future career, and the
SENS certificate gave me the chance to do just that,” said Leah.
“I want to work in northern development and now employers
can see that I’ve dedicated time to studying relevant courses.”
Leah received her certificate at Spring Convocation and was
the one of the first five students to complete the program.
Today, she is the Renewable Energy Project Intern with the
Saskatchewan Environmental Society.
“Following convocation, I accepted a seasonal job with
Saskatchewan Parks as a Park Naturalist, sharing my
knowledge with both kids and adults,” said Leah. “I loved
seeing their faces as they discovered the natural environment.
I began my internship at the Saskatchewan Environmental
Society in September. I now get the opportunity to apply my
knowledge about sustainability to various projects.”
To those students considering adding the certificate to
Environment and Society graduate Leah Jordan
was one of the first students to complete SENS’
certificate of proficiency in sustainability.
7 Talking SENSe | Fall Term 2015
Fall Convocation 2015:
Congratulations, graduates!
Eleven SENS students added their names to the School’s alumni roster
on October 24, 2015. The School congratulates its latest grads:
Zhaochang Zhang, MSEM – Assessing the Current Threat of Aquatic
Invasive Species in Saskatchewan. Advisor: Vladimir Kricsfalusy
Mohammed Al-mahdawe, MSEM - Low Impact Development: 21st
Street East, Saskatoon. Advisor: Charles Maulé
Apurba Das, MES – Characterizing Ice Cover Behaviour Along the Slave
River. Supervisor: Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt
Manuel Chavez Ortiz , MSEM – Storing Wind: The Role of Energy
Storage in Wind Energy Expansion in Saskatchewan. Advisor: Ken
Belcher
Jason Maillet, MES – Watching Trees Grow: Observations of Radial
Tree Growth Across Multiple Temporal Scales in Northern Labrador.
Supervisor: Colin Laroque
Heloise Garez, MSEM – A Student-Based Farm Sustainability
Assessment Initiative for Producers of the Redberry Lake Biosphere
Reserve. Advisors: Christy Morrissey and Vladimir Kricsfalusy
Felicitas Egunyu, PhD – The Contributions of Social Learning to
Collaborative Forest Governance in Canada and Uganda: Lessons From
Forest-Based Communities. Supervisor: Maureen Reed
Kelechi Ndukewe, MSEM – Establishment of Long-Term Study Sites
for Monitoring Species Composition on Nature Conservancy of Canada
Lands in Saskatchewan. Advisor: Ken Belcher
Colleen George, PhD – Exploring Just Sustainability in a Canadian
Context: An Investigation of Sustainability Organizations in the
Canadian Maritimes. Supervisor: Maureen Reed
Chelsea Oliphant-Rescanski, MSEM – Wildlife Selfies, Analysis, and
Public Engagement: A Database of Remote Camera Photos in Wapusk
National Park. Advisors: Doug Clark and Ryan Brook
Mayanin Sosa-Alcaraz, PhD – Sustainability and Innovation: An
Analysis from a System Perspective in Agriculture. Supervisor: Scott
Bell
Talking SENSe | Fall Term 2015 8
Social Sciences and the Circumpolar North:
Networking in Fairbanks
Contributed by Aimee Schmidt, SENS PhD candidate. Her research focuses
on polar bear-human interactions in Churchill, Manitoba.
In May 2015, I attended the 10th annual International PhD School for
Studies of Arctic Societies (IPSSAS), in Fairbanks, Alaska. The nine-day
course included seminars on topics that ranged from reflections on
community-based research in indigenous Alaskan communities to
the role of the caribou in Inuit cosmology to explorations of Gwich’in
pedagogy. The interdisciplinary nature of the School meant that
discussions covered considerable ground, including linguistics, resource management, and anthropology. One memorable discussion
concerned anthropological investigations of the meaning of “home”
for wild salmon. The attendees were also diverse, with the ten PhD
students in attendance coming from the UK, France, Greenland, the
United States, Canada, Russia, and Holland—but they all conducted
research about the circumpolar north.
I learned a great deal about the Alaskan Native peoples and about
the Greenlandic Inuit people. Through this, the importance of
context when attempting to understand issues faced by northern
communities was underscored for me.
The organizers did a fantastic job of ensuring that students got to
experience Alaska outside the classroom; highlights included trips
to Denali National Park for a day of hiking, and a hike to see Angel
Rocks that culminated with a soak in the Chena Hot Springs. Other
highlights included trips to various museums, cultural centers, and
art galleries. The organizing committee ensured that everyone had
great accommodation, and they provided four delicious homemade
dinners for us, featuring local foods such as smoked salmon and swan
meat, as well as a variety of beers from Alaskan breweries.
One of my favourite
things about the trip
was that the organizing
committee (which included seven professors
from the United States,
Canada, Greenland,
France, Denmark, and
Scotland) spent the
majority of the nine
days with the students,
which offered a great
opportunity to get really in-depth feedback
and advice from them
about our research. I’m
told the next IPASSA
meeting will be in Hokkaido, Japan. So if you
are looking to have a
wonderful experience
while getting to know
other PhD students
doing social science
research in the circumpolar north, I would
highly recommend this course. This was a wonderful opportunity to
learn about the research of other students, and to network with a truly
diverse group of researchers who have experienced many of the same
challenges and rewards of northern research that PhD students face.
Above: Attendees at
IPSSAS in Fairbanks,
Alaska.
Below: Angel Rocks,
near the Chena Hot
Springs.
9 Talking SENSe | Fall Term 2015
SENS: Now with 69% More Staff!
The staff complement at SENS has been
expanding since September, as the School
continues to grow.
At the start of the fall term, Andrea Eccleston
joined SENS in the role of Environmental
Programs Coordinator. Andrea provides
value-added support for the undergraduate
environmental programs at the University of
Saskatchewan. This unique staff position is
also supported by the Colleges of Arts and
Science, Agriculture, and Engineering.
Kevin Driscoll assumed the role of Research
Facilitator in early November. He provides
assistance to faculty developing funding
proposals, especially as they relate to the
strategic initiatives of the School.
Clockwise from upper left: Environmental
Programs Coordinator Andrea Eccleston, Research Facilitator Kevin Driscoll and his family,
and Communications Coordinator Henry Tye
Glazebrook.
In mid-November, Henry Tye Glazebrook became Communications Coordinator for SENS
and GIWS. Henry works closely with Communications Specialist Meagan Hinther regarding
communications initiatives for the School and
the Institute.
The SENS main office was filled with
Christmas baking on the afternoon
of December 7, as the staff continued the tradition of bringing homemade cookies, cupcakes, and other
treats for the students and faculty.
The so-called “baking extravaganza” is now in its seventh year.
Talking SENSe | Fall Term 2015 10
SENS Faculty Recognized at Fall Convocation
At U of S Fall Convocation in late October, SENS had the pleasure of seeing
two of its faculty honored for their tireless dedication to our students and
their success.
Maureen Reed, SENS assistant director and professor, was the recipient of
the Distinguished Graduate Supervisor Award in recognition of her excellent
mentorship. Over her career, she has directly supervised 35 graduate students and has served on almost 80 graduate student committees. Maureen is
a passionate teacher and dedicates an enormous amount of time and effort to
ensure the success of her graduate students. She works to instill in them the
values of meaningful and equitable scholarship through role modeling and
facilitating networks to help students maintain relationships with academic
and community partners.
Jeffrey McDonnell, SENS professor and associate director for the Global Institute for Water Security was the recipient of the J.W. George Ivany Internationalization Award for his dedication to enhancing the university’s international
visibility and for cultivating a global perspective in our students. He accomplishes this by giving his students opportunities to interact with leading
international researchers and to study and conduct field work abroad, while
making considerable contributions to strengthening international linkages
with other institutions. Whether it is here at SENS with the Breakthroughs in
Water Security Research course and lecture series, or with the short courses
he teaches at other institutions around the world, Jeff is dedicated to providing opportunities for students to learn from the best and brightest in water
research.
Congratulations, Maureen and Jeff, on these well-deserved awards. We are
proud to have you as part of our faculty and community.
Dr. Maureen Reed received the Distinguished Graduate Supervisor Award at Fall
Convocation. Dr. Jeff McDonnell received the J.W. George Ivany Internationalization Award.
UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
UPCOMING EVENTS
January 5, 2016 - Term 2 classes begin
January 8 - ENVS 990 resumes
February 15 - 19 - Mid Term Break
March 18 - SENS Student Symposium
March 22 - World Water Day
April 6 - 8 - Delta Days
School of Environment
and Sustainability
USASK.CA/SENS