Summer 2013
SCHOOL OF
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
TALKING
SENSE
www.usask.ca/sens
Talking SENSe
School of Environment and Sustainability
University of Saskatchewan
Kirk Hall, Room 323
117 Science Place
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8
Executive Director
Toddi Steelman, PhD
Assistant Director – Academic
Maureen Reed, PhD
Newsletter
Sharla Daviduik, MRM
On the cover: MES student Dylan Beach’s winning entry in the 2013 SENS Photo Contest, entitled
“Light Dagger.”
Above: Students and faculty from SENS, along with students from the Toxicology Centre and staff
from the City of Saskatoon and Meewasin Valley Authority, participated in an Ecoblitz in the
Northeast Swale on June 26 and 27. Photo by Brandy Postma.
Administrative Officer
Lesley Porter, BA
Communications Specialist
Please submit comments to
sens.info@usask.ca
3
Executive Director’s Message
4
Birds, Bugs and Botany: The SENSSA Fulbright Ecoblitz
5
SENS Profiles
6
SENS Branches Out Into Undergraduate Programming
7
The PFRA Community Pastures Matter
8
SENS Photo Contest 2013
9
Spring Convocation 2013
9
Twelve Students Receive Professional Skills Certificate of Attendance
9
SENS Students Receive Prestigious Scholarships
10
Art and Nature Collide: Using Courtney Milne’s Images at SENS
10
Upcoming Events
3
Executive Director’s Message
I am approaching my one-year
anniversary as Executive Director of SENS.
It has been a very full year. We have
tackled some very high priority projects
within the School, including proposing a
new Undergraduate Certificate in
Sustainability, revising our curriculum and
reviewing our research approach and
strategy. Many of these projects will
continue into 2013-14—all with the aim
of creating a truly distinctive School that
continues to attract high calibre faculty
and students.
Change is afoot not only within SENS, but
at the U of S. At a time when institutions
of higher education are being challenged
to be more relevant and meet society’s
needs, the U of S is engaged in a process
to transform itself. SENS is highly
engaged in this process and is well
positioned to capitalize on the
opportunities that come at times of great
change.
The question is where do we want to go?
Where do we want to be in 5 years or 10
years? And how will we know when we
have arrived? If you treasure what you
measure, then this means we need to do
some hard thinking about what indicators
we should be tracking. As a School
dedicated to alternative ways of knowing,
we also know these metrics need to
extend beyond the conventional number
of publications and grants as well as
number of students graduated. So where
does that leave us?
I would like SENS to be a destination site
that has appeal to an international
audience, while retaining our local
relevance. In 2018, our halls should be
filled with a vibrant array of scholars,
visiting us from across the world,
representing a variety of interdisciplinary
and transdisciplinary perspectives, who
want to be part of our unique energy and
vision related to problem-oriented,
interdisciplinary learning. Our students
and faculty will continue to tackle highly
relevant environmental and sustainability
problems that ensure knowledge is
transmitted to stakeholders so that
knowledge can make a difference. The
SENS community will be at the forefront
of working with Aboriginal communities
to conserve and develop resources in the
most socially just and sustainable ways.
I would expect to have some of our
students working for Environment
Canada, the Saskatchewan Ministry of the
Environment, Cameco and other mining
corporations, Potash Corp and the other
large potash producers, and a variety of
environmental non-profit organizations
throughout Canada. Our doctoral
graduates will compete successfully for
faculty positions both within Canada and
internationally. Our curriculum and
classes will be a model of excellence that
is used as a best practice globally. We will
get invitations to help others build similar
programs. A SENS graduate will be known
by employers to have been educated,
trained and prepared in a highly
characteristic way, which means our
students are in great demand. Our
research will make a difference in the
world, and our growing reputation will
mean people with challenging
environmental and sustainability
problems will seek us out to help them.
A key part of our distinctiveness is our
new graduate attributes—see sidebar.
These attributes will be woven into
everything we teach in SENS such that the
curriculum is greater than the sum of the
classes taken. These attributes take SENS
beyond any similar environmental and
sustainability program in the country, if
not the world. We are the first unit on
campus to develop these kinds of
attributes and we intend to continue to
be pioneers as we infuse them in our
classrooms and practices at large.
While many are worried about the state
of higher education at this time, I am not.
As we move in these directions over the
next year and years, we will be part of a
larger university community that is
equally engaged in innovating to create
the most dynamic campus possible. We
will share our ideas and learn from others
both on the campus and beyond as part
of a transformation that will carry higher
education into the 21st Century as a more
relevant and socially valuable institution.
Toddi Steelman, PhD
Executive Director
Graduate Attributes
SENS Graduates …
•
Think holistically with ethical intent
•
Deeply understand sustainability
•
Integrate a range of perspectives and ways of knowing
•
Are ambassadors for sustainability and agents of change
•
Have research expertise
•
Demonstrate collaborative, leadership and professional skills in knowledge sharing
•
Have a substantive area of expertise in keeping with their program of study
Talking SENSe
Birds, Bugs, and Botany: The SENSSA Fulbright Ecoblitz
Thanks to a little help from Fulbright Canada, the
SENSSA-organized Ecoblitz took place on June 26
and 27 at Saskatoon’s Northeast Swale, located just
north of the city on Central Avenue. Students and
faculty from SENS, along with students from the
Toxicology Centre and staff from the City of
Saskatoon and Meewasin Valley Authority,
volunteered their time to monitor the distribution
of rare plant species, determine the presence and
distribution of invasive species, assess baseline
wetland habitats and aquatic insect communities,
and examine current bird nesting sites.
Mother Nature cooperated and gave the volunteers
only a bit of rain the first day. The group focused its
efforts on various areas within the Northeast Swale.
Data will later be used by the Meewasin Valley
Authority (MVA) to develop a management and
conservation plan for key areas in that region.
Once part of the river system, the Northeast Swale
has since disconnected and become its own entity
— a rocky, marshy basin. Many diverse, indigenous
plant and animal species are resident there. A
similar event performed by the MVA in 2011 — also
called the Ecoblitz — identified 75 bird species, 11
mammal species and more than 150 plant varieties.
Funding for the Ecoblitz was provided by the
Fulbright Canada-RBC Eco-Leadership Program.
This program provides small grants to current
grantees and alumni of the Fulbright Canada
program to partner with local organizations in
order to make a significant positive environmental
impact in their community. The SENSSA grant was
sponsored by SENS Executive Director Toddi
Steelman, and was led by Anson Main, a student in
the PhD program and SENSSA president for 201213.
From top: MSEM student Shweta Jarial surveys a
bird nest; MSEM students Xiaoxue Li and Shweta
Jarial, along with MSEM alumna Xi Zhao and
Assistant Professor Christy Morrissey scan for
birds; setting up mist nets for song bird surveys;
and, heading off for aquatic sampling. Photos by
Jenna Zee and Brandy Postma.
5
Student Profile: Felicitas Egunyu, PhD Program
Research interests: Environmental
governance and social learning. I have
always been fascinated by what and how
non-government actors contribute to the
management of natural resources,
especially those natural resources that
are gazetted like wildlife protected areas
and forest reserves.
Place of birth: Kapiri, Uganda
Most significant achievement: I
contributed to the development of the
current system of wildlife protected areas
in Uganda.
Influences: People and the Bible. My
father seemed to think I was another
Einstein while my mother insisted I smile,
work hard, and treat people with respect.
What impact do you hope your research
will have? It is early days but I am hoping
my research will shed some light on how
people learn in social settings as they
manage natural resources.
How do you define sustainability? When
I think of sustainability I think of social,
ecological and economic sustainability.
Felicitas’ PhD research concerns the contribution
of social learning to collaborative forest
governance in Canada and Uganda.
Favourite music: My music taste is pretty
eclectic but I’m partial to jazz, Christian
hip hop, R & B, soft rock, South African
music, and Lingala.
Faculty Profile: Vladimir Kricsfalusy, PhD
Research interests: Conservation biology,
population biology, community ecology,
and plant taxonomy. My current research
aims to explore and experimentally assess
the link between habitat fragmentation,
native species decline and the increasing
impact of invasive species in the prairie
ecosystem of the temperate zone.
Place of birth: Uzhgorod, Transcarpathia,
Ukraine.
Most significant achievement: The
greatest achievement of my life – it is life
itself. Our life is full of daily
accomplishments, reaching new heights
personally and professionally.
Favourite music: I like most classical
music and believe that it has some kind of
magical effect on people. I also like
listening to modern classical music and
blues, jazz, and folk.
Influences: My family and ancestors, dear
friends and colleagues, wise teachers and
books, different cultures and countries
where I’ve lived, and the environment.
I’m extremely fond of traveling and
exploring the world and nature, to see
other ways and dimensions of life.
What impact do you hope your research
will have? Eventually, all scientists want
to see their research being used in one
way or another. I hope that my research
presents an opportunity to build insight
into conservation of the integrity of forms
and functions of biodiversity.
I believe it will help to identify
biodiversity responses to increasing
human impacts along the various levels,
i.e. population-species, communities and
habitats.
How do you define sustainability? I think
sustainability is a balancing of economic,
social and environmental priorities. We
should be able to utilize resources
available, while simultaneously preserving
and nurturing them. I believe that our
individual actions in everyday life are
essential. People can take only what they
need and not more ... or they are thieves
stealing from the future. Confucius once
said: “Life is really simple, but we insist on
making it complicated.” Sustainability can
be pretty deep, but basically it’s about
surviving within the biosphere, which we
are part of, and going along with nature’s
flow, not against it.
Vladimir studies the biodiversity of native prairie
plant species, focusing on their decline given the
impact of invasive species.
Congratulations to Jean Kayira, PhD ABD … Jean was recruited by the Department
of Environmental Studies, Antioch University, New England, and is now a member
of their core faculty.
Recent PhD graduate Lisa White was named regional operations manager at
Clifton Associates Ltd. Edmonton office. Clifton is a well-established engineering
consulting firm with offices throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Talking SENSe
Alumni Profile: Shannon Dyck, Class of 2012
Alumna Shannon Dyck served as SENSSA president
during her time at the School. She also received the
Appel Global Citizenship Award in 2012 for her
dedication to academic excellence, environmental
awareness, community engagement, and
volunteering.
Given the number of activities Shannon
Dyck was involved in during her time at
SENS, learning that her current position
is Environmental Coordinator with the
City of Saskatoon comes as no surprise.
In addition to serving as SENSSA
president in 2010-11, she also led
environmental awareness initiatives
such as Better Than Bottled and Trash
Dashers. She served as a member of
the Sustainability Commitment working
group for the University’s second
integrated plan. And, she received a
highly competitive SSHRC scholarship.
At the City of Saskatoon, Shannon is
responsible for planning and
implementing environmental events,
education programs, and campaigns;
developing partnerships with
community organizations and other
stakeholders; and conducting
environmental research and report
writing. Her current projects include
implementing an Education for
Sustainable Development program for
teachers and students and delivering
the City of Saskatoon’s Be Water Wise
campaign – a perfect fit, given her
previous experience.
Shannon chose a career in
sustainability because she finds it “to
be meaningful, creative, forward
thinking and, of course, very relevant
to all of our lives.” She also finds
working in a field which strives to
secure clean air, clean water, healthy
food and quality time in nature to be
rewarding.
She encourages SENS students to
become involved with the local
sustainability community. “There are
so many groups and individuals who
are doing amazing work in Saskatoon
(and beyond) and getting involved with
them will give you experience, allow
you to grow in your area of interest,
and might even land you a job! You
might have to do a little digging to find
out who’s out there, but I can almost
guarantee that it will pay off.”
Shannon also sees many opportunities
available for those willing to combine
entrepreneurship with sustainability.
“Many of the services, products,
programs, projects, ideas, etc. that are
needed to create a more sustainable
world aren’t being offered or
implemented as extensively as they
could be, while others don’t even exist
yet.” Those willing to go in this
direction, however, need to be
comfortable with and ready for change.
“Not only is the research, science,
practice, technology, and education in
this area very dynamic, but what we
think is ‘best practice’ today might not
be considered ‘best practice’
tomorrow. There are also so many
different perspectives and angles that
need to be considered (environmental,
social, cultural, political, historic,
geographic, economic) that it can
become very difficult to figure out what
the best solutions and choices are. So
the field of sustainability definitely has
its difficulties – but I feel like most
people in SENS are up for a good
challenge!”
SENS Branches Out
Into Undergraduate
Programming
SENS is dipping its toes into undergraduate
waters by offering its first course for
undergraduate students.
The new course, ENVS 401: Sustainability in
Action, will highlight the differing
perspectives and approaches involved in
understanding sustainability. Students will
be challenged to look beyond disciplinary
boundaries as issues pertaining to
sustainability — such as food security,
renewable energy sources and city planning
— are examined.
A significant part of the class will revolve
around a group research project regarding
local sustainability issues, culminating in a
group presentation during the final few
weeks of the term.
ENVS 401 will also serve as the capstone
course for two undergraduate programs:
Environmental Science in the College of
Agriculture and Bioresources, and
Environment and Society in the College of
Arts and Science. The course is intended to
facilitate interdisciplinary discussions of
common sustainability issues from different
programs and disciplines.
The class will be held during Term 2, and
will be taught by Dr. Fran Walley and Dr.
Philip Loring, both new additions to the
SENS faculty. Dr. Walley has recently been
appointed to a joint position between SENS
and her home department, Soil Science. Dr.
Loring joins the SENS faculty to take up a
position in sustainability sciences.
Registration for the class is expected to
open soon.
7
The PFRA Community Pastures Matter
In 1935, the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation
Administration (PFRA) was created to reclaim
land badly eroded due to drought and misuse. The PFRA created the Community
Pasture Program to maintain productive,
biodiverse rangeland, promoting
environmentally responsible land use,
complementing livestock production. Saskatchewan Agriculture indicates that 1,900
ranchers and farmers graze 85,000 head of
cattle on the pastures annually. Eighty-seven
percent of this land is native prairie; the rest
is re-seeded pasture (a practice the PFRA
helped to stop in the 1970s and 80s.)
Fees are charged to ranchers and farmers (or
“patrons”) for pasture services. A study
concluded that the program costs $22-million
(shared by patrons (53%) and society (47%)),
and yields environmental and grazing
1
benefits worth $55-million. This study
identified sixteen public benefits provided by
the pastures, such as soil conservation, community development, carbon sequestration,
wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and protection
of heritage sites, endangered species, fragile
ecosystems and watersheds.
Last year, the federal government decided to
turn the pastures over to provincial control.
Until this, the pastures were managed by
federal pasture managers. Decisions were
made jointly by managers, patrons, and PFRA
biologists and range ecologists.
Manitoba decided to maintain public control
of its 23 pastures. Alberta has only two PFRA
pastures, but has a similar provincial system.
At first, the Saskatchewan government
wanted to sell its 62 pastures. Now, 10 are to
Community pastures at Masefield and Val Marie.
Photos by Branimir Gjetvaj, MSEM Student.
be sold and the other 52 are slated for crown
ownership with much-reduced landscape and
species protection. Day-to-day management
decisions would be made by patrons only.
This change from public to private management leaves the sixteen additional public
benefits of the pastures largely unaddressed.
What might be lost due to this decision?
Saskatchewan’s pastures cover 1.77 million
acres of grasslands and aspen parkland,
providing low-cost grazing to ranchers and
farmers. Jobs associated with the pastures
help to stabilize rural communities. The
pastures provide habitat for endangered
species such as swift fox, burrowing owl and
piping plover.
Thus, the proposed transfer of ownership
and private management of the pastures has
encountered resistance, because they do not
ensure full maintenance of public benefits;
do not propose other sustainable management alternatives; do not propose other land
tenure options, including First Nations Treaty
Land Entitlement considerations; offer inadequate provisions for protection of endangered species, sensitive ecosystems, biodiversity and historical and cultural resources;
and, do not consider that patrons may not
wish nor be able to purchase or manage the
lands.
So, how to go forward? Both levels of
government are finding the dismantling of
the pastures program challenging. Patrons
are asking for more time to address
challenges, including changes required in
their own farming operations.
Concerned Saskatchewan citizens have
formed the group “Public Pastures—Public
Interest,” which has compiled the following
principles:
• Keep ownership of the pastures in the
public domain.
• Maintain livestock grazing as a priority.
• Utilize professional pasture managers.
• Preserve natural landscapes and
ecological integrity of the pastures.
• Protect cultural and historic significance
of these heritage rangelands.
• Recognize and sustain the investment in
the public benefits provided by publiclyowned community pastures.
Our prairie ecosystem has undergone a series
of significant changes. Instead of focusing on
what once was, protecting processes to
bolster resilience in the system may be more
fruitful. Public Pastures—Public Interest
advocates working closely with key
stakeholders to establish an inclusive
transition plan, so that we take the time to
get it right.
Joe Schmutz and John Patterson of SENS are
following the land transfer process and the
sustainable management issues involved and
welcome your interest.
1
Kulshreshtha, S. N., and George G. Pearson.
2006. "An update on determination of a cost
recovery framework and fee schedule format for
the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Prairie
Farm Rehabilitation Administration community
pasture program." A report prepared for the Land
Management Division, Land Management and
Diversification Service, Prairie Farm Rehabilitation
Administration, Regina.
Talking SENSe
y
SENS Photo Contest 2013
SENS held its second photo contest in Spring 2013 – students and
alumni once again responded with more than sixty impressive entries.
The winning entries, as chosen by the SENS community, were:
• Research and Student Life: “Canoeing,” by Manuel Chavez-Ortiz.
Emma Lake, September 2012, ENVS 802
• Sustainable Community (tie): “You-Pick,” by Raea Gooding. This
is a great little you-pick farm in southern Germany. They grew
everything you could think of, and also had chickens for eggs. It
was such a nice spot to come pick and buy vegetables, fruits, and
homemade products. It was entirely small plot or greenhouse, with
the work done by hand. I would love to see more of these places!
and “Gamme on Ringvassøy,” by Kari Amick. Norway, April 21,
2013. This gamme/goahti is unlocked for anyone to use, with the
assumption that you will neither steal its blankets nor leave your
waste. There's a metaphor in there, and I think you can find it.
• The Natural Environment: “Light Dagger,” by Dylan Beach. Light
Dagger, Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, July
2012. Every evening the sun seemed to slice off the top of the
mountain.
• The Urban Environment: “University Bridge,” by Katya
Dobrovolskaya. University Bridge over South Saskatchewan River,
Saskatoon. Never fully freezing, our river is as fascinating in winter
as in summer.
The overall contest winner was “Light Dagger” by Dylan Beach.
The winning entries, clockwise from top right: “Canoeing,”
“Gamme on Ringvassøy,” “University Bridge,” “Light Dagger,”
and “You-Pick.”
9
Spring Convocation 2013
SENS was pleased to honour three graduates at Spring Convocation
on June 4, 2013. Receiving degrees were:
Lisa White, Doctor of Philosophy: Energy Futures: Toward an
Integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment Process for Energy
Planning. Supervisor: Bram Noble
Willem Kruger, Master of Sustainable Environmental
Management: The Use and Occurrence of Economic Land-use
Incentives in the Wetland Policy of the Canadian Prairie Provinces.
Advisor: Ken Belcher
Xi Zhao, Master of Sustainable Environmental Management:
Opportunities for Ecotourism Development in the Redberry Lake
Biosphere Reserve, Saskatchewan. Advisor: Vladimir Kricsfalusy.
Congratulations to the newest SENS alumni!
Xi Zhao walks the stage at Spring Convocation 2013.
Photo courtesy: Xi Zhao.
Twelve Students Receive Professional Skills Certificate of Attendance
Success in the environmental and sustainability labour market depends on a lot of things. Technical skills are important, but so are professional,
or transferrable, skills. To help students augment the skills gained in their academic programs, SENS offered a professional skills certificate of
attendance over the 2012-13 academic year. Students could choose among a variety of modules to meet certificate requirements. SENS
congratulates those students who completed the certificate: Elizaveta Petelina, Raea Gooding, Anna Coles, Evan Bassett, Liam Mulhall, Xiaoxue
Li, Ramota Balogun, and Meghan Carr from SENS; Tracey MacDonald and Brett Lucas from Toxicology; and, Anastasia Petrenko from Geography
and Planning.
SENS thanks the professionals who facilitated the workshops: SENS Practitioner-in-Residence John Patterson (project management); former SENS
Post-doctoral Fellow Merle Massie and SENS Communications Specialist Meagan Hinther (writing for a public audience/communications); former
SENS Financial Officer Twyla Rudovica (financial and budget management); Assistant Professor in Human Resources and Organizational Behaviour
Chelsea Willness (essentials for people management); and, Assistant Professor in Geography and Planning Jill Gunn (sustainability assessment).
SENS Students Receive Prestigious Scholarships
Several students have received scholarships over the past few months:
•
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Joseph-Armand Bombardier Graduate Scholarships (Master’s): Astri
Buchanan (MES), Nils Lokken (MES), Kiri Staples (MES)
•
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship: Felicitas Egunyu (PhD)
•
Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies, Northern Residence Scholarship: Kiri Staples (MES), Aimee Schmidt (MES)
•
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canada Graduate Scholarship (Master’s): Raea Gooding (MES), Rosa Brannen (MES)
•
International Development Research Centre Doctoral Research Award: Ranjan Datta (PhD)
•
Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Graduate Scholarship: Anson Main (PhD), Evan Andrews (MES)
•
Michelle’s Prize: Branimir Gjetvaj (MSEM)
Images from the Ecoblitz.
Photos by Jenna Zee.
Talking SENSe
Summer 2013
Art and Nature Collide: Using Courtney Milne’s Images at SENS
The entire collection of late artist Courtney Milne was recently donated to the University of Saskatchewan by his widow, Sherrill. This body of
work includes over half a million original items, including slides, digital images, prints, websites featuring his art, textual records and his
reference library.
SENS students were already using images from his extensive collection in the ENVS 804 and 811 classes. His art was used to create a short film
that looks at the varied perspectives that need to be addressed when approaching complex environmental issues.
Multiple Ways of Knowing in Environmental Decision-Making features faculty member MJ Barrett and ENVS 811 students Christie Thomson,
Matt Harmin, Nils Lokken, Tamara Popova, Aimee Schmidt, Jessica Lankshear, and Viktoria Hinz.
The video can be viewed online at http://youtu.be/WMsK3v6iJu0, or follow the link on usask.ca/sens.
Four of Courtney Milne’s iconic nature photographs, courtesy U of S Library.
Upcoming Events
•
Thursday, September 5, 2013 – Classes begin
•
Friday, September 6, 2013 – Orientation for new SENS students
•
Friday, September 13, 2013 – ENVS 990: Seminar in Environment and Sustainability begins