Summer 2011
SCHOOL OF
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
TALKING
SENSE
www.usask.ca/sens
Photo: MSEM students Darcy Paslawski
and Sarah Turkeli celebrate completing
the 10K Mogathon run in Saskatoon on
June 25, 2011. The Mogathon is a charity
race benefitting St. Paul’s Hospital, the
Children’s Wish Foundation and the SPCA.
Darcy’s MSEM research project is entitled
“Investigating the Strengths of Cumulative
Effects Assessment in Alberta Oil Sand
Development: A Foundation to Strengthen
Practice” and Sarah’s project is
“Greenscapades: The Future of
Environmental Expertise and Local Food
Security.”
Cover photo courtesy Sarah Turkeli.
Student photos will be featured in each issue of the newsletter. To have
your photo featured, please email it to sens.info@usask.ca
School of Environment and
Sustainability
University of Saskatchewan
Kirk Hall, Room 323
117 Science Place
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8
Executive Director
Karsten Liber, PhD
Assistant Director - Academic
Maureen Reed, PhD
Newsletter Editors
Meagan Hinther
Communications Specialist
Sharla Daviduik, MRM, EPt
Administrative Officer
Please submit your comments
to sens.info@usask.ca
Correction: The article “Learning Exchange: Canadian and Ukrainian
Prairie Universities” in the Winter 2011 edition of Talking SENSe was
contributed by Vladimir Kricsfalusy.
CONTENTS
2
3
Executive Director’s Message
4
MES Student Research: Inspiring Action Through Education
5
SENS Profiles
7
MSEM Proposal Symposium Showcases Student Research
8
Spring Convocation
8
SENS Professor Receives Women of Distinction Award
9
Global Institute for Water Security Launches During Water Week 2011
10
The New Normal on the Prairies: SENS Honours Earth Day with Public
Lecture
11
SENS Partnership Project Recognized with Education for Sustainable
Development Award
11
Upcoming Events
School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
DR. KARSTEN LIBER
The last few months of the 2010 – 2011
academic year were busy ones at SENS.
In addition to the usual flurry of final
class assignments and preparation for
summer research, significant time and
effort were directed towards a major
recruitment campaign for new faculty
for the Canada Excellence Research
Chair (CERC) in Water Security program.
These five faculty will have their
academic home in SENS, and will join
Dr. Andrew Ireson, the first faculty
member recruited for the CERC
program who joined us last March.
Candidates were interviewed in May
and June for faculty positions in the
areas of hydrometeorology and climate
science, statistical hydrology and
stochastic processes, and hydroecological assessment or modelling. We
are excited about these new faculty
joining the School during the upcoming
year. We will be sure to provide
updates about this in future issues of
this newsletter, especially as these
faculty will bring new skills and
expertise to the School’s teaching and
research programs. In particular, we
are excited about the possibility of
developing courses in the area of
climate change, a topic which is
arguably among the most important
environmental issues faced by our
society today.
Plans are well underway for the 2011 –
2012 academic year, with a number of
new graduate courses to be offered.
These include Environmental
Assessment and Negotiation, MultiLevel Environmental Governance,
Introductory Numerical Modelling for
Environmental Scientists, Case Studies
in Sustainability, and Environmental
and Natural Resource Politics. In
addition to these new courses, SENS
will embark upon a bold experiment
related to course delivery in Term 2
(January – April 2012). To make SENS
courses accessible to a broader range of
students, including those enrolled both
here and at our partner institutions,
most of the Term 2 SENS courses will be
delivered in a compressed format. Each
course will be taught over a four-week
time frame, with courses offered
sequentially rather than concurrently.
This will allow students to focus on one
course at a time, which should
particularly benefit the students in our
course-intensive non-thesis Master’s
program. It will also permit non-SENS
students to complete credit courses
over a shorter time period, and will
open up the possibility of strengthening
partnerships and graduate student
exchanges with universities in other
countries. Students on exchange would
be able to come to SENS for a month or
two to take for-credit courses, rather
than spending an entire semester in
Saskatoon. This innovative mode of
course delivery has many advantages,
and we look forward to learning how
students view this change.
In the meantime, however, I wish all a
pleasant and relaxing summer, and I
look forward to welcoming our
students, both new and returning, to
SENS in September.
Sincerely,
Karsten Liber, PhD
Executive Director
Environment Canada Research Scientist Chris Spence (left) and SENS
Assistant Professor Andrew Ireson collect data during the spring melt
near St. Denis. Dr. Ireson, who specializes in subsurface hydrology,
joined SENS and the CERC program in March.
School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
3
MES STUDENT RESEARCH:
INSPIRING ACTION THROUGH EDUCATION
The following story about MES student
Shannon Dyck’s research was originally
published in the Summer 2011 edition
of Envisage - the quarterly newsletter of
the Saskatchewan Outdoor and
Environmental Education Association
(SOEEA).
Families are important drivers for
environmental change, yet little
research has been done that studies if
and how families change when given
the opportunity to participate in actionbased environmental education
programs. Therefore, a program was
developed to provide 5 families (17
participants in total) with the
opportunity to make environmentally
responsible changes to their lifestyles
throughout a 5-month time period.
Providing these families with the
opportunity to reflect upon their
actions, share their ideas and
knowledge with others, be supported
by and support others, and discuss
various sustainability-related topics, led
the program to be a huge success. Each
family achieved many of their
environmental action goals and felt that
the support given by others was a key
motivating factor. All the participants
felt the program was valuable and
stated they would recommend it to
others.
A special thank you to the
Saskatchewan Outdoor and
Environmental Education Association
and SaskLotteries for their support.
Participants were asked to analyze their
daily (in)actions (e.g., through
photographs, conversation, and
writing), set their own goals for change
alongside family and community
members, and locate resources that
engaged them in environmental
learning and action. The research then
examined how the program affected
participants. For example, if
participants changed their actions,
which actions did they change and
why? And what challenges did they
encounter? Furthermore, how did the
opportunity to work with other family
and community members affect
participants’ abilities to undertake and
sustain action? And lastly, how did
participants’ understandings of
environmentally responsible action
affect who and what they saw as
supports and barriers to living
Photos (Top): A goal of one family was to educate their children about the importance of turning off the
sustainably?
lights after use. Although challenging, they improved over the course of five months.
(Middle): One of the families’ goals was to use water more wisely. They used less water by reducing
laundry loads, taking shorter showers and changing their dish washing practices.
(Bottom): Another family had a goal of walking and biking more. Each family member, particularly the
youngest (age 10), did so well that the family’s need of a vehicle dropped dramatically.
Photos courtesy Shannon Dyck.
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School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
SENS PROFILES: FACULTY
DR. MAUREEN REED
Maureen oversaw the initial development of
SENS in 2006 and 2007. She was the School’s
first Acting Director, in 2007-2008.
SENS affiliation: Assistant Director
Academic and Professor, School of
Environment and Sustainability;
Professor, Department of Geography
and Planning, College of Arts and
Science
Research interests: Communitybased ecosystem management;
sustainability of rural communities;
environmental governance; genderbased analysis; national parks,
biosphere reserves, and forestry
communities.
Place of birth: Vancouver, BC
Most significant achievement:
My two sons.
Favourite music: Depends on the
time and day of the week. In the
morning, I listen to rock/pop such as
Great Big Sea, Black Eyed Peas and
Foo Fighters, AR Rahman (sometimes
even old Michael Jackson) to get me
running; in the late evenings, I listen
to classical. Sunday mornings I listen
to jazz or opera, and summer road
trips call for folk, world music, and
always Motown. I find Tchaikovsky’s
music very moving and I crave choral
music at Christmas.
Influences:
- Family. I grew up with a close-knit
family within a pretty close
community. My present family has
been pretty important for me to
reinforce values of care and
compassion for others and for
exploring the world together. Among
other things, my husband and life
partner taught me to like Frank
Sinatra, big-band jazz and classic
movies, while my kids have taught me
to like basketball all over again.
Together, we have reinforced a love
of travel and of this country - its
geography and its institutions.
- Growing up on the West Coast in
the 60s (who wouldn't be influenced
by that?).
- My academic career has been
blessed with wonderful academic
mentors who have provided strong,
positive models about how to act
personally and professionally. I call
them my own sustainability triad - Les
Lavkulich, Bruce Mitchell and Olav
Slaymaker. I also read a novel in my
mid-20s which was pretty
influential. For those interested in
social and environmental
dimensions of sustainability within a
strong feminist perspective and a
gripping read, Marge Piercy's (1976)
Woman on the Edge of Time is
definitely a classic.
What impact do you hope that your
research will have? I hope my
research can help uncover and
redress some of the systemic factors
that impede human flourishing and
sustainability in its broadest sense. I
hope that my current work will help
build bridges between academic
researchers and practitioners who
are working towards a positive
future. We need one another.
How do you define sustainability?
Providing for the needs (including all
the standard 'needs' as well as those
of spirituality, beauty, reciprocity,
care, compassion and so on) of
today so that all may flourish in the
future. "All" is not restricted to
humans.
Photos courtesy Sarah Turkeli.
School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
5
SENS PROFILES: STUDENTS
OKSANA ZBYRANYK
Oksana is a student in the Master of
Environment and Sustainability program.
Her research focuses on the Redberry Lake
Biosphere Reserve.
SENS affiliation: MES Student
Place of birth: Siberia, Russia. Home
country is Ukraine.
Most significant achievement: To
pursue education abroad since I was
18 years old and being able to cope
with all the ups and downs on my
own during the journey.
Favourite music: All sorts of music
depending on the place and time:
from classic to soft rock.
Influences: Primarily my parents, who
always support me and who have
sparked dreams for travelling and
learning in me. Also my dear friends
that I’ve shared the journey with.
What impact do you hope that your
research will have? My research
focuses on the collaboration between
researchers and practitioners at the
Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve
(RLBR) in Saskatchewan. It is a
UNESCO-designated site that is
working towards sustainable
development, conservation, and
research. I hope that my research will
benefit the functioning of the
biosphere reserve in various ways.
The study will identify how to
incorporate science in RLBR’s
development. Findings can help
inform ‘best practices’ around
collaborative research that can be
shared across the Canadian network
and even the international network of
biosphere reserves. In addition, a
realization of the benefits of
collaboration to both sides will
possibly create opportunities for
better networking and funding from
NGOs and government agencies.
Results can also benefit further
research modeled on collaboration
between scientists and practitioners.
How do you define sustainability?
I would define sustainability as the
state of continuance when
environmental, economic, and social
dimensions are considered in order to
ensure long term well-being. To me it
is a conscious living.
SENS PROFILES: ALUMNI
NICHOLAS TREVISAN
Favourite music: Too many to list! The
Tragically Hip is one of my favourites.
Nicholas graduated from SENS with his
Master of Sustainable Environmental
Management degree in October 2010. His
ENVS 992 project was entitled “The Status of
Rare Plant Conservation in Saskatchewan.”
SENS affiliation: MSEM Alumnus
Place of birth: Toronto, ON
Current location: Toronto, ON
Most significant achievement: I am
proud of having travelled, worked, and
gone to school in various parts of the
country.
6
Influences: Classic conservation pioneers
like E.O Wilson and Aldo Leopold, the
many professional and academic
mentors I have had through the years,
and my parents and grandparents.
What impact do you hope that your
research will have? I hope that our
research provides direction on which rare
plant species in Saskatchewan ought to
be targeted for conservation effort. I
also hope that the prioritization method
we applied illustrates its utility as a tool
for resource managers facing constraints
in obtaining reliable plant population
data.
School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
How do you define sustainability?
Sustainability, to me, is about finding
ways to tread a bit lighter to ensure that
resources can be shared equitably across
many generations. There is no question,
though, that many of the issues of today
are complex – environmentally,
economically, and socially. In my eyes,
the SENS community is tasked with
untangling this complexity. What an
exciting challenge!
Job description: I work for Dillon
Consulting Limited, a Canadian
professional consulting firm. We provide
engineering, environmental, planning,
and other technical services to clients in
the private and public sectors. I am
involved in a new graduate training and
development program called the
President’s Crew.
MSEM PROPOSAL
SYMPOSIUM
SHOWCASES STUDENT
RESEARCH
MSEM students at their research proposal symposium, March 2011.
On March 18, 2011 Master of Sustainable
Environmental Management (MSEM)
students presented their research
proposals to faculty, staff and students at
SENS’ 2nd Annual Proposal Symposium.
The MSEM program at SENS is an
intensive, 12-month course-based
program that is designed for
undergraduates seeking a professional
occupation or for those with established
careers who wish to expand their skill set.
A key component of the program is the
completion of a research project that
focuses on environment and
sustainability challenges.
Students work on the project throughout
the year. They present their research
proposals during the annual proposal
symposium in March with final projects
submitted near the end of August. In
addition, students are encouraged to
submit their research to peer-reviewed
journals or other outlets that would be
interested in publishing the findings.
This year, 17 students prepared posters
and provided five-minute oral
summaries of their proposals to an
audience of fellow students, faculty,
staff and guests from the wider
environment and sustainability
community.
Students were encouraged to examine
sustainability challenges from a variety
of perspectives, and to integrate
disciplines to help find solutions. As a
result, proposals covered a wide range
of environment and sustainability
challenges from across the country. Oil
sands development guidelines for
Saskatchewan, policy solutions for
traffic gridlock in Toronto, and humanpolar bear interactions in Manitoba
were just a few of the research topics.
The depth and variety of research topics
was noted by Dr. Douglas Clark, faculty
at SENS and master of ceremonies for
the event. “I was very impressed with
the high quality of work and
professionalism reflected here today by
each and every student,” said Clark.
“Thank you for your hard work and I
wish you the best of luck as you proceed
with your research in the coming
months.”
MSEM students are currently busy
completing their research - either out in
the field at research sites or back at
SENS. Final reports will be on display in
the SENS office later this year.
Left: MSEM students Sarah Turkeli and Daniel Brent discuss Sarah’s
poster.
Above: Dr. Douglas Clark (left) chats with MSEM student Graham
Barber and MES student Skye Ketilson.
School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
7
SPRING
CONVOCATION
Congratulations, SENS graduates! One Master of
Environment and Sustainability degree and eight Master of
Sustainable Environmental Management degrees were
conferred at the University of Saskatchewan convocation
ceremony held on May 31, 2011.
Master of Environment and Sustainability:
 Åsa Almstedt. Thesis: Adaptive Governance for Fire
Management Planning ‐ A Case Study on Prince Albert
National Park, Saskatchewan.
Master of Sustainable Environmental Management:
 Andrew Cameron. Project: Improving the
Environmental Sustainability at the University of
Saskatchewan.
 Xing Chen. Project: Strategies for the Conservation of
Remnant Old Riparian Forest Along the Annapolis River,
Nova Scotia.
 Colin Gibb. Project: Low Impact Development
Strategies and Best Practices for Saskatoon.
 Jasper Johnson. Project: Environmental Protection
Strategies at Ski Resorts in Western Canada.
 Cara Klassen. Project: Rainwater Harvesting on
Lakewood Civic Center.
 Caitlin Mroz. Project: The Effectiveness of Species at
Risk Volunteer Monitoring Programs at Grasslands
National Park.
 Peter Prebble. Project: Climate Change and
Saskatchewan Public Policy.
 Brienne Young. Project: Promoting Environmental
Awareness: Community and Environmental Benefits of
Small-Scale Green Roofs.
Monique Dubé, Canada Research Chair in Aquatic
Ecosystem Health Diagnosis and Associate Professor in
the School of Environment and Sustainability, is this
year’s recipient of the YWCA’s Women of Distinction
award in Science, Technology and Research.
MSEM Graduates Peter Prebble (left) and Caitlin Mroz (right) celebrate
their achievements with SENS Assistant Director – Academic Maureen
Reed at the University of Saskatchewan Convocation Ceremony on May
31, 2011.
SENS Students Elected to GSA
Executive
SENS PhD students Ehimai Ohiozebau and Ranjan
Datta have been elected to the U of S Graduate
Students’ Association (GSA) Executive for the 201112 year.
Ehimai serves as the GSA Vice-President
Operations and Ranjan is the GSA Vice-President
Academic. Congratulations!
SENS PROFESSOR RECEIVES
WOMEN OF DISTINCTION AWARD
The 30th annual Women of Distinction awards
recognize women for their contributions to the
Saskatoon community in areas such as the arts, culture,
athletics, leadership, education, science and research,
entrepreneurship, and health and wellness.
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School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
Dr. Monique Dubé,
Canada Research Chair in
Aquatic Ecosystem Health
Diagnosis and Associate
Professor.
Dr. Howard Wheater, Canada Excellence
Research Chair in Water Security, speaks during
Water Week 2011 at Convocation Hall on the
University of Saskatchewan campus.
GLOBAL INSTITUTE FOR WATER SECURITY
LAUNCHES DURING WATER WEEK 2011
The University of Saskatchewan is a
powerhouse when it comes to water
research. With a Canada Excellence
Research Chair (CERC) in Water
Security, five Canada Research Chairs
and more than 65 faculty members
actively searching for answers to
water issues, the university is
strategically placed to deal with water
challenges both nationally and
internationally.
Building on this reputation and
experience, the Global Institute for
Water Security was officially launched
on March 22 during U of S Water
Week. With a vision to be a driving
force for research into global water
issues with local implications, the
institute will focus on developing the
science and tools to help manage the
world’s water resources through
uncertainties like climate change and
protect these resources from hazards
such as flooding and drought.
Professor Howard Wheater, director
of the institute, CERC in Water
Security and faculty at the School of
Environment and Sustainability and
the Department of Civil and
Geological Engineering, made the
announcement during his Water
Week lecture, entitled ‘Water
Security and the Perfect Storm’ at
Convocation Hall.
“Fresh water is essential for human
life and well-being, for economic
development and for entire global
ecosystems, yet water resources
worldwide are under pressure,” said
Wheater. “At the Global Institute for
Water Security, new interdisciplinary
research that links science to
resource management and policy will
help protect and manage this
precious resource.”
Building the institute team has
already begun. Five faculty positions
are being recruited over the course of
the next year, with the newcomers
holding their appointments at SENS.
At the institute, faculty and
researchers work on multidisciplinary science, engineering and
social science teams with industrial
and government partners to address
four broad research themes:
• Climate change and water security;
• Land-water management and
environmental change;
• Sustainable development of natural
resources; and
• Socio-hydrology.
For more information on the Global
Institute for Water Security, visit
www.usask.ca/water.
Water Week 2011
Held in honour of United Nations World Water Day, March 22, U of S Water Week celebrated water research with a series of
public noon-hour lectures and events. Over 150 people came out to hear U of S researchers and invited experts discuss some of
the most pressing water challenges facing the globe. Events took place throughout the week of March 21 – 25 and were cohosted by the Office of the CERC in Water Security and U of S Research Communications. Videos of the Water Week lectures are
posted on the Global Institute for Water Security site, www.usask.ca/water.
School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
9
THE NEW NORMAL ON THE PRAIRIES:
SENS HONOURS EARTH DAY WITH PUBLIC LECTURE
April 22 marked International Earth
Day – a day to celebrate the
environment and raise awareness
about the importance of sustainable
actions, policies and programs. The
first Earth Day in 1970 helped lead to
the creation of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
Today, Earth Day is celebrated around
the world with over 500 milllion
people participating in awareness
events.
This year, SENS honoured Earth Day
with a public lecture on April 19 by
guest Dr. Dave Sauchyn, senior editor
and co-author of the book The New
Normal: The Canadian Prairies in a
Changing Climate. Sauchyn is a
research professor with the Prairie
Adaptation Research Collaborative at
the University of Regina and a soughtafter expert on climate change. Dr.
Suren Kulshreshtha, a professor in the
College of Agriculture and
Bioresources, associate faculty
member with SENS, and co-editor of
the book, was also on hand to answer
questions relating to climate change
research at the U of S.
temperature has risen so sharply in
the northern hemisphere,” said
Sauchyn. “And while there is no
dispute in the scientific community
that the earth is warming, the
uncertainties of climate change
science get more pronounced as we
look at local effects.”
The prairies are one of the most
extreme climates in the world,
Sauchyn explained, and both drought
and unusually wet years could occur
with greater frequency and severity.
For example, the driest winter on
record occurred in 2009-10. This was
followed by the wettest summer on
record in 2010. These swings in
extremes may be attributable to
climate change, but only if they keep
happening again and again.
In order to adapt, says Sauchyn,
policy makers, government officials,
industries like agriculture, and society
in general need to alter practices and
policies to adjust to the new normal.
“Right now we’re possibly in
transition from the climate we’ve
been used to expecting for the last 30
to 60 years into one that is new to us.
This affects everything – from how
engineers build neighbourhoods to
when farmers seed crops. We can no
longer base what we’re going to do
on what we’ve done in the past.”
Karsten Liber, Executive Director of
SENS, expressed gratitude to Sauchyn
for his talk and thanked the audience
for attending the Earth Day lecture.
“On behalf of the School of
Environment and Sustainability, I’d
like to thank Dr. Sauchyn for joining
us today, and for providing insight
into the changes we are all noticing
here on the Prairies,” said Liber.
“International Earth Day is a
significant hallmark of the
environmental movement and I thank
everyone for joining us today in
celebration and recognition of its
importance.”
Following the presentation, students,
professors and attendees from
organizations such as the
Saskatchewan Environmental Society
mingled over refreshments.
More than 50 U of S students and
faculty, high school students and
members of the public came to hear
Sauchyn’s presentation about climate
change on the prairies and what’s
needed to adapt to changing weather
patterns and extreme events. The
lecture was featured on the 6:00 CTV
evening news.
Sauchyn began by clarifying the
difference between weather and
climate – weather is what we get,
climate is what we expect – and
explaining the warming of the earth
in recent history. “Scientists can’t
find a period in the past when the
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Dr. Sauchyn talks to a CBC radio reporter following his lecture on April 19.
School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
SENS PARTNERSHIP PROJECT RECOGNIZED WITH
EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AWARD
A green energy park is in development
at the city landfill and Saskatoon high
school students – with guidance from
School of Environment and
Sustainability graduate students – are
helping the community understand
the benefits of sustainable energy, and
receiving recognition along the way.
With support and direction from City
of Saskatoon staff and SENS graduate
students, the Aden Bowman Collegiate
Earthkeepers are developing Green
Energy Park brochures and posters for
distribution around the community
and at the landfill. The brochures will
provide information about the
proposed green projects for the
facility, which includes a landfill gas
collection system and a tall wind
turbine.
Earthkeepers is a Grade 10 integrated
program offered by Aden Bowman
Collegiate that focuses on issues of
environment and sustainability.
Students engage in learning activities
over the course of a semester. SENS
graduate students Chad Jackson and
Viji Kalagnanam participated in the
project and worked with the
Earthkeepers students to help create
the educational materials.
Aden Bowman Collegiate Earthkeepers students pose next to their
Green Energy Park brochures.
At an event held June 17, 2011, the
project was recognized as one of 17
Saskatchewan initiatives that best
promotes innovative research and
activities in education for sustainable
development. The award was
presented by the United Nations
University - Regional Centre of
Expertise on Education for
Sustainable Development (RCE
Saskatchewan).
The SENS partnership with Saskatoon
Public Schools was established in
October 2010 with the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding and
a pledge to work together on
community projects that focus on
sustainability. Collaborations to date
also include Aden Bowman’s 2010
Youth Sustainability Conference and
participation in the Kinsmen Park
redesign consultation process.
UPCOMING EVENTS
•
September 6, 2011 – First day of classes!
•
October 21 – November 12, 2011 – Visit to SENS by Elderin-Residence Randall Tetlichi.
•
September 9, 2011 – Orientation for new
SENS students.
•
SENS Connect, the networking event for SENS students and
the environmental sector, returns in October!
School of Environment and Sustainability | University of Saskatchewan | Summer 2011
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