Thursday, September 25, 2025

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• President’s Office display gets up close and personal with nature with Ecology Lab
• 2025 Sustainability Integration Conference returns this October in Toronto
• Lunch and Learn session tackles menstruation and sport

• Waterloo Region Climate Fest coming up on Sunday

• Ontario Universities Fair this weekend and other notes

President’s Office display gets up close and personal with nature with Ecology Lab

By Vrajani Popawala.

The Faculty of Environment’s Ecology Teaching Lab is the heart of experiential learning. The Lab and its team offer students hands-on field and lab activities, provide applied ecological expertise to students and faculty, and teach our community about sustainable living practices through workshop offerings.

Students are given diverse opportunities through the Ecology Lab to apply their knowledge, from planting trees on campus, assessing the health of Laurel Creek through water analysis and aquatic insect inventories, to examining the health of the Healing Forest through forestry surveys and soil analysis.

This month, the Ecology Lab is being showcased in the President’s display case. The exhibit features a selection of specimens and equipment that students use as part of their experiential learning journey. Preserved birds and invertebrates provide students with the opportunity to see features up close and learn how they are impacted by our changing climate and loss of habitat. Wildlife skulls are used to learn about evolutionary adaptations. Analyzing tree rings gives us the age of the tree and clues into past environmental stressors that would reduce growth in certain years. Trail cameras in natural spaces capture wildlife movements.

To raise awareness of natural products free from synthetics and additives, the Lab team hosts workshops ranging from beeswax food wraps to natural soap, where participants can make and take home their own natural products.

For the Ecology Lab team, curating this exhibit was a chance to reflect on the depth and breadth of opportunities they provide. “It really demonstrates the range of hands-on course activities we offer," said Anne Grant, the Ecology Lab Manager. Whether it is going out in the field, conducting hands-on lab analysis, or learning about ecological processes interactively, the Ecology Lab team will continue to provide an active learning experience for all.

Every month, the Office of the President’s display case features University of Waterloo innovation and academic excellence through exhibits that showcase ground-breaking work produced by students, faculty, staff, and researchers. The exhibits are a great opportunity for partners, donors, and international delegations to get a sense of what’s happening on campus when they visit the President in his office.

2025 Hub for Sustainability Integration Conference returns this October in Toronto

The University of Waterloo’s Hub for Sustainability Integration, an innovative partnership between the School of Accounting and Finance and the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), will host its second annual conference on Monday, October 27, 2025, at RBC Waterpark Place in Toronto.

The Sustainability Integration Conference brings together professionals, academics, and industry leaders who are committed to advancing sustainability across industries. Through keynote speakers, panel discussions and interactive sessions, participants will explore how organizations can embed sustainability into core business strategy, operations, and leadership.

Exploring today’s most urgent themes

Attendees will gain insights from experts across sectors on topics such as:

• Sustainable finance and the role of investors in driving change;
• Climate risk to businesses and strategies for resilience;
• Biodiversity and ecosystem impacts and why they matter;
• Indigenous perspectives on sustainable business and partnering for change;
• Global geopolitical shifts and their implications for business; and
• Strong leadership in times of uncertainty and change.

A space for collaboration and connection

Beyond the formal program, the Sustainability Integration Conference creates opportunities to build meaningful connections across disciplines, sectors and professions. This full-day program includes dedicated networking time and is open to all professionals, academics, and community members interested in the future of sustainable business.

Members of the UWaterloo community are invited to attend and join conversations that connect academic insight with real-world practice, reinforcing the University’s role at the forefront of sustainability innovation. Participants who belong to the CPA are eligible to earn up to 6.5 hours of CPE credit.

Registration is now open, and full program details are available on the conference website.

Lunch and Learn session tackles menstruation and sport

A message from the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-R).

Imagine this: you’re an athlete who menstruates. You’ve been training hard for a big race just days away, but your period is heavy, and the pain makes it hard to even get out of bed. On top of that, your race uniform includes white biker shorts, and the fear of leaking is real. You don’t feel like you can talk to anyone because no one talks about periods. So, you push through in silence. 

Experiences like this are real and show exactly why Melissa Zettel’s online session on October 6, A Period that Moves: A Conversation about Movement, Sport, and the Menstrual Cycle, is so crucial. The session will bust myths about menstruation and performance, explore the challenges athletes may face, and provide practical guidance on having supportive conversations about menstruation in sports. It will also highlight research that dispels common myths around menstruation, especially those around performance.  Such as a study conducted by the Institute of Sport and Exercise & Health (2025), that found athletes were, on average, 12 per cent faster at ball-moving tasks and 25 per cent more likely to succeed in anticipation-based skills during their menstrual cycle. While more research is still needed in this area, this workshop will explore the studies that do exist and what it tells us about how menstruation impacts performance and training.  

Register today and join the conversation so that you can ask questions and discover strategies to train, compete or have supportive conversations with confidence—because menstruation belongs in sport, and so do the athletes who experience it. 

Waterloo Region Climate Fest coming up on Sunday

A message from Community Relations and Events (CRE).

Join the University of Waterloo next weekend as we proudly partner to host Waterloo Region Climate Fest.

This is a free, community-powered festival taking place on Sunday, September 28, 2025, from 1 PM to 6 PM at the Gaukel Block in downtown Kitchener.

Organized by ClimateActionWR and supported by local partners including the University's Climate Institute and Faculty of Environment, the festival will feature:

• Interactive Exhibits: Engage with hands-on displays and learn about climate solutions, such as EV test drives and interactive art. 
• Workshops and Performances: Participate in workshops focused on local climate initiatives and enjoy performances by community artists. 
• Local Food and Vendors: Sample planet-friendly food and discover local vendors and eco-friendly businesses. 
• Community Connection: Meet like-minded neighbours and learn about Waterloo Region's sustainability goals and initiatives. 

No registration is required to attend the festival. 

Ontario Universities Fair this weekend and other notes

The Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF) is happening this weekend on September 27 and 28 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The OUF is one of North America’s largest post-secondary fairs; tens of thousands of prospective students and their parents will attend to explore programs, admission requirements, student life and beyond. Universities from across Ontario gather under one roof, offering booth conversations and presentations to help students as they plan their post-secondary journeys.

The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) has announced that the XChanges conference, originally set for October 4, has been cancelled. "While this wasn't the outcome we hoped for, we’re using this as an opportunity to rethink and reshape XChanges into something more accessible, engaging, and meaningful for our community," says a note from WUSA. "We’ll be sharing a new format soon — stay tuned."

The Canadian International Council (CIC), Waterloo Region chapter, and St. Jerome’s University has extended an invitation to the campus community to hear Dr. Andrew Williams of the University of St. Andrews speak on the topic of “The EU, the UK and Trump.” 

Dr. Williams is the Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the University of St Andrews, where he taught international history and conflict analysis. His most recent books include a trilogy entitled France, Britain and the United States in the 20th Century: 1900–1940; a second volume, 1940–1961, and a third, 1961-1970 (in preparation). Other works include: Liberalism and War: The Victors and the Vanquished 2nd ed. and Conflict and Development, 3rd ed. He has worked for UN agencies, notably UNITAR, and has field experience of conflict resolution in Moldova and Eritrea.