Faculty

The Wildlife Ecohydrology and Conservation Lab has successfully completed our first field season! We are a curious and collaborative team interested in all things turtles, snakes, amphibians, wetlands and more. Our research often evaluates conservation and habitat restoration approaches to support at-risk reptiles.

Katie Pita, a PhD candidate in SERS, has spent time the last two summers conducting research in the UK in the area of historical ecology with the objective of accessing how traditional woodland management strategies can sustainably benefit people today.

The Soil Ecosystems Dynamics Lab at SERS, under the leadership of Dr. Maren Oelbermann, is collaborating with the BioSoil North team at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Together, they are using a multidisciplinary approach to address the challenges of harnessing Happy Valley-Goose Bay's potential for sustainable commercial crop production. The research focuses on developing sustainable agricultural techniques to enhance soil fertility and crop yields in this northern boreal area while sequestering carbon and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

This blog entry dives into co-reclamation of oil sands-degraded homelands at Fort McKay First Nation and the truths and complementary reconciliation actions that emerged from the project.

Republishing an article published in The Conversation written by SERS professor Robert Gibson.

Amendments to Canada's Impact Assessment Act are being drafted in response to a Supreme Court ruling in October 2023 where a majority of justices concluded that some aspects of the federal Impact Assessment Act reached too far into provincial jurisdiction. Drafting amendments to Canada's Impact Assessment Act will be a difficult assignment. Officials need to respect Canada's Constitution and also apply new knowledge and act on new imperatives. Challenges include not only bringing the laws into constitutional compliance but also meeting 21st-century needs for assessments and decision-making in the lasting public interest.

Dustin Garrick has been appointed director of the University of Waterloo’s Collaborative Water Program for a two-year term, effective January 1, 2024. Dustin is University Research Chair in Water and Development Policy, associate professor in SERS and is a Water Institute member.

Established in 2013, the Collaborative Water Program is unique at the University of Waterloo and globally for its interdisciplinary approach and focus on learning through hands-on experience. The aim is to train the next generation of water leaders and equip them with the job-ready skills needed to understand and address complex water challenges.