Steve uses social media in lieu of a static research website; find him on Bluesky (smurph.bsky.social). And yes, ‘Smurph’ is indeed Steve’s commonly used nom de plume.
Steve teaches courses on restoration ecology, rewilding, conservation ecology, parks and protected areas and socioecological systems analysis.
Steve leads the Conservation and Restoration Ecology (CaRE) research group.
Our work focuses on using innovative field and technology methods and replicable solutions in restoring and conserving forests, meadows, prairies, urban habitats, and coastlines. We also focus on the theoretical foundations of restoration ecology and creating practitioner-academic collaboration within the rubric of translational ecology. Much of this is done collaboratively, e.g., this research project led by the University of Victoria with multiple participants and emerging work on novel ecosystems with colleagues in the EU. We have done much work on long-term planning and management at the international level and regional projects on invasive species, rare species, and endangered species.
In addition to the eponymous areas of conservation and restoration ecology, CaRE’s research is tied to tests of socioecological resilience in a variety of locales around the world and in many anthropogenic and more ‘wild’ lands and waters (industrial sites, urban areas, agroecosystems, parks and protected areas).
The research includes many different types of taxa as indicators (plants, fungi, amphibians, arthropods) and different ecosystems (old fields, prairies, forests, dunes, wetlands, riparian zones, mountains, valleys, deserts, and even the Arctic on occasion). Our research group is question and problem-focused rather than restrictive with the taxon or type of ecosystem to be studied.
Steve is Editor-in-Chief of Restoration Ecology, the flagship journal of the Society for Ecological Restoration.
Steve has helped lead the Centre for Applied Sciences in Ontario Protected Areas (CASIOPA) and is on the Research Advisory Board of the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) plus numerous other national and international agencies and projects. He has presented numerous talks at international conferences and authored several hundred academic, professional, practitioner, and policy papers.
Steve’s research projects are mainly focused on restoring or conserving ecological communities or national and international ecological management. Students are encouraged to develop their own focus and independent projects though they should relate to Steve’s overarching research areas listed above. Consider your interests, put together a ‘pitch’ and contact Steve to discuss your ideas.
Research Interests
- Ecological restoration, resilience, rewilding and conservation
- Novel ecosystems
- Ecology and policy of parks and protected areas
- Pollination and invasive species ecology