Jersey Fontz
My project involves using trait-based ecology to promote the active restoration of Long Point wetlands after the removal of invasive Phragmites australis. I’m hoping to help the native seed bank by creating and adding seeding prescriptions onto them to bolster their natural biotic resistance against P. australis.
Gab Izma
Urban stormwater ponds can simultaneously harbour incredible biological diversity and heavy contaminant loads, but are largely neglected by water monitoring and ecological assessment efforts. My research will help to develop a new and biologically-relevant tool for detecting the presence and concentration of pollutants in stormwater using biofilm (a.k.a.
Claire Schon
Invasive Phragmites australis is a threat to wetland biodiversity and integrity across North America. My project is investigating the use of insect-based biological control for suppression of invasive Phragmites australis using two stem-boring moths.
Catriona Leven
I’m researching the impacts of beaver dams on wetlands in the Columbia Valley in BC, looking at how the presence of beaver dams and the characteristics of those dams affects the characteristics of wetlands and their use by migratory and breeding birds.
Émilie Montreuil Strub
Microplastics are one the most abundant forms of aquatic pollution in the world today, with studies indicating that every level of the food web interacts with this manmade contaminant.
Grace Lew-Kowal
In my research, I investigate the use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) or “drones” as a method to apply herbicide to treat invasive Phragmites australis in wetland environments. My project uses a combination of field collected data and remote sensing techniques to assess the efficacy and accuracy of this application method.
Rachel McNamee
I am investigating the fate and effects of microplastics on freshwater algae. My research involves intensive field work during the spring and summer months at the Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA), as part of a multi-disciplinary collaborative project known as PELAstics.
Josh Pickering
My current research focuses on the response of breeding bird communities during a period of adaptive white-tailed deer management following a prolonged period of overabundance at Long Point, in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.
Liahm Ruest
My project focuses on using eDNA metabardocing to better understand biodiversity in urban ecosystems. I focus on stormwater ponds and working with the Residential development Impact Scorecard for the Environment (RISE) to induce ecological best practices in urban developments.
