Farewell Shelley Small 

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After 32 years of dedicated service to the University of British Columbia, we are sad to announce the retirement of Shelley Small, the Manager of the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

Shelley supported, guided, and manifested immense compassion for our graduate students. Their success and well-being were always her priority. As we bid farewell to Shelley, we express our deepest gratitude for her invaluable contributions over the years. Her legacy will endure through the impact she has made on our graduate community, and through the plaque in the Dean’s office, honouring the winners of an award that she created: the graduate thesis and dissertation award.

We at the graduate office will miss Shelley’s presence dearly. Please join us in extending our warmest wishes for her retirement.

Kind regards,

Sumeet and Lia Maria

Feedback on Forestry-LFS BFCHI candidates

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 Hi everyone, 

Thank you so much to those who have been able to interact with the first four short-listed candidates for the Forestry-LFS Black Faculty Cohort Hire Initiative. I am now writing to provide details on the recorded research and teaching talks, as well as to request your feedback on the candidates. 

First, the research talk and teaching demonstration recordings can be found at the following Canvas link: https://canvas.ubc.ca/enroll/PD3LEG. Please feel free to view these at your discretion, but do not share outside of the Faculties. 

Further, for those who have been able to review the recordings and/or meet with the candidates, we would like to solicit your input as we prepare for the next stage of the review process. Links to the Qualtrics surveys for each candidate can be found on the Canvas site as well as below: 

Please provide your feedback by Friday, March 29th.

Thank you all for your participation in this process to date and we will provide further details on our remaining two candidates once their travel schedules have been finalized. 

Very best,

Alex Moore and Hannah Wittman (co-chairs)

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Alex Moore, PhD  (she/they)
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Forest & Conservation Sciences and Dept. of Botany
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus | Musqueam Traditional Territory
4605, 2424 Main Mall | Vancouver BC | V6T 1Z4 Canada

[IRES INVITATION] RIGHT TO HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT | Brainstorm feedback to the Government | March 26

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The discussion will be synthesized into a draft comment that individuals can use to send their opinions on the Right to a Health Environment to the Canadian government.

Please forward the invitation email below for a 1 hour discussion on the government’s implementation plan of the “Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act”. This plan is about all Canadians’ RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.

 

Hello Faculty, Postdocs, RAs and Students!

What does your right to a healthy environment have in common with industry bottom line? Probably nothing! So now is the time to make sure your right is just that, yours.

Public comment periods are often underutilized, not widely shared, or flooded by representatives in industry (hello conflict of interest!). So, we are inviting you to brainstorm and formulate ideas on what you would like to see prioritized in the government’s implementation plan of the “Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act”.

Formerly known as Bill S-5, this act gives all Canadians a right to a healthy environment under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. This revision of CEPA is the first time Canadians are being given this right, and therefore there are many wrinkles to iron out and conversations to be had, and we want to hear from you! From now until April 8th the Canadian government is looking for public contribution in the form of public comments, related to the questions in the recently published discussion document found here.

On March 26th Dr. Gunilla Oberg and MA student Dayna Rachkowski will host a 1 hour discussion period in AERL Room 107 from 1pm-2pm to discuss the questions and areas still open for discussion in the government implementation period.  Our group collaboration will be synthesized into a public comment on behalf of the IRES community who attends. We will also assist/encourage you to use this collaborative conversation to submit your own public comment.

A 10 minute synopsis on some main points and development in Bill S-5 and CEPA will be given prior to our conversation. For those who want to dive in prior to this workshop, here are some relevant reads and recent government documents on the subject:

We hope to see you there, please email Dayna Rachkowski (drachkow@student.ubc.ca) if you have any questions or accessibility requests for the workshop.

 

Cheers,

Dayna

 

 

Work Learn Opportunities for UBC Vancouver Students

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Climate-Related Work Learn Opportunities for Students!

 

The UBC Work Learn Program supports and subsidizes meaningful work experiences for current UBC Vancouver students, providing the opportunity to develop their professional skills. With deadlines fast approaching, please share these climate-related opportunities for the summer session with your network of students.

Position with the Climate Solutions Research Collective

WL S24 Climate Solutions Research Collective Assistant (1 Position) – Deadline March 24
Career Job ID: 974622

The Collective is seeking an undergraduate student to join as a project assistant. The undergraduate student will work closely with a program coordinator and graduate fellows to develop marketing and communications materials; support program workshops, seminars and other events; and conduct background research on the climate solutions focal areas for this first year of the new Collective.
Apply Through Careers Online

Positions with other campus groups

WL S24 Sustainability Ambassadors: Sustainability Lead (3 positions) – Deadline March 22
Career Job ID 975591

Sustainability Leads support coordination of the Sustainability Ambassadors Program, including the development of a themed-based curriculum and facilitating learning opportunities for program participants. The program explores how principles of climate justice are relevant when identifying, developing, and implementing climate action solutions to shift cultural norms, centering equity in its approach.

 

WL S24 Sustainability Engagement: Catalyst Lead (1 position) – Deadline March 22
Career Job ID 975595

In close collaboration with the Manager of Transformative Learning & Student Engagement, the Catalyst Lead supports the development and implementation of the Catalyst program and facilitates learning opportunities for participating students. This role builds on the Sustainability Hub’s work fostering a culture of engagement and advocacy by expanding sustainability education opportunities and resources for the UBC community and public.

 

WL S24 Urban Biodiversity Coordinator (1 position) – Deadline March 24

Career Job ID 975423

The SEEDS Urban Biodiversity Coordinator is responsible for supporting the coordination of a broad range of urban biodiversity and climate applied student research projects, interdisciplinary collaborations, and knowledge exchange and mobilization activities. The candidate will support the coordination of SEEDS Sustainability interdisciplinary partnerships: the Campus Biodiversity Initiative: Research and Demonstration (CBIRD).

 

Search available postings for “climate” to find additional Work Learn opportunities.

Apply Through Careers Online

IEG job posting

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IEG is hiring. We need soil scientists and/or ecologists for our mine reclamation work. Recent graduates are encouraged to apply!

Trevor Baker, BSc, AAg
Soil Scientist, Data Analyst
Integral Ecology Group
778-231-9140

Job description:

POSITION TITLE: Ecologist
POSITION TYPE: Full time
COMPENSATION: $55,000 – $90,000 per year based on full-time work

Company Background
Integral Ecology Group (IEG) is a small employee-owned company committed to improving the ecological, cultural, and social wellbeing of people and the planet. We are a group of highly educated and experienced professionals who work across a variety of technical disciplines at the interface between humans and their environments. We apply innovative solutions and support for effective land-use management, culture and ecosystem assessment, reclamation, assessment and management of cumulative effects, and environmental governance. IEG believes that with energy, determination, creativity, and commitment, we can make a positive difference in our communities and ecosystems impacted by natural resource development.
The successful candidate will be part of the Reclamation Team, which provides consulting services in the fields of reclamation research, monitoring and planning, reclamation and ecological modelling, ecological classification, and ecological surveys. IEG has offices in Duncan and Victoria, British Columbia, with majority of the team located in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, although most employees work remotely. Information about some of the types of projects we work on can be found at our website: www.integralecologygroup.com.

Position Description
The position primarily entails ecological assessments of reclaimed and natural areas. Though significant learning can happen on the job, the applicant is expected to arrive with the ability to either identify vascular plants to the species level, and record covers and characteristics and/or independently conduct formal soil surveys and/or independently conduct wildlife habitat mapping and wildlife surveys. The applicant will be expected to manage, analyze data, and clearly communicate findings. Field work should be expected during summer months.

Minimum Qualifications
• Completion of a B.Sc. or M.Sc. in ecology or closely related field.

Required Skills
The successful candidate should demonstrate:
• Extensive plant identification skills, including broad experience with dichotomous keys, e.g. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Flora of Alberta and Flora of the Pacific Northwest, and/or;
• Familiarity and use of the Canadian System of Soil Classification to independently describe full soil pits, and/or;
• Familiarity with wildlife habitat mapping and wildlife surveys.

AND
• A solid understanding of factors limiting or facilitating restoration of disturbed ecosystems;
• Proficiency with technical writing and clear presentation of data;
• The technical ability to integrate, interpret, and analyze multiple datasets;
• The ability to write concise summaries of data and integrate with broader reclamation survey results;
• Strong attention to detail;
• Proficiency in Word and Excel, with skills in R or other programming languages an asset;
• data management and analysis skills; and
• The ability to travel and carry out physically demanding field research in semi-remote, challenging terrain.
The successful candidate will also:
• be hardworking, fun, flexible, organized, and a self-starter with a positive attitude;
• demonstrate the ability to work with minimal supervision and as a team player;
• be willing and able to balance multiple project requirements while achieving high levels of technical excellence; and
• have career goals that align with IEG’s work and have enthusiasm for personal and professional development.

Benefits
IEG is an employee-owned company and prides itself on a “gold-standard” of employee satisfaction. Should the successful candidate transition to full time work, benefits available to permanent employees include:
• annual profit-share program;
• employee share ownership plan;
• 5% RRSP matching program;
• salary within or above the industry standard range;
• paid overtime;
• mobile phone and monthly plan;
• laptop;
• field gear allowance – $500/year;
• four weeks’ annual leave and one week of company holidays from December 24th to 31st;
• seven personal business days per year for any reason related to sick leave (for the employee or family members), family emergencies, medical or other personal appointments, mental health days, birthdays/anniversaries, volunteer time, menstrual leave, etc.;
• comprehensive health and dental benefits;
• parental leave – matching employment insurance benefits for up to 1.5 years;
• wellness benefit – $500/year for of wellness activities and resources (e.g., fitness memberships, equipment, meal plans, etc.);
• support plans for continuing education (e.g., MSc, Diploma);
• professional development support and funding;
• flexible work hours and location;
• a fun work environment including team meetings, company retreats and social activities; and
• a flexible work environment including working from home, flexible work hours, and time off for religious, spiritual, and/or cultural days.

To Apply

Please attach a curriculum vitae, names and contact information for three professional references, and a cover letter detailing qualifications and research interests to jobs@iegconsulting.com. Please ensure that the job title, “Ecologist”, is noted in the subject line of the email. Please mention in your email which job board you are applying from. Please do not contact us by phone.

As a company that continues to serve and support Indigenous communities across Canada, we encourage applications from First Nation, Métis and Inuit candidates and all others who are interested in the position.

Applications will be reviewed as received with a start date in May, 2024. This job posting will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.