Thursday, March 28: Toolkit launch – Ethical data governance for agriculture

How do we benefit from the power of big data in agriculture while protecting data ownership and farmer privacy?

Hosted by BC ACARN, UBC and OpenTeam – Since their workshop series last spring that brought together experts from around the world to discuss the current state of data governance regulation and best practices, including farmer and Indigenous-led data governance initiatives, they have been working on a multilingual toolkit to make ethical data governance easier to implement.

The Toolkit for Ethical Data Governance in Agriculture presents free, open-access, resources in multiple languages.

The toolkit includes:

• A Discussion Guide to facilitate conversations on data governance that centre user rights and think through how, where, and by whom data will be used and shared
• A Glossary of Terms that demystifies the jargon commonly used in data governance or data sharing agreements
• An Infographic showing the challenges and potential of big data in agriculture as well as the importance of good governance
• A short video to walk through the Infographic and provide examples
• Three data governance templates
• A Summary Report for our workshop series with recordings and resources

The public webinar takes place on March 28 at 9:00am:

Event webpage: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/toolkit-launch-ethical-data-governance-for-agriculture-tickets-852304314147?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Project website: https://www.bcacarn.ca/projects-2/ethical-data-governance/

The toolkit launch will introduce you to the resources and offer a chance to ask questions about the toolkit or data governance in agriculture with our project partners, including Shauna MacKinnon from BC ACARN, Dr. Sarah-Louise Ruder and Dr. Hannah Wittman from UBC, and Anna Lynton from OpenTeam.

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Karen Lee (She, Her, Hers)
Director of Marketing and Communications
Faculty of Land and Food Systems
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus | Musqueam Traditional Territory
2357 Main Mall | Vancouver British Columbia | V6T 1Z4 Canada
Phone 604 827 5297 | Cell 604 312 6343
karen.lee98@ubc.ca | @ubcLFS

I am Professor Ricardo Britto and I am reaching out to inform you about the upcoming call for scholarships at the prestigious California State University Northridge. I kindly ask you to circulate this among the University of British Columbia faculty members and students. This provides a unique opportunity for individuals seeking financial assistance to pursue their educational aspirations abroad.

Attached to this email is a flyer with summarized information about the available programs, which can facilitate the dissemination across various communication channels within the university.

Should you require further information, please feel free to schedule a virtual meeting or phone call. You can also reach me through this email address.

Your attention and collaboration are greatly appreciated.

Cordially,

Ricardo Pitelli de Britto, Ph.D.
Scholarship Coordinator
ricardo.pbritto@americas-ibs.com
+1 857 465 3145

 

Call for Scholarships at the California State University Northridge 2024-2025

Attention University of British Columbia graduates and students! Take advantage of this scholarship opportunity, which covers 70% of the tuition fee. Please note that the deadline to apply is **March 31st**.

IBS Americas is pleased to announce that is now accepting applications for scholarships at the California State University Northridge! The scholarships are designed to support talented and driven students who want to improve their skills and knowledge in areas related to management, communication, innovation, marketing, and finance. We aim to create opportunities and expand horizons by offering an international experience.

How to apply

1. Access the California State University Northridge program page, select your preferred course, click ‘Learn More’ and then ‘Apply for a Scholarship’.
2. Use the promotional code UNIA.SCHOLARSHIP.70 for the chance to get the exclusive 70% scholarship.
3. After reviewing your application, the Scholarship Advisor will contact you to ensure that all required documents are sent.
4. Scholarship recipients will be notified within 5 business days.

Registration to participate in the selection process is free and 100% online.

Requirements – to apply you must (by the time you travel):

– Be at least 18 years old
– Be a current graduate or undergraduate student
– Have completed at least the 4th semester of your degree by the month of travel (applications are open regardless of your current semester)
– Possess at least an intermediate level of English proficiency

You can choose one of the following courses:

• Applied Design Thinking and Storytelling
• Communication, Design & Innovation
• Digital Companies & E-Business Revolution
• Leadership in an Age of Disruption

Programs features:

– Classes entirely in English.
– Short-term courses on-site, 3 weeks in January or July
– Business English module included in all courses.
– Classes with professors from the university, with great executive experience.
– Wide possibility of International Networking with students from different parts of the world.
– Experience American lifestyle and tourism attractions.

Hope to see you at the California State University Northridge!

Imagine what someone in your community could do with $100,000 to advance conservation and environmental justice. Who do you see leading this project?

A couple of weeks ago, I shared that Washington Conservation Action will award the esteemed $100,000 Bullitt Prize in perpetuity! 

We are grateful to the Bullitt Foundation for allowing us this incredible opportunity to broaden, strengthen, and diversify the current and future leadership of the environmental movement. The prize invests in emerging leaders advancing conservation and environmental justice efforts in the Pacific Northwest.

The $100,000 Prize will be awarded annually to an individual or collaborative group, from Washington State or the Pacific Northwest region if their work impacts Washington, are 35 years or younger and have demonstrated academic, professional, or grassroots leadership that advances conservation and environmental justice.

I wanted you to be the first to learn: our application opens on Friday, March 1, 2024. Please share the application with anyone you know who a great recipient of the Bullitt Prize would be.

 

Apply Here

For the next three months, we’ll continue reaching out to you, our partners, and to leaders across the Northwest. Help us find emerging environmental justice leaders by sending us your suggestions for potential Bullitt Prize candidates. The application will be open for three months and will close on June 1, 2024.

Onward for environmental justice,

Alyssa Macy (she/her)
CEO, Washington Conservation Action
Citizen, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon

Join us for Spark: Powering Transformative Change, our annual event on May 9, 2024.
We are excited to gather in community to meet the moment for healthy communities, a clean environment, and justice!

We are excited to share an exciting new position at Cascadia Seaweed we thought graduates of your programs might be interested in.

We’re looking for a visionary Director of Agricultural Products with a deep-rooted passion for revolutionizing agriculture, driven to develop and market sustainable, earth-friendly products to address climate change and food security. We are transforming a sustainable ocean crop into natural solutions for farmers to increase yields, reduce emissions and manage costs.

For the full job ad and instructions on how to apply, please visit the careers page of our website.

We would be grateful if you could post this opportunity or share it with anyone who you think might be a good fit!

With gratitude and respect,

Jesse Kenny (she/her)

Office Manager at Cascadia Seaweed

1 778 351 4484

 

IOF SEMINAR – March 15, 2024 The Canary in the Coal Mine is Black and White: Chemical Contaminants of Concern and Hydrocarbons in Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales from BC, Canada Killer whales (Orcinus orca) from British Columbia (BC, Canada) are among of the most contaminated cetacean species in the world. They are ecologically, culturally and economically-important species in Canada’s west coast and powerful spiritual beings for coastal First Nations communities. Yet, endangered southern resident killer whales (SRKWs), with a small population of ~73 or 74 individuals, are affected by cumulative environmental stressors and human-made threats, including lack of both quality and quantity of its main diet item (Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), physical disturbances by underwater noise (acoustic pollution), marine pollution and climate change.  Concentrations and potential health implications of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), new persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in SRKWs have been scarcely documented. In this seminar, I will share the findings of the first concerted ecotoxicological assessment of CECs: alkylphenols (APs), triclosan, methyl triclosa;  and, new POPs such as  hexabromocyclododecane [HBCCD], and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), known as “forever chemicals” (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS), as we ll as PAHs in skeletal muscle and liver samples of SRWK and investigate in utero transfer of these contaminants. Samples were collected from stranded, necropsied individuals from 2006-2018 in BC, Canada, in collaboration with Fisheries and Ocean Canada (DFO) and the Animal Health Centre, BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. The most prevalent compounds were 4-nonylphenol (4NP), a predominant AP (median 40.84 ng/g ww), and interestingly, 7:3-fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (7:3 FTCA) was the primary PFAS (median 66.35 ng/g ww) observed for first time in killer whales from BC, followed by PFOS and PFOSA. For PAHs, C3-phenanthrenes/anthracenes (mean: 632 ng/g lw), C4-dibenzothiophenes (mean 334 ng/g lw), and C4-phenanthrenes/ anthracenes (mean: 248 ng/g lw) presented the highest concentrations across all tissue samples. PAH diagnostic ratios indicated a dominant petrogenic-sourced contamination for SRKWs (i.e., more contaminated with hydrocarbon coming from oil/petroleum sources) in comparison to Bigg’s (transient) killer whale, which showed  a dominant signal of pyrogenic hydrocarbon sources (e.g., coming from vegetation and coal biomass burning and wildfires). A mother-fetus skeletal muscle pair revealed evidence of CECs, POPs, and PAH maternal transfer. Maternal transfer ratios indicated 4NP as the most transferred contaminant from mother to fetus (95%), while low molecular weight PAHs (C3-fluorenes, dibenzothiophene, and naphthalene) also exhibited higher maternal transfer rates. Our contaminant data serve to inform regulation and mitigate pollutant sources and contamination by emerging chemicals (e.g., “forever chemicals” or PFASs) in SRKWs’ critical habitat and prevent oil spills by improving hydrocarbon emission regulations and transitioning away from fossil fuel consumption with the aim to conserve this iconic species.

Juan Jose Alava Research Associate, IOF PI, UBC’s Ocean Pollution Research Unit

Friday, March 15, 2024 – 11:00am  – 11:50am Live: AERL Theatre, 2202 Main Mall, UBC Online over Zoom