The 3MT competition was created by The University of Queensland, Australia in 2008 as a research communication competition for MA and PhD students engaged in research.  Graduate students deliver a clear and concise oral presentation of their independent research, presenting the key idea and impact on academia/industry of their research in three minutes or less.  This is why it is called the 3 Minute Thesis!

Students compete by presenting their 3MTs to a panel of judges consisting of GSA reps, Carleton faculty, and staff.

Watch Alexandra Zemskova (Geography and Environmental Studies) give her 3MT:

The 3MT competition was created by The University of Queensland, Australia in 2008 as a research communication competition for MA and PhD students engaged in research.  Graduate students deliver a clear and concise oral presentation of their independent research, presenting the key idea and impact on academia/industry of their research in three minutes or less.  This is why it is called the 3 Minute Thesis!

Students compete by presenting their 3MTs to a panel of judges consisting of GSA reps, Carleton faculty, and staff.  The top 3 Carleton presentations win the following bursaries:

1st place -$1000

2nd place -$500

3rd place – $250

The first and second place winners will also travel to Kingston Ontario to compete at the Provincial 3MT competition at Queens’ University all expenses paid!!!

Watch Ryan Katz-Rosene (Geography and Environmental Studies)give his 3MT:

Professor in Geography and Environmental Studies, Derek A. Smith, helps to fight deforestation in Panama.

In the forests of Panama, indigenous communities rely on natural resources to survive.  From food and medicine to materials to build housing, the forest provides these people with all of their basic, essential resources. Unfortunately, like many other regions across the globe, the forests of Panama are hastily falling victim to axes and chainsaws.  Population growth and a lack of diverse economic opportunities are among the many factors that are contributing to deforestation across Panama; and this holds true for the communities in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, a semi-autonomous indigenous territory in Panama.

Professor in Geography and Environmental Studies, Derek A. Smith, has recently won an award at the annual meeting of the Panamanian Association for the Advancement of Science (APANAC) for work he and his colleagues have done over the last year in western Panama, in studying indigenous forest use in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé.  Out of 200 posters’ Smith and his team’s poster ‘Participatory mapping as a tool for investigating patterns en the use of natural resources and promoting forest conservation in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé,’ won first prize.

Smith’s Award Winning Poster

The poster summarized the community mapping research prepared by Smith and his team of two other university investigators and four indigenous university students who helped with the field work. Also on the team were local investigators from five communities who received training in basic cartography and how to use a GPS receiver.

To understand land use and tackle the problem of deforestation in Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, a participatory approach with the indigenous population was implemented to create community maps that include heavily detailed cultural information, and represent hybrid geographies that combine different knowledge’s into a single, common cartographic language.  The goal is to use participatory mapping and surveys on the use of forests to identify conservation strategies that do not conflict with traditional practices, needs, rights and traditional uses of indigenous communities. Smith explains the impetus behind his research:

“Indigenous peoples in general are at the very bottom of the socioeconomic ladder in Panama, and extremely poor compared to most other people.  The differences are quite dramatic.  That’s one of the reasons why deforestation is happening in the area where we are working, and it is sad to see – not just for the people living there, because they depend on the forest for a range of resources, but also because it is a really important area for biodiversity, a place where you have for example at least two species of endemic birds that don’t exist anywhere else in the world.”

“More broadly, the research we’re doing aims to understand how people living in the region are using and managing their forests.  The way things are going now, most of the forest will be gone in 25 years or so, and this kind of research is an important first step towards developing conservation strategies that have a chance of working.  So we’ve learned about the forest resources that people use, about informal forest ownership, and what local people think about the idea of a protected area within their territory.”

To conduct this tremendously important research, Smith needed to immerse himself amongst the communities of Ngäbe-Buglé.  Anytime a researcher enters a new community with aspirations of helping the people indigenous to the area, it is absolutely necessary that an acceptance and trust is forged between the researcher and the population of focus.  Needless to say, this isn’t always a smooth or simple process; particularly when the community has been consistently exposed to the calices of outsiders.

“I did my doctoral research in Panama almost 15 years ago, with a focus on hunting, and hadn’t been back since, so it was wonderful to go back,” explains Smith.  “The research we are doing now is happening in a different area, so people there didn’t know me.  At first most people were concerned that I might be from a mining company, so it was important to build relationships with indigenous leaders who are trusted in the region, who were able to explain what we wanted to do.  It is very important for them to be vigilant.”

Deforestation isn’t a problem that’s effects are limited to those who live amongst the trees of Panama.  It is very much a global issue that’s ramifications will be felt by all.  Humanity is rapidly approaching a tipping point wherein we can make the collective decision to fight for preservation, or continue on the path that we’ve been travelling on for years.  Its destination:  immense deforestation.  Panama is an embodiment of this international problem, and as Smith continues his research in Comarca Ngäbe-Bugle, he’s hoping we haven’t already crossed the Rubicon.

“Unfortunately, one of the things we’ve learned in Panama is that it is going to be extremely difficult to save these forests over the long term.  There are major structural factors that are not easy to change, and any kind of conservation strategy will also need a major investment to provide economic alternatives for these communities.  It may seem absurd that people cut down a piece of beautiful primary forest to be able to plant maize which is worth almost nothing in the marketplace, but if they don’t have money and they don’t have an alternative that is what they have to do to feed their children.  There is still some time, fortunately to develop conservation strategies that will protect the forest and also help local people, but it will not be an easy road.  We hope that our research is helping make people more aware of the problem, and also providing the kind of knowledge that is needed to develop strategies that can actually work.”

Now in Ottawa, Smith will return to Panama at the next opportunity and willing participant or not, he will inevitably be propelled into many more unexpected adventures.

“On my last trip to Panama in October, I was glad to have an extra day in my schedule to make it to the airport and get back to Ottawa in time for my first-year class.  Only one of the communities is connected by road, so it took about three days to walk to each village to hold a meeting and give them their maps.  It rained a lot while we were there, and we had to contend with three landslides.  The first two were relatively small, and not a major problem, but the third one included a boulder the size of a small elephant and a lot of mud.  In the end we had to walk out, but I did make it to the city the next day.”

The course involves an intensive field portion (this year in the Lanark region) in late August, followed by data analysis, report writing, and poster development in the Fall term.  Student projects are designed in consultation with community partners, in order to ensure that students are exposed to a range of “real-life” applications of geographic research, and also to ensure that the projects are relevant, timely, and meaningful for communities.

This year, the students are working with Lanark Tourism and the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists on the development of an interpretive canoe route along the Mississippi River, with Lanark County Forests and the Mississippi River Conservation Authority on the assessment and proposed development of a disused piece of county forest near Smith’s Falls, and with regional maple syrup producers and Lanark Tourism on a study of the maple industry.

You are invited to join students, faculty, and community partners on Monday, November 12, from 3-5pm, in Loeb A220. The event will start with a relatively formal presentation phase at 3pm, followed by informal discussion with the students until 5pm. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information, contact Emilie Cameron (emilie_cameron@carleton.ca) or Derek Mueller (derek_mueller@carleton.ca), the course instructors.

The council recognized Burn’s effort to examine the impact of climate change on the permafrost terrain of Herschel Island and his close working relationship with Inuvialuit communities and their involvement in his research.

Burn was also recognized for his work in writing, editing and producing of the book Herschel Island Qikiqtaryuk: a natural and cultural history of Yukon’s Arctic Island. The book organized the diverse contributions of 41 authors, more than half of whom live in northern Canada.

“Burn has created a wonderful book that will greatly enhance our understanding of the natural and social environment at Qikiqtaryuk,” said Lindsay Staples, chair of the council.

The award was presented on Oct. 3, 2012 at the 2012 Yukon North Slope Conference in Whitehorse, Yukon.

Burn has been a part of Carleton’s Department of Geography and Environmental Studies since 1992. His research centres on the impact of climate change on permafrost terrain. He has been studying frozen ground for nearly 30 years and has an immense amount of experience conducting research in Canada’s North.  For the past three decades, Burn has been dividing his time between central Yukon and the western Arctic. He holds the NSERC Northern Research Chair.

-30-

For more information:
Chris Cline
Media Relations Co-ordinator
Carleton University
613-520-2600, ext. 1391
christopher_cline@carleton.ca

This fall, students of the class Environmental Studies 2000: Nature and Environment crossed the Rideau Canal to help volunteers at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden with some urban wildlife habitat work.

Instructor of ENST 2000, Renate Sander-Regier, organized this field trip as a way of facilitating an important ‘outside of the classroom’ experience for her students.

“It’s good for students to get out of the classroom and get some hands-on experience related to their studies,” explains Sander-Regier. “I feel it’s particularly important for environmental studies students to get outdoors and help a local group with some environmental work. It can be a rewarding and empowering learning experience, and it’s a nice break from sitting in a classroom.”

Second year ENST student and field trip participant, Marisa Ramey, agrees with Sander-Regier on the importance of application.

“Information becomes more solidified when you have a mixture of reading, lecturing, and then actually applying…The experience was very rewarding and informative.”

Fortunately for Carleton students like Ramey, being a stone’s throw away from the Rideau Canal means that a variety of green spaces to study and work on are entirely accessible.

The Fletcher Wildlife Garden is a project of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club which is completely managed by volunteers. Now in its 21st year, the FWG has grown – literally – from mowed fields to a series of wildlife habitats. The major goal of the FWG is to encourage as many people as possible to create or restore natural landscapes on their urban or rural property. Habitat loss is a genuine concern for many species, whether animals, insects or native plants, and the FWG provides examples of various kinds of habitat, from the relatively wild to the highly managed.  Because of all of this, Sander-Regier believes that the FWG offers students an ideal setting to hone their preservation skills.

“The Fletcher Wildlife Garden is a great place for students to go and help out, because volunteers over there are doing lots of great work to create a place for wildlife in the city. And the Fletcher Wildlife Garden is so close to campus. It’s one of Carleton’s neighbours, when you think about it, so this field trip offers an opportunity to do community work that’s close to home – to help a neighbour.”

Barry Cottam, active volunteer, member of project’s management committee and leader of the invasive species removal team at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden helped conduct the field trip.  An intensely involved volunteer at the FWG, Cottam was grateful for ENST 2000’s contribution.

“When we heard about the CU student volunteers, Diane Lepage, who has been coordinating development of the Butterfly Meadow for the past 6 years, jumped at the chance to have some work done on a birch grove immediately south of the Meadow. The grove is a fairly small area, but was a tangle of invasive plants that were crowding out a lovely stand of white birches. The students had several jobs: to remove as much of the deadfall and invasive plants as possible, to plant trees in the resulting spaces; and to use the deadfall pieces to create shelters for wildlife.”

“The CU students helped tremendously by providing a lot of hands-on hard work. Last November, three of us regular volunteers spent a couple of weeks removing as much Asian bittersweet as we could, but it was growing back rapidly. This year, in the same amount of time, 60 students removed a small mountain of fallen birch and invasive shrubs and garbage bags of the invasive vines, planted over a dozen trees – digging the holes, clearing out roots and other debris, hauling barrow loads of topsoil and protective mulch – and built a number of shelters out of the birch pieces, which first had to be broken or sawn up into useable lengths. That’s the equivalent of 4 months work for my regular volunteers – a huge contribution! And several students have offered to continue to help further.”

Students were clearly very appreciative of having the chance to partake in this field trip.  Cottam said he was pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastic and eager to learn the ENST 2000 students were.

“I think one of the coolest things was to see such a keen group get together into teams and work in ways many had never worked before.  People had a sense of both discovery and accomplishment as they used a limbing saw for the first time ever to take down a buckthorn tree or tore out thick roots and stumps with a weed wrench or dug holes and planted trees that will grow for decades.  Some students also let their imaginations go, as they created shelters for living creatures they may never actually see.  Many students seemed to be really enjoying themselves – one said he was jealous when I mentioned I was out every week.  I was inspired by the results they achieved.”

Ultimately, Sander-Regier hopes that all of the students who got to experience ENST 2000 will take something of substance with them and incorporate it into their current and future lives as members of professions, communities, and families.

“I hope every student will have gained a deeper appreciation and understanding for the complexity and richness of the natural world, and for everything it provides. I also hope students will be inspired to get out there and take action to help keep the natural world strong and resilient … and also to inspire similar appreciation and action among other people along the way.”

If the words of second year ENST student, and field trip participant, Matthew Tirrell, are any indication, Sander-Regier has achieved her goal of helping to provide her students a with a newfound perspective, and appreciation of the natural world.

“The benefits of having a green space like the Fletcher Wildlife Garden extend beyond preserving habitat for species.  The beauty and tranquility of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden helps to restore stasis in our often overactive and achieving lifestyles.

Visit The Fletcher Wildlife Garden website, for information about the site and the project

Chris Burn

Carleton University is pleased to announce that Christopher Burn, who holds an NSERC Northern Research Chair at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, has been awarded the PPP Prize for Excellence in Permafrost and Periglacial Research for 2012…Read more

“I was surprised and delighted to recieve this award,” said Burn, who was closely affiliated with the society for 10 years and served as its vice-president for five. “The society exists to help Canadians to understand their country, and so it is an incredibly important venue for national education.”

Burn has been a part of Carleton’s Department of Geography and Environmental Studies since 1992. His research centres on the impact of climate change on permafrost terrain. He has been studying frozen ground for nearly 30 years and has an immense amount of experience conducting research in Canada’s north.  For the past three decades, Burn has been dividing his time between central Yukon and the western Arctic. He holds an NSERC Northern Research Chair.

He is the editor of a new book, entitled Herschel Island Qikiqtaryuk: A Natural and Cultural History of Yukon’s Arctic Island, which features a substantial representation of authors with Northern origins. It will be released at the International Polar Year Conference in Montreal on April 23, 2012.

About the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal:

In 2012, a new commemorative medal was created to mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians, 60,000 of whom will be recognized throughout 2012.

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society was selected as a partner organization by the Diamond Jubilee Medal program and was given a small allotment of medals. They will be awarded to meritorious fellows, volunteers and staff who have contributed to the society and advanced its programs.