Research.
Recent Projects
Parks and Knowledge Mobilization Conservation Staff Survey
This SSHRC funded project is part of a larger pan-Canadian initiative designed to document and foster evidence informed decision making by conservation agencies. The initiative, called the Canadian Parks Research Network, has members from the academic community, environmental NGOs, as well as government agencies – all interested in advancing the efficacy of protected areas in Canada. This research seeks to understand how conservation agencies value and use different kinds of knowledge including natural and social sciences as well as Indigenous and local knowledge. The research will be distributed to government and NGO conservation agencies across Canada. This understanding can be used to promote more effective, efficient, and equitable use, generation, and management of conservation-related knowledge.
As a research assistant to Dr. Elizabeth Halpenny, I contributed to the data collection, analysis, and knowledge translation activities. I am primarily responsible for co-organizing and hosting several knowledge translation workshops which took place in spring 2020 and 2021.
Environmental Action Projects with the Beaver Hills Biosphere Reserve
My post-doctoral fellowship research was a collaborative Mitacs funded project which partners directly with the Strathcona Wilderness Centre, Lake Miquelon Provincial Park, and Elk Island National Park, which are part of the larger UNESCO Beaver Hills Biosphere Reserve. These organizations have an interest and funding available to develop and evaluate the efficacy of their environmental interpretation programs. This research will directly inform these partners on the efficacy of various types of post-visit environmental education resource programming and also provide them with resources that can be immediately utilized. These interpretive materials will be shared with other Beaver Hills Biosphere partners such as Alberta Parks, Parks Canada, and Strathcona County museums that deliver environmental education and climate change action messages to visitors and residents.
