Adrian van Alphen’s Post

Education, Equity and Elk: Indigenous knowledge is at the heart of this wildlife studyDaniel Bird (Kewa aka Santo Domingo Pueblo) Elk migration research- Blackfeet Tribe and University of Montana https://lnkd.in/gJfFSBdt

The Waterloo News article about FREED - Field Research in Ecology and Evolution Diversified is live! Read about my experience with the link below ⬇️ Article: https://lnkd.in/gk9pQMUA

Officially graduated with Masters in Forest Science and Management!

Finding and addressing real world knowledge and evidence gaps is one of the most meaningful research. I believe in evidence based practice, whether veterinary medicine, conservation, or animal welfare. But sometimes we don’t have enough evidence, we don’t actually know what would be best practice or what impact something or the lack thereof can have. Do reptiles which evolved to hibernate or brumate - go into temporary inactive periods throughout the seasons’ changes - do better if we provide this in human care? Or is it just one of those resource challenges wild animals face and they would happily skip it? We don’t fully understand it. Jean-Paul, our summer intern at Perth Zoo, workes on this. Uncovering poorly understood, but very practical issues is an important way to ensure we can maximise animal welfare and conservation impact, and maintain good health in animals in our care. Well done Jean-Paul, and thanks for the excellent supervisors Harriet Mills, Emily Polla, and Robert Davis! #zoo #conservation #animalwelfare #research #internship

I have become more and more happy with my decision to do a joint Masters program at American University and the University for Peace (UPEACE) - UN Mandated. I am very passionate about protecting the earth, but I have always known I want to work on environmental issues to prioritize people's health, increase equitable access to resources, and focus on social justice and overall human well-being. I have always been an advocate for finding solutions that work for both people and the planet, and the NRSD program has allowed me to dive deeper into a human-centered environmental approach to the world's problems. Recently my cohort went on a field trip to the Southwest part of Costa Rica which includes the Osa Peninsula and part of the Talamanac Mountains. We heard from many different organizations that focus on community-based environmental solutions. We heard from managers of eco lodges we stayed at, from coffee and cacao farmers, from wildlife protectors who were previously hunters, from a palm oil cooperative, from park rangers, and from other people along the way. Each of these groups interacts and depends on the environment in some way. One of the organizations that stood out to me was Osa Conservation. We heard from staff on their Wildlife Corridor program about how they collaborate with cattle farmers to plant trees on their property. These trees create corridors for animals to get from the coast to La Amistad Park in the mountains. They are very conscious about their conversations with farmers to build trust. They primarily discuss how trees can increase the productivity of their land, rather than presenting the farmers with information on how this helps the environment. The program is successful because of the trust building process and the farmer centered approach. In the past, the environmental movement would look to buy the land to conserve it for wildlife corridors, and exclude humans from using it, but now after decades of focus on preservation, organizations are looking for ways communities can sustainably interact with the land. This masters program has shown me beneficial critiques of the environmental movement, but has also provided me with knowledge of a path forward. The environmental movement I see in the future is one of community involvement, intersectional environmentalism, and an openness to interact with our planet in sustainable ways rather than simply preserving the earth. The community builder description in my profile is no accident, and I look forward to taking a human-centered approach in my career. *Also the pictures of birds in the video below are ones I took during the field trip!

Gus Lunde '24, an Environmental Sciences major and Honors College student, designed a thesis that centered two of his passions: biking and birding. His advice for current or prospective Rubenstein School students? "There are a million things going on outside of your classes that can help you realize what it is or what it isn’t that you want to do. Getting out there, putting some effort into introducing yourself to your professors, showing up for opportunities and putting yourself out there is key." Read his senior story here: https://go.uvm.edu/ngdh6

Huge thank you to Dr. Kim Bernard and Rachel Kaplan for mentoring me as I explore ecological research this summer! This blog post is a summary of the project I've been working on with fisheries acoustics, climate variability, and krill.

With thanks to my colleagues at the University of Washington, I am thrilled to announce our paper "Shaping people-place bonds in citizen science: a framework for analysis” is now out in @ecologyandsociety1 https://lnkd.in/erQAknZZ" 

French <> English

I am so looking forward to reading this Richard Shaw. #colonisation #familyhistory #livedexperience #taranaki I have been following Ricgard's writing for a while now. His scholarship in public policy first, then this newer work researching his family history in the context of the colonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand. The case study that he published tracing the way in which his family fortunes benefitted from the confiscation of Māori land and assets in Taranaki is a rare exposè. This book will make an important contribution to the literature. Such in depth whānau pūrakau, family storytelling, provides another level of insight into the lived experience of colonisation. Aotearoatanga, nation building.