On October 30, the 蘑菇短视频 Bieler School of Environment (BSE) brought together some of its researchers for a day-long dive into global change in the environment and shared research on how we understand and respond to our changing planet.
The Global Change Symposium was a chance for environmental leaders in Montreal, and researchers from across universities to connect, exchange ideas, and get a sneak peek at the work happening at the BSE.
鈥淭his was a way to inform, engage and hopefully inspire people to think about global change and what it means to our daily lives,鈥� said Prof. Anthony Ricciardi, Director of the Bieler School of Environment.
Ricciardi highlighted the variety of voices in the room: 鈥淲e heard from a diverse group of professors and undergraduate students who represented a small sample of the cutting-edge interdisciplinary research that is being conducted within the BSE and 蘑菇短视频 in general.鈥�
One of the day鈥檚 highlights? Lightning talks by five undergraduate students, each sharing quick, impactful insights from their own research. For students like Nina Zevgolis, BA, year 3, honours environment, the experience was invaluable.
鈥淚 had the chance to meet with other researchers interested in potential collaborations, and I am very grateful for the opportunity,鈥� said Zevgolis, who noted the experience will help her prepare for future presentations at 蘑菇短视频.
Ricciardi didn鈥檛 hold back his praise: 鈥淚 am very proud of these students,鈥� he said, adding that their presentations were so strong they could be worthy of publication down the road.
Why Global Change?
As Ricciardi explained, anthropogenic global environmental change, think large-scale shifts in Earth鈥檚 atmosphere, oceans, inland waters, and land, affects every ecosystem and is increasingly important to discuss.
鈥淭he alarmingly rapid changes we see pose a major challenge to society, and therefore to our universities,鈥� Ricciardi said. 鈥淭hey require us to adapt our research and student training to understand exactly what is happening, what is at risk, and how it can be mitigated. This is what the 蘑菇短视频 Bieler School of Environment aims to do.鈥�
Presenters:
- Dr. Anthony Ricciardi, Rapid changes to biodiversity in the St Lawrence River system
- Dr. Fiona Soper, Trouble in paradise: tropical forests and changing climate
- Dr. Brenda Parlee, Linking Biodiversity and Health and Well-being in a Changing Arctic
- Dr. Amy Janzwood, Build Baby Build? Lessons from Canadian Pipeline Resistance
- Dr. Andrew Gonzalez, Applied Connectivity Science - 15 years linking science to conservation across scales
- Dr. Elena Bennett, Building a Better Anthropocene