An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet
An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet April 19th, 2024 Forestry professor Dr. Jennifer Grenz discussed her new book Medicine Wheel forthe Planet: A journey toward personal and ecological healing, and how joining Western science and an Indigenous worldview makes for better science. Indigenous ecologist Jennifer Grenz has spent decades working to protect […]
Reshaping agriculture: How to fight climate change with farming
Reshaping agriculture: How to fight climate change with farming March 8th, 2024 The future of farming is about more than just producing food—agriculture can help combat climate change. But we need to transform the way we think about farming. When we consider farmers as stewards of the land, modern agricultural practices can help us build […]
In Canada, the Forest Gardens of the Indigenous Kitselas Emerge From Oblivion
In Canada, the Forest Gardens of the Indigenous Kitselas Emerge From Oblivion January 16th, 2024 Jean-Thomas Cornélis talks about his research with Jennifer Grenz, Chelsey Armstrong (SFU), and Kitselas, Sts’ailes and Hanamuwx Indigenous partners. Their research combines archeology and pedology, documenting Indigenous forest-garden agricultural methods. Cornélis works hand-in-hand with the indigenous Kitselas to document the […]
Ontario woman files proposed class-action lawsuit over salmonella-tainted cantaloupes
Ontario woman files proposed class-action lawsuit over salmonella-tainted cantaloupes January 3rd, 2024 An Ontario woman who became ill after eating cantaloupe is the lead plaintiff in a second proposed class-action lawsuit filed over cantaloupe-linked salmonella infections across the country. Cantaloupe is grown in bushes and is particularly vulnerable to salmonella carried by wild animals, such […]
Sustainable packaging made from blueberries
Sustainable packaging made from blueberries November 6, 2023 Land and food systems professor Dr. Anubhav Pratap-Singh and graduate student Xanyar Mohammadi are developing a sustainable food packaging made from blueberries. “This packaging is very flexible, and is very strong compared to regular plastic. Sometimes it’s even more resistant than plastic” says Mohammadi. “This sustainable packaging […]
Food security starts with seeds
Food security starts with seeds October 31, 2023 The Ubyssey interviewed UBC Farm staff and researchers about The Canadian Organic Vegetable Improvement (CANOVI) project, an ongoing research project at the UBC Farm. Organic growers in Canada “rely largely on seeds that are produced outside of Canada,” said plant breeding postdoc and CSFS associate Weijia […]
Meet “Dogxim,” the world’s first known dog-fox hybrid—and a genetic oddity
Meet “Dogxim,” the world’s first known dog-fox hybrid—and a genetic oddity September 27, 2023 Botany professor Dr.Loren Reiseberg commented on this genetic oddity. “This is what one might expect to see in trees, but not vertebrates,” said CSFS Associate Loren Rieseberg. “It is like humans producing a viable hybrid with chimpanzees!” “Data suggest hybridization has […]
Canada’s wildfires take devastating toll on wildlife
Canada’s wildfires take devastating toll on wildlife. October 4, 2023 Land and food systems researcher Dr. Matthew Mitchell said fumes from wildfires have acute or chronic effects on the health of wildlife. “These fumes have acute or chronic effects on the health of wildlife, says Mitchell. “Young animals are often more susceptible to the effects […]
‘The land will be lost forever:’ Okanagan is one of the most endangered ecosystems in Canada
‘The land will be lost forever:’ Okanagan is one of the most endangered ecosystems in Canada September 25, 2023 CSFS Associate Dr. Kai Chan told iNFOnews.ca that the proposed South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park is a necessary development as the current laws are not effective at ensuring well-functioning ecosystems and protecting biodiversity. “There’s a lot at […]
The underappreciated benefits of wild bees
The underappreciated benefits of wild bees September 14, 2023 More than 80 percent of flowering plants depend on insect pollinators to reproduce. When pollinators visit flowers — which act as the plants’ reproductive organs — to eat their nutritious pollen and nectar, the insects inadvertently transport the pollen between plants, which fertilizes the blooms, leading […]