List of PROGRESS Lab current events
The PROGRESS (Practices of governance, resilience, environmental and social sustainability) Lab was featured in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, showcasing Dr. Maureen Reed, Michaela Sidloski, and Marie Rogel.
SENS student and Vanier Scholar Gilbert Adum's journey has taught him the importance of collaboration and the willingness to listen and learn from others, including Indigenous Peoples.
Read the recent release from Dr. Maureen Reed, Dr. Amber Fletcher, and Dr. Heidi Walker, profiling work from Michaela Sidloski (TRANSECTS alum) and others.
Recent article published in People and Nature By Maureen G. Reed, James P. Robson, Mariana Campos Rivera, Franciso Chapela, Iain Davidson-Hunt, Peter Friedrichsen, Eleanor Haine, Anthony Blair Dreaver Johnston, Gabriela Lichtenstein, Laura Lynes, Majing Oloko, Michelle Sánchez Luja, Sheona Shackleton, Marlene Soriano, Fermin Sosa Peréz, and Liette Vasseur.
Research update on the collaborative project between Tsaa? Çhé Ne Dane (Doig River First Nation, or DRFN) in northern British Columbia and Michaela Sidloski (a doctoral candidate at the University of Saskatchewan).
Read the article below featuring the grand opening of the Jane and Ron Graham Centre for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
The following video was created by the UNESCO Co-chairs in Biocultural Diversity, Sustainability, Reconciliation and Renewal, Dr. James Robson and Dr. Maureen Reed for the UNESCO Chairs Conference held in Paris in November of 2022.
Community engagement, including with First Nations partners, is bringing together a wide range of stakeholders for conservation efforts. Examples are the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and community members involved in the Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region.
We are excited to announce our call for student applications to the August 2022 Summer School in Germany! The application deadline is April 25th.
We are excited to announce that Gilbert Adum, a PhD student, joined the PROGRESS Lab group. His current research focuses on conservation with equity in the Redberry Lake Biosphere Region and traditional territories of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak.
In November, 2021, Drs. Maureen Reed and Jim Robson visited Germany to meet new collaborators at Eberswalde University of Sustainable Development, Leuphana University, and German Biosphere Reserves. We are excited to start working with these partners to embark on a joint graduate training program to equip students with the professional skills needed to become sustainability change makers.
Can multi-level governance support Indigenous self-determination in climate change decision-making?: Canada’s governance structure has the potential to support the emergence of multi-level governance regimes that support Indigenous-led climate adaptation action
To learn about diversity in Canada’s forest sector, read this blog post highlighting a report co-authored by Dr. Stephen Wyatt, Dr. Maureen Reed, Xue Feng, Dr. John Boakye-Danquah, and Dr. Margaret (Peggy) Smith.
John has successfully led an intercession course at the McMaster University that provided an opportunity for undergraduate students to present their ideas to address the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and tackle complex sustainability issues through simulations, debates and games.
We are pleased that the application by Maureen Reed, Sheri Andrews-Key, and Michaela Sidloski to the Smart Prosperity Institute was awarded. Dr. Andrews-Key (a SENS adjunct and Principal scientist with Innovative Climate Strategies) is an expert in climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning. She is also Michaela’s co-supervisor. This project will fund work in Empowering Resource-Based Communities to Adapt to Climate Change. We are eager for the chance to work with rural and resource-based communities on adaptation planning.
Congratulations to Michaela Sidloski who was recently awarded a SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canadian Graduate Scholarship for her doctoral research about Climate change adaptation in indigenous forest-based communities.
Congratulations to Heidi Walker who successfully defended her PhD dissertation, Building inclusive responses to climate hazards: An intersectional analysis of wildfire in northern Saskatchewan! We are thrilled for Heidi and are eager to work with her in new projects related to gender, diversity and inclusion in environmental decision-making.
Michaela Sidloski is CPAWS-SK’s summer mapping technician for 2020. She is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Environment and Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan, and was kind enough to share her thoughts on environmental and social diversity with us this Pride Month.
Creating reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities is an important focus for current and future research, according to a pair of internationally regarded professors in the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS).
After two and a half years, 307 interviews, and over 250 days of filming, Season 2 of Striking Balance is set to premiere this fall to audiences across Canada. Through 9 x 50 min. episodes, Canadians will explore the sustainability challenges of nine different UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. Striking Balance, Season 2 explores nine of Canada’s breathtaking UNESCO biosphere reserves. Narrated by Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, each 50-minute episode visits a different biosphere to investigate how residents are overcoming the challenges that are threatening the sustainability of these amazing places.
On November 13th both Amanda and Tegan convocated with a Master's of Environment and Sustainability. The ceremony took place at Merlis Belsher Place, and Amanda and Tegan crossed the stage to be accepted by Chancellor Grit McCreath and congratulated by U of S President Peter Stoichoff. They are both thrilled to receive their degrees and look forward to putting their skills and experiences from the past few years to good use!
We celebrate the success of Amanda Lindgren who successfully defended her Masters thesis entitled, “Exploring the effectiveness of Canadian forest advisory committees for advancing sustainability’’.
On May 28, 2019, Maureen received the Award for Scholarly Distinction in Geography from the Canadian Association of Geographers.
Tegan successfully defended her MES thesis, “Characterizing Good-Practice Engagement Between Resource Developers and Indigenous Communities in Northern Saskatchewan”. The day after her defence, she presented her framework for good-practice engagement to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and she is already putting her research into practice with the Saskatchewan government.
We are pleased to announce that Sandra graduated at this year’s Spring Convocation. Her Master’s thesis, entitled, “Inside the Rez Cross: An Assessment of Hosting Evacuees During a Wildfire Disaster in Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation” has been in demand by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and will likely inform policy and practices of the Red Cross and Indigenous nations supporting response to wildfire in northern Saskatchewan.
We are pleased to announce that John graduated at this year’s Spring Convocation. He received the Mowat Award for his PhD dissertation, entitled, “The Contributions of Model Forest Organizations to Sustainable Forest Management of Small-scale Forests: Lessons from Eastern Ontario and Kyoto Model Forests”. We all take a bow for John.
We celebrate the success of Bimala Khanal who successfully defended her Masters thesis entitled, “Raising voices, broadening interests: A longitudinal examination of gender and diversity in Canadian forest sector public advisory committees’’.
In June 2018, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO held its annual general meeting.
Chief Daryl Watson accepted the name of the new bridge in Saskatoon, named for Chief Mistawasis who was the first Indigenous signatory of Treaty 6. The School of Environment and Sustainability celebrates with Mistawasis Nêhiyawak and is proud to be their neighbour, friend, and partner on research and teaching collaborations.
The PROGRESS Lab Celebrates together various accomplishments. Drs Felicitas Egunyu and Razak Abu, best wishes in your new adventure.
On May 30, 2018, Chief Daryl Watson of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak and President Peter Stoicheff of the University of Saskatchewan met to discuss how to strengthen relationships between Mistawsis and the University.
The Emergency Management Forum for First Nations communities took place in Saskatoon from February 27th to March 1st, 2018.
Tegan recently completed a three-month Mitacs internship at SaskPower’s Aboriginal Relations Department in Regina. During her internship, she was exposed to various community files that SaskPower is working on, and learned about the Crown corporation’s approach to engaging and partnering with Indigenous communities more broadly. She had numerous opportunities for learning, including presenting on the duty to consult to SaskPower’s Project Development Office alongside the Director of the department, Wayne Rude.
On January 10 2018, Sandra presented her research results to Chief and Council of Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation.
We celebrate the success of Razak Abu who successfully defended his PhD dissertation entitled, “Knowledge, Use, and Change in the Saskatchewan River Delta: Assessing the Changing Livelihoods of Cumberland House Métis and Cree Nation’’.
As part of her thesis research on good-practices of engagement with Indigenous communities, Tegan spent four spring and summer months this year situated on the southwestern shores of Lac La Ronge, Saskatchewan. She was working in the Lands and Resources Office, a department of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB). The opportunity for the internship arose through a MITACS Accelerate grant, which aims to foster partnership among academia, community, and industry, as well as support skills-development for graduate students.
From June 19-June 22, 2017, biosphere reserve practitioners from across Canada met with their Indigenous partners, academics, and governing representatives to better understand what reconciliation with Indigenous peoples might mean and how they could engage in activities of reconciliation.This is a priority for biosphere reserves that serve as model regions for sustainable development and bicultural diversity.
On May 29 – June 2, 2017 Bimala and John attended the Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG) 2017 Conference. The CAG 2017 conference was hosted by York University and the conference theme was ‘Toward a Just and Sustainable World’.
On Wednesday May 3 2017, we shared in the successes of our fellows-in-sustainability!
On April 28, 2017, the School of Environment and Sustainability and Mistawasis Nêhiyawak signed an agreement to work together.
On April 4-7, 2017 Maureen attended the EuroMAB conference in Sarlat la Canéda, France. EuroMAB is the network of European and North American biosphere reserves.
The SENS Annual Symposium took place on March 31st, 2017. Two members of the PROGRESS Lab; John and Christopher, presented the findings of their research at the Symposium.
From 10 – 14 March 2017, John visited Japan to present the findings of his research on the role of the Kyoto Model Forest Association (KMFA) in the governance of small-scale forests.
From July 4th through to, August 1st, 2016, John undertook data collection in Eastern Ontario, Canada.
Maureen G. Reed authors a new paper
From June 22 – 26, 2016, five students and three faculty in the PROGRESS Lab and SENS participated in the International Symposium for Society and Resource Management (ISSRM) held at the Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan.
Approximately 10 Students and faculty in the PROGRESS lab, SENS and the Johnson-Shoyama School of Public Policy attended the Annual meeting of the Prince Albert Model Forest on Thursday June 16
On June 1, 2016, Razak held a meeting in his study community, Cumberland House in northern Saskatchewan, to present preliminary results/analysis of his research to the local participants.
