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School of Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies

At the School of Environmental Studies, we're a passionate community working toward a future where people and the planet thrive together. Our students are problem-solvers and future leaders ready to tackle today's biggest challenges. Together, we blend Indigenous wisdom, ecological science and social insight to confront issues like climate change head-on. 

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ES undergrads cycle through nature on a field day with the Redfish School of Change

Our world, our future

Join Environmental Studies and become part of a community focused on creating a healthy, respectful and resilient world. Our students are engaged and motivated to take on real-world environmental challenges through place-based learning and collaboration.

Here, learning goes beyond the classroom. You’ll work with communities, explore diverse ways of knowing and build skills to understand and tackle issues that matter. Whether you’re driven by curiosity, care for the planet, or a desire to make a difference, ES offers a place to grow, contribute and imagine what’s possible.

Discover your future in environmental studies

News and Stories

James Rowe co-edits new collection on contemplative practice and politics

August 17, 2026

School of Environmental Studies professor Dr. James Rowe has co-edited a new book, Contemplative Praxis and Politics, with Shannon L. Mariotti of Trinity University and Farah Godrej of the...

Image from Power House Cliff showing the aftermath of the 2024 Jasper Wildfire Complex in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. Photo credit: Mountain Legacy Project (https://mountainlegacy.ca) under a Creative Commons License.

New review examines ecological novelty in a changing climate

August 13, 2026

A new study led by Environmental Studies PhD student Claire Wright, with Dr. Eric Higgs and an international team of co-authors, examines how climate change is creating new ecological conditions...

President’s Fellowship Award Recipients – 2026

July 5, 2026

Congratulations to Walter Homewood and Claire Wright, who have both been selected to receive a 2026 President’s Fellowship in Research-Enriched Teaching!This prestigious fellowship...

Above & Beyond Award Recipients – Spring 2026

May 5, 2026

Congratulations to our faculty and staff who were nominated for an Above and Beyond Award this spring! And thank you to all those who nominated them. Caolan Barr As a Sessional...

Thank you booklet

Changemakers Summit sparks solutions through community collaboration

April 16, 2026

The School of Environmental Studies is delighted to see this year’s Changemakers Summit come to life, shaped by the energy, care and commitment of students working in close collaboration...

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Our commitment to racial justice and decolonization

The School of Environmental Studies at UVic acknowledges that the field of environmental studies has mostly included white individuals, which Dorceta Taylor refers to as the "Green Insiders Club." This white colonial dominance has not only weakened the discipline but also the larger environmental movement. We are dedicated to changing and questioning these old ways by using new approaches focused on decolonization and racial justice. Our goal is to highlight and learn from perspectives and experiences that have been overlooked in the past.

Learn more about our shared commitments and annual actions.

If you believe that we are not living up to this vision, please share your thoughts with us.

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close up of cedar branches

Territory acknowledgement

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.