Graduate

Orr with elementary school students by a water tap

Landscape architect and MA student Catherine Orr worked with Oak and Orca Bioregional School to implement a rain garden for the kids as part of a rainwater management system.

Two graduate students resting on a small boat

Masters student Chandra Brietzke and research assistant Paige Bennett take a break from lake sampling while studying muskrat ecology with Dr. Trevor Lantz.

Zimmer

Kat Zimmer (MA 2016) researched the integration of permaculture design in undergraduate course curriculum at universities across North America.

The UVic School of Environmental Studies is a leader in three dynamic areas of research:

We embrace a full range of learning opportunities spanning natural and social sciences, humanities and traditional ecological knowledge. Our faculty are engaged in active research programs with diverse themes—making an impact around the world and right here on campus.

Effective environmental action and research require engagement—with the land and those who live on it. Bring your studies into the world and make a real difference by collaborating with local and international communities, First Nations, government agencies, environmental and other non-governmental organizations and corporations.

I approached Oak and Orca Bioregional School about my idea for a rainwater system, because they teach project-based learning and both teachers and students were excited about the design process. Education, collaboration and creativity are key to improving how we manage urban rainwater.
—Catherine Orr, masters student

Students in our interdisciplinary MSc, MA and PhD programs work closely with a supervising faculty member and advisory committee to complete a thesis—engaging in original research projects that transform knowledge into positive action.

Our graduate students have access to a wide variety of research facilities across campus. In addition to our modern Ethnoecology, Restoration and Conservation Ecology, and Visualization labs, UVic’s location on southern Vancouver Island provides us with easy access to marine and alpine ecosystems, freshwater wetlands, rivers, lakes and the temperate rainforest.

For more information, see our admissions and program requirements, FAQ, and ES Graduate Student Handbook.

What are our faculty studying?

Faces of UVic Research: Eric Higgs
Dr. Eric Higgs is a professor in the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria Faculty of Social Sciences. At the broadest level he studies how we relate to nature in a technological culture, and especially the cultural significance, principles and practice of ecological restoration. His work has expanded to include appropriate ways of intervening in hybrid and novel ecosystems (ecosystems without historical precedent in an era of rapid ecological, environmental and cultural change). In this video he discusses some of his hands-on fieldwork studying landscape change, the positive nature of ecological restoration, and the challenges facing restoration today. Learn more at http://www.uvic.ca/research/learnabout/home/researchers/experts/details.php?go=1&id=282 University of Victoria: http://www.uvic.ca/ University of Victoria's Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UVic
Faces of UVic Research: Brian Starzomski
Dr. Brian Starzomski is an Associate Professor in the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria Faculty of Social Sciences. Broadly trained as a community ecologist and conservation biologist, his research examines biodiversity structure and dynamics, and seeks to link theory and empirical approaches. Recently, much of his work has taken place at the treeline and in the alpine zone beyond it, in Labrador, British Columbia, and the southwest Yukon. In this video, he discusses his research into biodiversity in BC and the challenges BC species face in light of climate change. Learn more at http://www.uvic.ca/research/learnabout/home/researchers/experts/details.php?go=1&id=1064 University of Victoria: http://www.uvic.ca/ University of Victoria's Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UVic
Faces of UVic Research: Deborah Curran
Deborah is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law and the Executive Director, Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria. Her areas of research include water law, growth management and land use law, food systems and agricultural land, and the common ownership of property. As a municipal lawyer who focuses on sustainability issues, she is currently writing on green real estate, local governments and the evolution of water law in Canada. In this video, she discusses the fundamental importance of water and why water law needs to be reformed in BC. Learn more at http://www.uvic.ca/research University of Victoria: http://www.uvic.ca/ University of Victoria's Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UVic

See more videos from the Environmental Studies playlist on YouTube.