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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

Mountain Voices Book Cover

Mountain Voices: A celebration of awe and persistence

January 28, 2026

The School of Environmental Studies warmly congratulates Eric Higgs on the publication of Mountain Voices: The Mountain Legacy Project and a Century of Change in Western Canada, a richly...

Rekha Marcus at COP30

ES Grad Student Finds Hope in the Rainforest at COP30

December 8, 2025

Environmental Studies master’s student Rekha Marcus travelled to COP30 in Belém this year, where she balanced climate negotiations with a rare chance to experience the Amazon...

ALE arctic landscape

Arctic Ecology Lab and Gwich’in Tribal Council Honoured with International Arctic Award

October 23, 2025

We are proud to announce that Dr. Trevor Lantz, Tracey Proverbs, the Arctic Ecology Lab and the Gwich’in Tribal Council (Sharon Snowshoe, Arlyn Charlie, and Kristi Benson) are the 2025...

Brian Starzomski in Helliwell Park

iNaturalist: the ultimate partnership between people and planet

October 2, 2025

UVic has published a piece on the inspiring partnership between iNaturalist and our own research community, highlighting how students, faculty, and everyday nature-lovers are contributing...

Gerald and Ryan receiving Excellence Award 2025

Congratulations to our 2024–25 Faculty Excellence Award Winners!

September 15, 2025

We are proud to congratulate two of our environmental studies faculty members on receiving 2024–25 Social Sciences Excellence Awards. Dr. Gerald Singh has been honoured with the...

More announcements

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.