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School of Environmental Studies

Research & partnerships

ES alumni Walker Tottman in the field camping on Mount Colonel Foster

The School of Environmental Studies is a vibrant, interdisciplinary community working to understand and respond to complex environmental challenges. Our research brings together ecological science, social insight and Indigenous knowledge, with a strong emphasis on holistic, place-based approaches.

We focus on questions that are shaped by people, place and power, and the relationships that connect them. This work is grounded in real-world contexts and informed by long-term engagement, care and responsibility.

Our approach

Our research is collaborative and relational, grounded in place. We work across disciplines and ways of knowing, and we value approaches that are shaped by listening, learning and adapting over time.

Rather than working in isolation, we emphasize partnerships that are built on trust and mutual respect. Research questions, methods and outcomes are often co-developed, reflecting the priorities of the communities and environments involved.

Our approach recognizes that meaningful environmental work takes time. It values humility, responsiveness and the shared understanding that lasting change grows from strong relationships.

Working together

Research in the School of Environmental Studies is shaped by a broad community of faculty, students and partners working together to explore environmental questions that are complex, interconnected and deeply rooted in place.

This work spans local, regional, and international contexts. Faculty contribute to research and policy conversations at national and global levels, alongside long-term, place-based research developed in partnership with communities.

We collaborate with First Nations, community organisations, governments, NGOs and academic colleagues. Our partners bring essential knowledge, leadership and lived experience that help shape projects from the outset and guide how the work unfolds.

Through these collaborations, we support student learning and respond to community priorities, co-producing knowledge that is practical and relevant.

We welcome inquiries from scholars, students and collaborators who are interested in contributing to a research community engaged in environmental inquiry across local and global contexts.

Grad students in the field at the Arctic Landscape Ecology Lab
Field research in the Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands with the Arctic Landscape Ecology Lab.

Shared learning

Ongoing learning and dialogue are central to our research culture.

Our weekly colloquium series brings together local and international scholars, community practitioners and members of the ES community to share research, ideas and perspectives. 

Annual Lansdowne Lectures bring esteemed global experts to the university to spark conversation and connect the community with fresh ideas and global perspectives on current issues.

These gatherings create space for conversation and reflection, strengthening relationships across research and teaching.