News & announcements
Recent announcements
Field school shifts gears and perspectives
June 19, 2025
Story by Anne MacLaurin, Communications Officer, Faculty of Social Sciences The Geography Europe Sustainability Field School taught me valuable lessons about independence, reliability, confidence...
Power, Contracts, and Sustainability in Cocoa Supply Chains
June 12, 2025
A new study led by Dr. Sophia Carodenuto in the Department of Geography at the University of Victoria explores how the formalization of contracts in West Africa’s cocoa supply chains...
Documenting Plastic in Place: A Participatory Research Experience in São Paulo
June 3, 2025
In December 2023, University of Victoria Geography professor Dr. Jutta Guttberlet co-led a unique teaching and research initiative alongside Dr. Sylmara Gonçalves Dias of the University of...
Exploring Beneath the Surface: UVic Students Dive into Vancouver Island’s Karst Landscapes
May 27, 2025
From April 28 to May 4, 2025, sixteen University of Victoria students ventured into the rugged and rarely seen underworld of Vancouver Island as part of the 2025 Karst Geomorphology Field School....
Art Meets Climate Action in UVic-Led National Project
May 26, 2025
A new initiative from the University of Victoria is demonstrating how the arts can play a critical role in responding to the climate crisis. Envisioning Nature-based Solutions (ENBS) is a...
What Goes In Must Come Out: The Surprising Science of Arctic Nutrient Cycling
May 23, 2025
Arctic Herbivores Drive Soil Health: New Research from UVic and Partners A new international study with contributions from UVic geography professor Dr. Noémie Boulanger-Lapointe...
New UVic Geography Research Explores Regional Energy Justice Implications
May 22, 2025
As global climate action intensifies, cities are emerging as key actors in the renewable energy transition. While traditionally seen as consumers of energy, many cities in the Global North are now...
Waste Not, Grow Lots: Turning Local Scraps into Soil Solutions
May 20, 2025
A Collaborative Effort in Sustainable Urban Farming UVic Geography PhD candidate Brooke Hayes is partnering with local organizations FED Urban Agriculture and Shellter Rapid Composting Inc. to...
UVic Geography Researchers Support Cross-Cultural Indigenous Exchange for Ecological Stewardship
May 16, 2025
A collaborative research project led by UVic geography PhD candidate Elicia Bell alongside geography professors Dr. Crystal Tremblay and Dr. Sophia Carodenuto is helping connect Indigenous...
Tracking Arctic Plant Change: New Research Reveals Complex Ecological Responses to Climate Change
May 14, 2025
A new study co-authored by UVic Geography’s Dr. Noémie Boulanger-Lapointe sheds light on how Arctic plant communities are responding to accelerating climate change. Published in...
Charting Change: UVic Lab Powers Pan-American Ocean Expedition
May 8, 2025
A 14-month research expedition has set sail from Victoria’s Inner Harbour, embarking on a 43,500 km journey to circumnavigate the Americas. The goal: gather real-time, open-access data on...
UVic researcher co-creates free outdoor watershed curriculum for B.C. students
April 30, 2025
A new free curriculum developed by UVic postdoctoral researcher Dr. Maleea Acker and St. Margaret’s School educator Jennifer Walton is helping bring B.C. students out of the classroom and...
Congratulations to Dr. Chris Bone – 2025 Above and Beyond Award Recipient
April 29, 2025
The Department of Geography is proud to announce that Dr. Chris Bone, Associate Professor of Geography, has been awarded the 2025 Above and Beyond Award by the Faculty of Social Sciences at the...
SPECTRAL Remote Sensing Lab study finds surprising kelp resilience in BC’s Broughton Archipelago
April 23, 2025
New research from the University of Victoria’s SPECTRAL Lab is offering a rare note of optimism in the global story of kelp forest decline. Using over four decades of satellite...
Tracing 150 Years of Change: UVic Geographers Map the Shifting Kelp Forests of Haida Gwaii
April 16, 2025
Kelp forests are often called the rainforests of the sea—vital coastal ecosystems that provide habitat, buffer shorelines, and support marine biodiversity. In Haida Gwaii, a remote...
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work
The Geography Department is committed to enacting and promoting the University of Victoria’s values in relation to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). We expect that all faculty,...
UVic Research Reveals Structural Barriers to Indigenous-Led Energy Development in B.C.
April 9, 2025
A new study from the University of Victoria’s Department of Geography is shedding light on how B.C.’s energy system continues to exclude First Nations from full participation in...
New Salish Sea Treaty Map Installation Highlights UVic Geography Student’s Work
April 2, 2025
A new wall map installation in the Mearns Centre for Learning – McPherson Library is offering students, faculty, and visitors a deeper understanding of treaty relations in the Salish Sea....
Crystal Tremblay Publishes Chapter on Teaching Community-Based Participatory Research
March 21, 2025
A collaborative initiative from the University of Victoria (UVic), in partnership with the Victoria Native Friendship Centre (VNFC) and the Victoria Foundation, is setting a national precedent in...
Two Geography Faculty Members Recognized at 2024 Reach Awards
March 14, 2025
The Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Victoria is proud to announce that two outstanding members of the Department of Geography have been recognized at the 2024 Reach Awards for their...
Cold Comfort, Climate Change, and the Rising Cost of Chocolate: Sophia Carodenuto Weighs In
March 12, 2025
A Victoria favorite, Cold Comfort Ice Cream, recently announced it will be discontinuing its chocolate flavors—a decision that left many locals disappointed. The reason? The skyrocketing...
Exploring recipes of (de)colonization: New study by Sophia Carodenuto
March 3, 2025
Dr. Sophia Carodenuto’s latest study, published in Agriculture and Human Values, examines how scholars define and apply the concept of decolonization within food systems research. Through...
UVic’s First Agroecology Belize Field School Partners with BFREE for Hands-On Conservation Research
March 1, 2025
From February 16–22, 2025, thirteen students from the University of Victoria participated in the first-ever Agroecology Belize Field School, an immersive, hands-on research experience...
UVic Geography’s Dr. Reuben Rose-Redwood Weighs in on Google Maps ‘State Park’ Controversy
February 24, 2025
Recent discussions about digital mapping have placed cartographic bias in the spotlight, as Canadians noticed that many provincial parks—including Juan de Fuca Provincial Park in B.C. and...
Loic Dallaire in Chek News: "UVic researchers use satellites to track turquoise herring spawning off Vancouver Island."
February 12, 2025
Every spring, the coastal waters of Vancouver Island turn a striking turquoise as Pacific herring gather to spawn. This breathtaking natural phenomenon, crucial to B.C.’s marine...
Mountain sentinels in a changing world – new study describes weather and climate impacts on alpine wildlife
January 31, 2025
Mountain goats are an icon of North American mountain landscapes and cultures, deeply regarded by Indigenous communities, recreational wildlife viewers and contemporary sportsmen. An ice age relic...
Reuben Rose-Redwood in CBC: "'Gulf of America' shift won't be the first time Google Maps has changed names depending on your location"
January 30, 2025
In a rapidly shifting global landscape, maps are more than just tools for navigation—they are political statements. University of Victoria geography professor and social sciences...
2025 Koeye Field School - Applications Now Open
January 29, 2025
The University of Victoria Department of Geography is excited to announce that applications for our 2025 "University of Koeye" Field School are now open! Course Info: Are you interested in...
2025 Physical Geography Field School - Applications Now Open
January 28, 2025
The University of Victoria Department of Geography is excited to announce that applications for our 2025 Physical Geography Field School are now open! Course Info: The 2025 Geography 477...
Kate Field and Chris Darimont publish new research in the Canadian Journal of Zoology
January 22, 2025
A new study led by University of Victoria Geography researcher Kate Field and professor Chris Darimont, in collaboration with the Nuxalk Nation and BC Parks, suggests that grizzly bears visiting...
John Wuntah and Jutta Gutberlet publish new research in Detritus Journal
January 16, 2025
Congratulations to UVic Geography Master’s student and Community-Based Research Lab (CBRLab) team member John Wuntah and UVic Geography professor Dr. Jutta Gutberlet on the publication of...
2025 Karst Geomorphology Field School - Applications Now Open
January 15, 2025
The University of Victoria Department of Geography is excited to announce that applications for our 2025 Karst Geomorphology Field School are now open! Course Info: Karst refers to the...
Christina Hoicka publishes new research in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
January 9, 2025
Congratulations to UVic Geography professor Dr. Christina Hoicka on the publication of their latest research in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (Vol. 211), titled: “The Political...
Jutta Gutberlet in the Times Colonist: "UVic prof hopes to bring university for waste-pickers from Brazil to Victoria"
January 7, 2025
UVic Geography professor Dr. Jutta Gutberlet was featured in the Times Colonist on December 27th, 2024 for her work with UVic Geography’s CBRL (Community-based Research Laboratory) and...
UVic Geography professor Dr. Crystal Tremblay and UVic President Kevin Hall attend CIFAL Global Steering Committee Meeting
December 16, 2024
UVic Geography professor Dr. Crystal Tremblay and UVic President Kevin Hall spent December 10th-12th in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while attending the CIFAL Global Network XXI Steering Committee...
UVic Geography ICE Research Lab presents at conferences in Ottawa and Washington, D.C.
December 13, 2024
This week (December 9th-13th), UVic Geography professor Dr. Randall Scharien and his team at the ICE Research Lab visited Ottawa and Washington, D.C. while attending the ArcticNet Arctic Change and...
CindyAnn Rose-Redwood Recognized for Excellence in Research, Teaching, and Service
December 10, 2024
Congratulations to UVic Geography’s own Dr. CindyAnn Rose-Redwood, who has been awarded the 2024 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award from the University of Victoria’s Social...
Xuebin Zhang in CTV News Vancouver: Rising sea levels put YVR at risk
December 9, 2024
Geography department faculty member Dr. Xuebin Zhang was recently interviewed for a CTV News article where he spoke about the threat posed to Vancouver International Airport due to rising sea...
UVic Geography Research chair sets sights on marine ecosystems
October 30, 2024
Cutting-edge satellite technologies paired with Indigenous knowledge and historical data will support science and management of marine ecosystems, thanks to a new investment in the work of...