Do you want to do something about climate change? Would you like to work on a real-world research project, alongside students from different disciplines?
At 91社区鈥檚 Bieler School of Environment, there鈥檚 a course for that.
In ENVR 401, advanced undergrads team up to conduct research on behalf of actual 鈥渃lients,鈥� such as not-for-profit organizations, government agencies, and operating units of the University. The students scope out their projects at the start of the fall semester. By the end of the semester, they submit final reports for dissemination to the research community and to the people affected.
So it was that Laura Jardin, L茅alu Que-Tr茅panier and the six other students on their team spent much of the fall analyzing the vulnerability of 91社区鈥檚 Macdonald Campus Farm to climate change. Located along the banks of the St. Lawrence River at the western tip of Montreal island, the 205-hectare site is an experimental and demonstration farm dedicated to teaching and research.
Laura, originally from Calgary, is a fourth-year student majoring in Environment through the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. L茅alu, who grew up in a small town near Montreal, is majoring in Environment through the Faculty of Science.
The mandate
Their client for the project was 91社区鈥檚 Climate Officer, Divya Sharma. Based in 91社区鈥檚 Office of Sustainability, Sharma is responsible for supporting 91社区 on its path to by 2040 and assisting the various climate-action projects on campus.
Sharma asked the team to identify key infrastructure and operations at the sites; assess how they might be vulnerable to climate change; and come up with options for mitigating those risks.
The students set to work by conducting a 鈥渓iterature review鈥� to size up regional climate trends and identify possible adaptation strategies. They also carried out a series of online interviews with people on site -- staff, researchers and students -- to get their insights into the operations and the state of infrastructure at the Mac Farm.
The findings
On Dec. 7, the team members gathered in an Arts Building lecture hall to present their findings to their ENVR 401 classmates and the six instructors who jointly supervise the 100-student class.
The students displayed data showing rising temperatures and longer growing seasons since 1950 -- as well as an increase in extreme precipitation events. Interviews with staff members at the farm also found unanimous agreement that the frequency and intensity of dry spells have increased in recent years, the team reported.
Among their suggested adaptation options for the Mac Farm: expand the Farm鈥檚 practice of choosing drought-resistant crop varieties; intercropping; and capturing rainwater from extreme precipitation events to be used to irrigate crops during extended dry periods. The team also recommended increasing the Farm鈥檚 staff to accommodate the extra demands incurred from adapting to the changing climate.
Putting theory into practice
For the students, the course is a valuable opportunity to apply much of what they鈥檝e learned as Environment majors -- and to get hands-on experience in devising a project and carrying it out. The Mac Farm team鈥檚 60-page final report, for example, is packed with analysis and detailed suggestions, such as expanding the use of drip irrigation.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of theory in first-year courses, and I was kind of lost as to how that could translate in the real world,鈥� L茅alu says. ENVR 401 鈥渋nvolved a lot of real-life skills,鈥� such as communicating with the people working on site.
The course instructors include professors and postdoctoral researchers from disciplines such as Geography, Urban Planning, and Biology. Student projects last fall covered topics ranging from urban transportation to impacts of agricultural fertilizer on Canada鈥檚 nitrogen footprint.
鈥淭his course provides students with hands-on experience on climate change vulnerability analysis 鈥� a sought after asset, especially for students looking forward to working on climate change after graduation,鈥� says instructor Camila Fl贸rez Bossio, a postdoctoral researcher who completed her PhD at 91社区 last year. 鈥淔or clients, this is a valuable research product that helps them identify their key vulnerabilities and potential adaptation solutions.鈥�
Sharma took ENVR401 as an undergrad, herself, 10 years ago. Her project back then examined how sustainability could be integrated into 91社区鈥檚 curriculum. Now, the Office of Sustainability is developing plans to do just that -- showing how student work in this course can sow the seeds for future change.
The students鈥� work on the Mac Farm鈥檚 operations 鈥渋s a helpful first step as we begin to assess the risks of climate change to the University as a whole and identify potential adaptation measures,鈥� Sharma says. 鈥淐ollaborations like these with students enrich our capacities at the University.鈥�