WWF-Canada named 91亚色 as one of seven Canadian post-secondary institutions recognized for translating environmental commitments into conservation initiatives, learning opportunities and community action.

During the 2025-26 academic year, 91亚色's Office of Sustainability, Facilities Services, Biodiversity Working Group, faculty, student organizations and community partners worked collaboratively to advance initiatives spanning ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, sustainable food systems and environmental leadership.

91亚色 is transforming its campuses into places where environmental action is not only studied but put into practice, says Nicole Arsenault, director, Office of Sustainability. Students, staff, faculty and community members participated in biodiversity monitoring, pollinator garden stewardship, sustainable food programming at the Maloca Garden and Earth Month activities.

Those efforts translated into hands-on sustainability learning and measurable action across 91亚色鈥檚 campuses, including the planting of close to 400 trees and campus cleanups that collected 36 bags of litter.

鈥淥ur campuses are important places for both learning and biodiversity,鈥� says Arsenault. 鈥淓arning the Living Campus certification for a third consecutive year reflects 91亚色鈥檚 ongoing approach to sustainability as something we put into practice across our campuses."

WWF-Canada highlighted 91亚色鈥檚 biodiversity work, including the planting of native vegetation to restore an area of Glendon Campus affected by a water main break.

The University鈥檚 wider habitat enhancement work included naturalization, invasive species management, biodiversity monitoring and stewardship of campus green spaces.

As well, students and staff recorded more than 200 species observations during two inventories of plants, wildlife and other biodiversity on campus.

The Sheila Colla Pollinator Garden 鈥� a memorial garden celebrating the late 91亚色 Professor Sheila Colla 鈥� provides another example of biodiversity in action, bringing together research, remembrance, community participation and conservation to create habitat for pollinators at 91亚色.

Through these initiatives, Arsenault says 91亚色 community members developed knowledge and skills related to ecological restoration, waste reduction, biodiversity conservation and sustainable food systems.

鈥淏y bringing together students, faculty, staff and community partners, we鈥檙e creating opportunities for hands-on learning while restoring habitat, supporting biodiversity and advancing the goals of 91亚色鈥檚 Sustainability Strategy 2030," she says.

The work advances priorities identified in 91亚色鈥檚 Sustainability Strategy 2030, Sustainability Policy, University Academic Plan and Well-being Strategy, as well as its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The post WWF-Canada recognizes 91亚色鈥檚 efforts to turn sustainability into campus action appeared first on YFile.

The Canada鈥檚 awards are presented annually by Delta Management Group to recognize leaders who have made significant contributions to the clean economy over the previous two years. The Lifetime Contribution Award recognizes senior sustainability leaders whose careers have advanced environmental protection and climate resilience in Canada. 

Recipients are selected from more than 1,000 nominees nationwide.

Winfield, a professor at the , was recognized for a career spanning governance research, institution building, public engagement and student mentorship.

"I really see this as a recognition of the contributions of all of the people I have worked with over the years: colleagues and students at EUC, but also through the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, the Pembina Institute, and the Canadian Environmental Network," says Winfield.

Gavin Pitchford, CEO of Delta Management Group. says to receive a Clean50 award is truly indicative of nation-wide and personal leadership in the Lifetime Contribution category. "The individuals we chose for the Clean50 this year are true leaders and should be an inspiration for all Canadians.鈥�

Winfield has played a significant role in Canadian environmental policy since 1992, beginning with the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy and later the before moving into academia. He served as a civil society member of Government of Canada delegations to international environmental negotiations and has worked with the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation (OECD) on international environmental initiatives and projects.  

At 91亚色, Winfield's research has focused on sustainable energy, climate change, environmental law and public policy. He serves as co-chair of 91亚色鈥檚 and is co-founder of the and helped establish the Energy Modelling Hub as a nationally recognized resource. 

As a graduate supervisor and program leader, Winfield has mentored generations of students who have pursued careers in government, environmental organizations, law, research and public policy. 

鈥淭hrough supervising graduate students, he has also built a small army of policy professionals, sending them off into government, law and the non-profit world," says Pitchford. "Three decades in, he is still building the institutions the next generation will need, for the long haul.鈥� 

He is the author of two books and more than 50 chapters and articles. His research has contributed to policy development discussions in Canada and abroad, from testimony before Canada鈥檚 Senate and House of Commons to questions from the Australian Parliament about nuclear energy in Ontario.  

Winfield has also served as an advisor to environmental oversight bodies and contributed to research collaborations examining community energy planning, energy storage, low-carbon transitions and climate governance. He is co-editor of Carbon Federalism: Canadian Climate Governance in a Disrupted World, submitted to the University of Toronto Press last month.

The post 91亚色 professor earns Clean50 honour for sustainability leadership appeared first on YFile.

When Grothaus first set out during her PhD studies to make invisible air pollution visible, she envisioned wearable technology that could help people understand the pollutants they encounter while walking, cycling or commuting through their communities.

In 2025, that vision was realized in part through an experimental smart garment featuring illuminated lungs that respond to black carbon pollution, a combustion-related pollutant linked to vehicle traffic, aircraft emissions and wildfires. Using a laboratory-validated black-carbon sensor, the garment was an early proof-of-concept within a broader research project that has now evolved into a fully fledged program.

鈥淭he earlier prototype demonstrated that a wearable could sense pollution and translate it into a visual response,鈥� says Grothaus. 鈥淏ut it was an expressive garment rather than something a person would comfortably wear throughout an ordinary day.鈥�

That distinction prompted a significant redesign of the technology and a rethinking of the project as a whole.

As part of a broader initiative called We Are Air Aware, Grothaus set out to create a practical air quality monitor that people could easily wear or carry throughout their daily routines. The result is AirWear, a pocket-sized device that measures particulate pollution and records location-linked environmental data during everyday activities.

The project investigates particulate matter and black carbon, a harmful combustion-related component that is one of the largest contributors to global warming after carbon dioxide. The project, which also considers health risks for black carbon, aims to make pollution exposure and its potential sources perceptible at the scale people encounter them, such as beside traffic, at an intersection or while waiting for transit.

Working with collaborators through 91亚色鈥檚 Connected Minds program and Professor Shital Desai鈥檚 Social and Technological Systems (SaTS) Lab, Grothaus redesigned AirWear for everyday use. Nearly every element was reconsidered, including its electronics, enclosure, attachment system, screen interface, location logging and data storage.

The monitor can be clipped to clothing or a bag, carried as a keyring or worn as a pendant. It displays particulate readings through a simplified interface designed to be understood at a glance.

鈥淲e wanted AirWear to be lightweight, discreet, understandable at a glance and adaptable to different bodies and preferences,鈥� says Grothaus. 鈥淭he aim was not simply to make the electronics as small as possible. It was to create a device that could function as part of everyday life and as part of a participatory research system.鈥�

While AirWear has become the project鈥檚 everyday monitoring tool, its artistic roots continue through AtmoSpheres 鈥� a series of wearable artworks that raise awareness about air pollution through public performances and exhibitions. We Are Air Aware also includes MyAirWear.ca, where anonymized, location-linked measurements will contribute to community air quality maps.

Together, the three components explore how sensing, visualization, art and community knowledge can make localized particulate air pollution more understandable and ultimately support practical responses.

Perhaps the project鈥檚 biggest evolution, however, has been the growing role of community members.

In July 2026, Grothaus and her team held six co-design workshops: three at 91亚色 through Desai鈥檚 SaTS Lab and three with Bathurst Quay residents recruited through the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Association. Desai鈥檚 expertise helped strengthen the project鈥檚 inclusive co-design methods, workshop structure, ethics process and attention to how different participants experience technology.

Rather than asking participants to test and approve a nearly finished device, the team invited them to help shape AirWear before key design decisions had been finalized. Residents invented possible forms, attachment methods and display ideas while reflecting on their experiences with air quality and wearable technology. The team analyzed comments, sketches, clay prototypes, rankings and dot-voting, and is now translating that feedback into the next round of fabrication.

One result was a pale-blue, cloud-shaped enclosure inspired by participants鈥� preferences for a form that felt approachable, recognizable and positively connected to air. Participants also favoured simple colour-based indicators, flexible carrying options and a design that balanced useful information with comfort and privacy.

鈥淭he residents made clear that a technically elegant wearable can still fail if it does not respect how people manage comfort, attention, privacy and social interaction,鈥� says Grothaus.

The workshops also produced a useful surprise. Some participants wanted a visible device that could spark conversations about air pollution; others preferred a small, concealable form that would allow them to decide when to discuss it. The responses challenged an underlying assumption that visibility is not always desirable, even in a project devoted to making pollution visible.

Those insights will shape the project鈥檚 next stage, a two-week wear study planned for later this year. Support from Connected Minds, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada's (SSHRC) Explore Grant and a Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research Seed Grant has helped make that phase possible by funding community participation, technical development and preparations for deployment.

Participants will use AirWear during their ordinary routines rather than along prescribed research routes. Grothaus is interested in the pollution people encounter while walking, cycling, commuting, waiting for transit, running errands, exercising outdoors and spending time near places they regularly use.

The devices will record particulate measurements with time and location information, while participants provide feedback about comfort, usability and whether the information affects their awareness or decisions. Public map layers will aggregate measurements and suppress patterns that could identify individuals.

Researchers hope the resulting data will reveal short-lived peaks or recurring exposure hotspots that regional air quality reports or fixed monitors may not capture at the scale of an individual journey. The longer-term goal is to create evidence that communities and decision-makers can use to consider targeted responses involving transit operations, traffic management, idling or street design.

In many ways, those conversations helped shape the project鈥檚 current direction.

鈥淧articipants did not treat AirWear only as a measuring instrument,鈥� says Grothaus. 鈥淭hey considered what it would feel like to carry, what conversations it might create, what information should come back to them and how individual readings could add up to something useful for the neighbourhood.鈥�

鈥淢aking pollution visible remains central to the project, but visibility is not an endpoint,鈥� she adds. 鈥淟ocalized information creates the possibility of connecting a reading to a place, time and activity.鈥�

Through AirWear, MyAirWear.ca and AtmoSpheres, Grothaus hopes to explore how sensing, visualization, art and community knowledge can make localized particulate air pollution more understandable and support practical responses to it.

The post 91亚色-led project makes invisible pollution visible appeared first on YFile.

As governments around the world look for ways to reduce waste and enhance recycling, many are adopting policies known as extended producer responsibility, or EPR. These programs shift the cost of collecting and recycling packaging materials from municipalities and taxpayers to the companies that place them on the market.

Despite increasing adoption across continents, whether those systems reduce costs, improve recycling outcomes or encourage better packaging design remains difficult to determine. Data is often scattered across thousands of reports, studies and submissions, making comparisons challenging.

鈥淎 great deal has been written about packaging EPR. Almost none of it sits in one place,鈥� says Lakhan.

Fragments of information are spread across academic journals, government reports, industry studies and advocacy publications, often presenting competing interpretations of the same issue. Bringing those sources together and making sense of their findings can require significant time and expertise.

Lakhan is addressing this through the Circular Innovation Hub (CIH) by launching the Packaging EPR Library, a free online resource featuring evidence-reviewed articles and an interactive world map.

The library is the first of its kind to bring together research, policy analysis and international comparisons in one place. Organized around common questions, its articles are grouped into nine themes covering topics ranging from program governance and performance measurement to producer fees, packaging design and international policy differences. The aim is to give users a clearer picture of what the evidence says, where experts disagree and what remains unresolved.

鈥淚 wanted somewhere that gathered that material and set out every argument that can be supported by evidence, regardless of who is making it,鈥� says Lakhan.

One distinguishing feature of the Packaging EPR Library is its emphasis on context. Rather than compiling reports and statistics, the library attempts to reconcile and explain them. Recycling and recovery rates, for example, are frequently compared across jurisdictions even when they are calculated using different methodologies. For Lakhan, those differences can make seemingly straightforward comparisons misleading.

The CIH resource categorizes information based on its source and evidentiary basis, distinguishing between empirical findings, modelling results and stakeholder claims. According to Lakhan, the challenge is distinguishing evidence-backed conclusions from unsupported claims. The goal is to let users evaluate the strength of the published data for themselves.

鈥淚n this field, most of the circulating material was produced by someone with a stake in the answer 鈥� and that is true on every side, mine included,鈥� he says.

The library's searchable global map allows users to explore where packaging EPR programs exist, when they were introduced, what materials they cover and how they are administered. The map reflects the fact that many obligations are established at the provincial or state level, so users can compare approaches within countries such as Canada and the U.S.

Lakhan expects the tool will be used most by producers and compliance teams navigating obligations across multiple jurisdictions, as well as municipal and regulatory staff working through program design. Those groups need specific answers quickly, and the library can help efficiently answer practical questions like what producers pay per tonne, which U.S. states cover printed paper, who runs the compliance body in a given country and more.

Lakhan also hopes the tool will benefit students and researchers at 91亚色 by highlighting unanswered questions in the field. Several sections identify areas where research remains limited or where important policy debates have yet to be thoroughly examined, creating opportunities for future graduate research.

鈥淭hese are not crowded fields. There is real room to contribute,鈥� he says.

The library has room for contributions as well.

鈥淚 would rather the resource be shaped by what people actually need to know than by what I assumed they would,鈥� he says.

He expects the Packaging EPR Library to evolve alongside new regulations, court decisions and policy developments around the world. As responsibility programs continue to expand and change, the resource will be updated to reflect the latest evidence and developments.

Over time, he hopes the library becomes a trusted starting point for anyone seeking to understand packaging responsibility systems, whether they are designing policy, conducting research, evaluating claims or trying to understand how recycling programs work in different jurisdictions.

Despite the tool鈥檚 broad applications, Lakhan says his greatest goal is much more narrow.

鈥淚 would like people to check a claim before repeating it. A great deal of what circulates in this field is a figure that was true once, in one jurisdiction, on one methodology, and has since travelled a long way from its source," he says. "If the library slows that down, it has earned its place."

The post 91亚色 launches tool to tackle packaging waste appeared first on YFile.

Healthy lakes are essential to ecosystems and communities. They provide habitat for wildlife, support fisheries and recreation, help sustain local economies and, in many cases, serve as sources of drinking water.

Those benefits, however, are under threat from expanding clusters of algae that can spread across freshwater systems, block sunlight from reaching aquatic plants, disrupt oxygen levels and produce toxins that can affect wildlife, pets and people.

"Harmful algal blooms are an increasing concern in freshwater ecosystems around the world, including the Great Lakes," says Zhu, a professor in 91亚色's Department of Mathematics and Statistics and director of the Laboratory of Mathematical Parallel Systems (LAMPS).

As these outbreaks become more common, scientists are studying what causes healthy lakes to become prone to bloom. Improving that understanding could help researchers and policymakers develop more effective ways to predict, prevent or manage these events.

Scientists have long studied how nutrients, temperature and other environmental conditions contribute to bloom events. co-authored by Zhu suggests one overlooked driver may be dissolved oxygen, the oxygen naturally present in lake water that aquatic plants and animals rely on.

While dissolved oxygen is often used as a measure of water quality, Zhu felt it deserved a closer look because of the role it plays in aquatic environments. In particular, it influences the behaviour of zooplankton, tiny animals that feed on microscopic algae known as phytoplankton. When oxygen levels are low, zooplankton become less effective at feeding on algae. As that natural control weakens, algae can grow more rapidly, increasing the likelihood of a bloom.

Zhu, along with former LAMPS postdoctoral candidate Juan Li and Nanjing Normal University Professor Yongzhong Song, wanted to better understand that relationship by developing and using a mathematical model.

"Our work wanted to fill that gap by explicitly connecting dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton and zooplankton in one dynamical model," he says.

The researchers tested different environmental scenarios to explore what happens when oxygen levels rise or fall and identify conditions that could tip a lake from a relatively stable state toward an algal bloom.

Oxygen levels can be influenced by a range of factors, including temperature, water conditions and biological activity. Climate change can also affect levels by warming waters and altering ecosystems.

The researchers found that when oxygen availability falls, the effects can spread through the ecosystem. A loss of this natural balance can cause lakes to become increasingly favourable for algae outbreaks.

The model also suggests why algal blooms can sometimes prove difficult to reverse once they appear. As oxygen levels decline and zooplankton become less effective at controlling algae, the balance of the ecosystem can shift leading to conditions that favour algal growth, making it harder for a lake to return to its previous state.

"The underlying system can cross a critical threshold and shift rapidly into a different ecological state," Zhu says.

While the research is theoretical, Zhu says the findings could explain how blooms develop and how they might be prevented. By identifying the conditions that make freshwater bodies of water more vulnerable to algae, researchers can identify which factors deserve the most attention before an outbreak occurs.

The study suggests that maintaining healthy oxygen levels, alongside efforts to reduce nutrient pollution, could improve the natural grazing activity of zooplankton and strengthen a lake's ability to keep algae growth under control. Over time, that knowledge could inform more targeted approaches to lake management and ecosystem protection.

Zhu emphasizes, however, that dissolved oxygen is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

"Natural lake ecosystems are much more complicated than any single mathematical model," he says. "Our study provides one step toward understanding these interactions, but there is considerable opportunity to make the models more realistic by incorporating additional environmental factors and field data."

Future research could incorporate variables such as temperature, light, nutrient availability and water movement to build a more complete picture of how freshwater systems respond to environmental change. Zhu's team is also advancing related work through initiatives such as the Ontario Climate Data Portal, which supports research into climate impacts and environmental change.

"We hope this work contributes to a better mechanistic understanding of harmful algal blooms and ultimately supports more effective management," he says.

The post Oxygen emerges as key factor in lake health: 91亚色 U study appeared first on YFile.

鈥淐limate change is rapidly expanding habitats for ticks and mosquitoes across Canada, driving up rates of Lyme disease and introducing newer threats like anaplasmosis into regions where they weren't previously seen,鈥� says Tosato, who works through the Faculty of Science's Laboratory of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM).

As a result, researchers and public health officials are increasingly looking for ways to reduce tick populations and the diseases they spread.

One approach is the use of prescribed burns, also known as controlled fires. Previous research has shown they can reduce tick numbers, but whether those reductions translate into lower disease risk remains less clear. Researchers know less about how different fire regimes affect disease spread when accounting for the complex interactions between ticks, wildlife hosts and the pathogens they carry.

鈥淚f we want to predict disease risks down the line, we really need to understand how all these moving parts interact,鈥� says Tosato, whose previous work has evaluated different tick-control strategies such as acaricides and repellents.

Tosato and collaborator Kyeongah Nah, from the National Institute for Mathematical Sciences in South Korea, sought to address those questions. They wanted to better understand how controlled burns affect the spread of tick-borne diseases while accounting for factors that have received less attention in previous models, including the role of rodents and whether fire affects young and adult ticks differently.

, the study was supervised by Professor Jianhong Wu through the LIAM lab and used a mathematical model representing ticks, rodents and the diseases that can spread between them. The model simulated how tick populations change over time, how they interact with rodents and how infections move through those populations. It also distinguished between infected and uninfected ticks and rodents, allowing the team to track transmission under different conditions.

The researchers then introduced fire as a variable, simulating prescribed burns with different frequencies and effectiveness levels. This allowed them to test a wide range of hypothetical scenarios, including how disease spread might change if burns occurred more or less frequently, or removed larger or smaller proportions of tick and rodent populations. By running thousands of simulations, the team could compare different fire-management approaches and their potential effect on disease risk.

Before evaluating the effectiveness of controlled burns, the simulation revealed several factors that play an outsized role in disease spread.

One practical finding was that not all ticks contribute equally to transmission. The researchers found that adult ticks and rodents played especially important roles in driving disease transmission. That suggests control strategies targeting those populations may have the greatest impact on limiting transmission.

The model also highlighted the importance of a lesser-understood transmission pathway known as co-feeding. This occurs when infected and uninfected ticks feed close together on the same animal, allowing disease to spread directly between the ticks even if the host itself is not infected. When the researchers incorporated this process into their modelling approach, disease became considerably harder to control. Infections persisted under conditions where they otherwise would have disappeared.

With those transmission dynamics established, the researchers examined how prescribed burns influence disease risk.

The simulations suggested that prescribed fire can substantially reduce the spread of tick-borne diseases, particularly when carried out regularly. The modelling also highlighted the importance of burn frequency. Relatively modest reductions in tick populations achieved through annual burns produced effects comparable to much more aggressive interventions carried out less often.

At the same time, the model suggested that completely eliminating tick populations would be difficult. Doing so would require highly effective burns at frequent intervals, conditions that may be impractical or potentially harmful to natural ecosystems. Instead, reducing disease risk may be a more realistic goal.

The researchers conclude that prescribed fire could serve as a flexible management tool that supports both ecosystem stewardship and public health goals. However, they caution that its effectiveness depends on factors such as local ecological conditions, the characteristics of the disease being targeted and how frequently burns are conducted.

The team also recommends further research examining how prescribed burns compare with other tick-control strategies, including repellents and acaricides, as well as how longer-term environmental changes caused by burning, such as shifts in vegetation cover and humidity, affect tick survival and disease transmission.

For Tosato, the study demonstrates the importance of understanding the connection between environmental change and disease risk.

鈥淚 hope it highlights how fire dynamics and land management can influence these systems, encouraging a broader perspective on how environmental changes and disease transmission connect,鈥� he says.

The work also underscores the role mathematics can play in addressing emerging public-health challenges. By simulating complex ecological interactions that are difficult to study directly, mathematical models can help researchers anticipate future risks and evaluate potential responses.

鈥淎s changing environmental conditions allow ticks and new pathogens to establish themselves in regions where they previously couldn't survive, a close collaboration between mathematics and public health is essential to generate actionable insights that allow us to stay ahead of emerging threats,鈥� Tosato says.

The post 91亚色 study explores how fire could help fight the spread of tick-borne diseases appeared first on YFile.

Remmel did not set out to be the co-author of a paper tracing more than three decades of forest fragmentation research.

Even when Sanjana Dutt, a PhD candidate at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland, first reached out seeking advice on her dissertation, co-authoring a paper was never part of the plan.

Dutt had come across Remmel's work on forest change analysis, landscape metrics and forest fragmentation, areas he has spent much of his career studying while developing new ways to map, quantify and compare changes in forest landscapes.

Seeking guidance for a section of her dissertation, she contacted him because of his expertise in the field and his extensive experience measuring and analyzing changes in forest landscapes. Dutt was looking for advice on how to organize and synthesize a large and growing body of research focused on forest fragmentation and the various techniques scientists use to analyze it.

The phenomenon occurs when large, continuous forests are broken into smaller, isolated patches, often because of roads, farming, resource extraction and development. As forests are divided, fewer areas remain deep within the forest, creating conditions that can affect wildlife habitat, biodiversity and ecosystem health. Because scientists and conservation planners rely on fragmentation research to understand those impacts and guide conservation efforts, accurately measuring fragmentation has become increasingly important.

Advances in satellite imaging potential, remote sensing algorithms, computing power and cloud-based analytical platforms have transformed how scientists study forests. Those developments have given scientists more ways than ever to assess fragmentation and track changes across landscapes, leading to a rapidly expanding body of research and analytical approaches.

Making sense of that increasingly complex landscape of methods was one of the reasons Dutt sought Remmel's advice. She wanted to better understand how the field's analytical techniques had developed over time, where they overlapped and how researchers could meaningfully evaluate their findings.

Remmel, meanwhile, saw value in how Dutt's aspirations would benefit not just her, but others.

鈥淟arge review and synthesis papers are useful ways to build visibility and benchmarks for burgeoning academics,鈥� he says.

Remmel, who teaches in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, says they exchanged numerous messages, worked together to refine the study's methodology and identified areas where additional research and context were needed. As the collaboration developed, so too did the scope of the project, eventually leading to Dutt asking Remmel to be co-author on a comprehensive review of how forest fragmentation research has evolved over the past three decades.

The resulting paper, , examines how scientists have measured and analyzed forest fragmentation over the past 35 years while identifying opportunities to make future research more consistent and useful for conservation decision-making.

Dutt conducted a systematic analysis of 138 studies published between 1990 and 2025, grouping them into 12 methodological categories ranging from traditional measures of forest patch size and shape to more recent approaches involving connectivity modelling, remote sensing, time-series analysis and three-dimensional forest mapping.

鈥淭he work identifies a long history of metric development that has evolved to consider many parameters that influence the quantification of forest fragmentation,鈥� says Remmel.

The review found that research has expanded dramatically over time as advances in satellite imagery, remote sensing and computing created new ways of studying forests. Yet scholars have not abandoned older approaches in favour of a single better method, instead continuing to build an increasingly complex toolbox of techniques.

This has created challenges, the authors say. Differences in scale, data, methodology and reporting can make fragmentation studies difficult to evaluate side by side, making it harder to tell whether results reflect genuine differences in forest conditions or simply different ways of measuring them.

鈥淭his is an important reminder that just inventing new tools does not necessarily solve problems,鈥� Remmel says, 鈥渂ut that figuring out how to apply and compare results consistently carries tremendous weight and benefit.鈥�

Consistent results matter because forest fragmentation research is not only theoretical. Investigators, conservation planners and policymakers use it to monitor environmental change, assess ecosystem health and guide management decisions. If methods are not clearly documented or results cannot be compared, it becomes harder to translate research into repeatable and actionable results.

As a result, the authors argue that future progress will depend less on developing new metrics and more on improving consistency and transparency through clearer reporting of how studies are conducted.

Remmel's hopes for what impact the work will have are rooted, in part, from the way it helped Dutt make sense of a complex and rapidly growing field.

鈥淪he was forced to think about broad timelines, developments and contributions, and how they fit into the bigger picture,鈥� he says, resulting in a structured starting point for researchers looking to understand the forest fragmentation literature. 鈥淭his certainly benefitted her but also makes some of this foundational literature review work less strenuous for others who will read this work later.鈥�

Remmel says that value extends beyond this particular project. As academic literature continues to grow, he believes there is benefit in periodically stepping back to assess the state of a field, identify key developments and help researchers understand how current knowledge has evolved. Reviews such as this one can help clarify where a field has come from, where it stands today and where opportunities for future research may exist.

There was also personal value in the project for Remmel. Looking back over the review, he realized that the earliest period it covers coincided with his own graduate training. Over the decades that followed, he built a career studying forest change, spatial metrics and landscape pattern dynamics, adapting alongside the field as new methods and technologies emerged.

鈥淭his is a paper that I could have written based on my experiences,鈥� he says.

Instead, Remmel says he is grateful to have contributed to a project that brought together decades of study while helping a new generation of scholars navigate the field.

鈥淚 am thrilled that not only did someone else take on this responsibility but that they reached out to me for involvement too,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is the circle of academic life in action and that makes me tremendously humble and thankful.鈥�

The post A 91亚色 professor, a PhD student's email, and 35 years of forest research appeared first on YFile.

As societies increasingly rely on hydrology to help address challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, environmental degradation and growing demands on water resources, ensuring the field draws on diverse knowledge systems and perspectives has become an increasingly important conversation.

Understanding complex water challenges, some scholars argue, requires not only strong scientific expertise but also careful consideration of whose knowledge informs decision-making and whose perspectives may be missing.

Among those contributing to that discussion is Olusola who teaches in the and whose work focuses on water resources and the complex relationship between environmental systems and society.

Olusola was part of an international team whose study, , explores what researchers call 鈥渄ecolonising hydrology.鈥�

The project emerged from an International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) working group focused on decolonization and hydrology, formed under the organization鈥檚 HELPING initiative, which encourages hydrologists to engage more closely with local communities and knowledge systems.

Olusola and his co-authors say that while decolonization has become an important topic across many academic disciplines, relatively little attention has been paid to how colonial legacies continue to shape hydrology specifically.

Much of modern water science, they argue, developed alongside colonial systems of governance and resource management. The effects of those systems remain visible today in both water infrastructure and decisions about whose knowledge is considered legitimate in water-management planning.

Seeking to better understand those influences, the research team launched the study while also exploring how researchers and practitioners might address them.

鈥淒ecolonizing hydrology matters both as a discipline and as a practice,鈥� says Olusola. 鈥淚t challenges the colonial legacies embedded in how hydrological knowledge has historically been produced and applied, and it makes the case that decolonization is necessary to achieve justice, inclusivity, and sustainability in water management.鈥�

The team conducted a review of scholarship exploring the intersection of hydrology and decolonization, analyzed trends in water research over time and examined case studies from different regions of the world.

As part of their work, the researchers analyzed more than 77,000 articles published in leading hydrology and water-resources journals between the 1940s and 2023 and reviewed literature addressing decolonial approaches to water science. They also developed case studies focused on Canada, India, West Africa, Indonesia and West Asia.

Examining those regions allowed the team to explore how colonial histories have influenced water laws, infrastructure, governance systems and educational practices. In some cases, the researchers found colonial-era water systems and management practices continue to influence how water is governed today. Olusola notes that in parts of the Global South, some historical approaches to hydrological monitoring, record-keeping and data collection were more sophisticated than many cities have been able to maintain since, illustrating the complex and sometimes contradictory legacies left behind by colonial rule.

鈥淎cross our case studies, we found colonial imprints on hydrology and hydraulic infrastructure that were strikingly similar in some respects, yet shaped by distinct local histories in others,鈥� he says.

The effects were not limited to infrastructure. In some regions, colonial-era water-management systems contributed to unequal access to resources, environmental disruption and governance structures that advantaged some groups while disadvantaging others.

Nonetheless, the study points towards change, noting the field is increasingly engaging with questions of sustainability, decision-making and the human dimensions of water management, creating opportunities for more inclusive and collaborative approaches.

Olusola says he and his co-authors hope the study will contribute to that shift.

鈥淭he work reframes the field, shifting away from a colonial hydrological hegemony toward pathways where reflective questioning and structured decision-making can guide how future water knowledge is generated and how it supports local water management,鈥� he says.

The post 91亚色 researcher advances more equitable water science across the world appeared first on YFile.

Professor Eric Miller, along with lead author and PhD student Peri Dworatzek, has published a report titled which examines the protected natural and agricultural lands through the lens of biocapacity 鈥� the ability of land and ecosystems to provide resources and absorb environmental impacts.

Prepared by the for the Greenbelt Foundation, the report finds the Greenbelt provides significantly greater ecological biocapacity per hectare than the rest of Ontario, averaging 2.8 global hectares versus 1.02.

This, say the authors who worked with MES students Bumika Srikanthalingam and Kaitlin Pal, demonstrates the value of maintaining and strengthening protections for the region鈥檚 agricultural and natural landscapes.

The findings provide new evidence for policymakers and planners as they consider how future growth and infrastructure projects may affect the province鈥檚 environmental assets. The analysis indicates that increasing demand for land, food and fresh water could place additional strain on these systems if development is not carefully managed.

Miller and Dworatzek identified several actions that could help safeguard and enhance the Greenbelt鈥檚 ecological capacity. These include improving the collection and use of land-use data; expanding mapping of agricultural, water and natural heritage systems; and making geospatial information more accessible to support planning decisions.

鈥淟and cover and biocapacity data provide valuable tools for informing decisions that can help maintain protections for the Greenbelt and the ecosystems that support Ontario鈥檚 growing population,鈥� says Miller. 鈥淢easuring biocapacity helps governments track progress towards sustainability and other environmental goals.鈥�

The findings also emphasize the importance of restoring natural areas, supporting regenerative agricultural practices and improving soil health to strengthen long-term productivity. Researchers recommend integrating ecological capacity measures into municipal planning and natural asset management strategies.

Produced as part of the Greenbelt Foundation鈥檚 Visioning the Future of the Greenbelt series, the report positions the Greenbelt as a key component of Ontario鈥檚 response to environmental and resource challenges, Miller notes.

鈥淭he Greenbelt鈥檚 natural infrastructure provides significant value to Ontario. By quantifying those benefits, we can better inform planning and policy decisions that affect the region鈥檚 long-term sustainability,鈥� says Miller. 鈥淭his research demonstrates the measurable benefits natural systems provide to Ontario鈥檚 communities and economy, and offers a framework to support evidence-based planning.鈥�

The post Greenbelt critical to Ontario鈥檚 ecological future, 91亚色 U report finds appeared first on YFile.

outlines priorities for higher education institutions as they work to advance sustainable development and contribute to discussions about sustainable development beyond 2030.

Introduced July 13 during the Global Higher Education Symposium at United Nations Headquarters in New 91亚色, the work was developed through a drafting process including global consultation led by Katrin Kohl, co-chair of the UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability at 91亚色.

The project brought together partners including UNESCO, United Nations Academic Impact, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the International Association of Universities and the International Science Council to build consensus around the role of higher education as a catalyst for positive change.

鈥淯niversities have an important role to play in helping society respond to global challenges, including climate change, inequality and emerging technologies,鈥� says Kohl. 鈥淭his statement brings together voices from around the world to identify how higher education can contribute to building a more sustainable future."

Perspectives from higher education leaders, researchers, international organizations, students and policymakers shaped a shared vision for priorities in higher education. The priorities include integrating sustainability across teaching, research and operations; strengthening democratic values and public trust; advancing inclusion and decolonization; using science and emerging technologies responsibly; and supporting changes to governance and funding systems.

UNESCO Chairholder Charles Hopkins says the initiative originated at 91亚色 and grew into an international collaboration with UN agencies concerned with higher education that resulted in the consensus statement.

The final document emerged from a global consultation process involving participants from around the world to build agreement on higher education's role in creating more sustainable, equitable and resilient societies.

The launch marks the latest contribution from 91亚色's UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability, established in 1999 as the first UNESCO Chair dedicated to education for sustainable development. For more than two decades, the Chair has worked with governments, international organizations, educators and institutions around the world to advance sustainability through education.

Hopkins says the statement represents an opportunity to strengthen the role of universities as partners in addressing complex issues beyond 2030 as conversations are beginning to emerge.

鈥淭he challenges the world faces do not exist in isolation, and neither can the solutions,鈥� says Hopkins. 鈥淯niversities have an important role to play as conveners, collaborators and catalysts for change.鈥�

The statement is expected to inform ongoing international discussions about the future of higher education and sustainable development and provide a framework for institutions seeking to strengthen their contributions to social, environmental and economic well-being.

The post 91亚色 UNESCO Chair聽shapes聽future of sustainability in higher education appeared first on YFile.