In this webinar, presenters shared some of their experiences and strategies for bringing community voices more fully into the post-secondary sphere.

The webinar touched on:

• How Abbey Gardens has advocated for community voices at Trent University
• How, as a faculty member, Peter has advocated for community voices at 杏吧原创 University
• How the Harris Centre at Memorial University works to connect the Newfoundland and Labrador communities with the people and resources at Memorial University

Video Link

If you missed out on the day-of presentation, not to worry. We鈥檝e made it accessible below.

You can also access the presenters’ PowerPoint presentations:

A community organization’s perspective advocating for community voices

A professor’s perspective advocating for community voices

An engagement centre’s perspective advocating for community voices

Presenters

Heather Reid works as the Operations Director of Abbey Gardens, a not-for profit charity providing economic and recreational opportunities for Haliburton County.聽Heather has a background in Recreation Management, Outdoor Education, Small Business, and Community-Based Research. She gained experience brokering projects between the university and community in Nova Scotia at Acadia University. Upon moving to Haliburton, she was the program coordinator and then director at the U-Links Centre for Community Based Research. In 2013 Heather took on the role of Operations Director at Abbey Gardens and continues to foster relationships with the university through her current position.

Peter Andr茅e is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science. His research focuses on international and Canadian environmental politics, the political economy of agri-food systems, and community-based responses to the challenges of food security and agricultural sustainability. He is co-editor of 鈥淕lobalization and Food Sovereignty: Global and Local Change in the New Politics of Food,鈥� to be published by University of Toronto Press in March 2014. He is also author of 鈥淕enetically Modified Diplomacy,鈥� on the global politics of regulating genetically-modified crops and foods, published by University of British Columbia Press.

Amy Jones is the knowledge mobilization coordinator with the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Amy helps make research, teaching and public engagement at Memorial relevant to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador through creating connections and facilitating effective partnerships. Amy delivers the Thriving Regions Partnership Process, which engages communities and provides funding and supports to faculty, staff and students to build meaningful research partnerships for thriving social and economic regions.

Moderator: Dr. Michelle Nilson is an associate professor with the Faculty of Education at SFU, where she teaches in the Educational Leadership programs. Her research and scholarship is inspired by questions concerning the nexus between postsecondary institutions, their environment, and the social, physical, and political. Her current work is a critical examination of student financial aid and teacher education policies and their implications for access, equity, and postsecondary student participation. Her research draws on her previous experience as an administrator of several large National Science Foundation and Ford Foundation grants that fostered opportunities for building networks and communication between various stakeholder groups. Her early days were spent in Detroit, Michigan, where she taught high school mathematics and middle school science.

Jenna Snelgrove conducting Biomonitoring in the Haliburton Highlands. 漏Jenna Snelgrove

If you’ve been following Jenna Snelgrove’s blog posts on the CFICE website, you’ll know she’s been working hard to research and prepare some pretty unique event kits for CFICE’s Haliburton Partners, , and .

Through her work, Jenna has prepared 4 event kits – one for each season. These kits all focus on teaching the public how to identify different species of plants, trees, and animals that live and grow in Haliburton. The events have been designed to be interactive as well as informative, turning attendees聽into researchers, or detectives, as in the case of the animal tracking event!

By participating in these events, the hope is that Haliburton community members will feel more connected to the environment that surrounds them. This outcome will contribute to聽Haliburton Highlands Land Trust and Abbey Gardens’s ongoing work on conservation and sustainable development.

So if you’re a Haliburton community member looking to learn more about your community, or an environmentalist looking to build your own event kit, we welcome you to browse through these kits. Open them by clicking on the images below!

Fall Event: Tree Identification

Winter Event: Tracks and Signs

Spring Event: Spring Ephemerals

Summer Event: Salamanders

As a CFICE research assistant working with Sheila Ziman at the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust and Heather Reid at Abbey Gardens, both located in Haliburton, and U-links with Marie Gage, I have received the opportunity, working with Trent University Professors Tom Whillans and Nadine Changfoot, to learn more about public engagement and environmental awareness in the Haliburton Highlands. My ambition is to work in partnership with these inspiring organizations to involve community members in the appreciation of the irreplaceable environments that surround them. By creating opportunities to encourage the interest of local citizens in the outdoors, this could create a cultural change that could positively support stewardship in this area.

Sheila Ziman with the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust, Jenna Snelgrove, Marie Gage with U-Links, and Heather Reid & Cara Steele with Abbey Gardens discuss upcoming events together at Abbey Gardens. 漏Jenna Snelgrove

To be more specific, recently I have been planning day events to educate the public about natural聽features that are prominent in the Haliburton Highlands. The first event that will be hosted by these organizations during the winter focuses on recognizing mammal tracks and signs. This will allow participants to better understand wildlife that is often elusive in nature. Next, the spring event will entail a journey to find and identify salamanders hidden under woody debris in the forest. By creating a means for local naturalists to have fun while learning more about the biodiversity in the Haliburton Highlands, this will hopefully establish an even greater interest in preserving natural heritage. This public participation would serve to benefit these organizations as well by increasing visitation at their extraordinary properties. This project ultimately combines the goals of the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust and Abbey Gardens to use environmental education as a method to involve the community in land stewardship right at home.

As the CFICE Research Assistant for and I am creating educational events that highlight the natural features and land stewardship activities of each of these organizations. In order to gain a better appreciation of their unique properties, recently I have been able to complete biomonitoring activities at two locations maintained by the Land Trust to assess the health of the amphibian populations in these areas.

Jenna Snelgrove conducting Biomonitoring in the Haliburton Highlands. 漏Jenna Snelgrove

Upcoming tasks of mine include the聽creation of four new event packages to allow the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust and Abbey Gardens to encourage community engagement and stewardship activities within the Haliburton region. These events will be focused around each season throughout the year and they include: salamanders, mammal tracks and signs, tree identification, and leeks and ephemerals.

It is my hope that this project will enable the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust and Abbey Gardens to generate even more public interest and knowledge about the outstanding stewardship practices they accomplish. By receiving the opportunity to work on a project such as this, I am learning the value of community partnerships whilst working toward the common goal of environmental education.

On January 13, Trent University’s Masters of Sustainability Studies (MASS) Colloquium featured the work of local community leaders, students and faculty. This event was brought together by the (Ptbo/Halib) of the Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE) project.

, Chair of the Political Studies Department and MASS faculty, hosted the event as the Trent Academic Co-lead of CFICE . 鈥淧utting Community-First involves learning new ways of communicating and partnering among community and academy,鈥� said Nadine.

, Executive Director, from the internationally recognized (TCRC) and Community Co-lead of CFICE, discussed research opportunities available through the Centre. TCRC is a bridge organization connecting Trent and community, bringing together students and community organizations for community-based research.

Sheila Ziman from the presented her experiences working with faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students to maintain and restore ecosystems in Haliburton. 鈥淭he outcomes are important,鈥� said Sheila.

Next, Heather Reid, the Operations Director of , and Melissa Johnston, in second year of MASS, shared their experiences from Melissa鈥檚 summer working at Abbey Gardens. 鈥淢y immersion in the community created an ease and depth of interaction. My 鈥榠nsider status鈥� helped to build trust and open doors,鈥� said Melissa.

Tessa Nasca, also in the second year of MASS, outlined her experience with the project that brings together the Stewart Street neighbourhood, community organizations, the City of Peterborough, and faculty to build capacity within the Stewart Street neighbourhood and the ability to strengthen community participation in planning processes. 鈥淗igh value comes from embedding oneself in the community,鈥� said Tessa.

Finally, Prof. from Environmental Resources Studies and MASS spoke of his experience as a faculty member who seeks partnerships outside of academic institutions. The day鈥檚 speakers represent only the start of the many rewarding partnerships possible when academia and the community partner together.

Community-campus engagement opportunities like those featured at the Colloquium offer a platform for students to see local initiatives that build capacity for both community and Trent in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Building upon the work of CFICE, the new聽 stream provides experiential learning and community-based聽action research聽opportunities for students in a full-time field placement in a community organization聽during Year 2 of the Program. 鈥淚t aims to meet the growing need for professionals as a distinct group of skilled, entrepreneurial individuals with the knowledge, tools and practical聽expertise to address social and environmental challenges and opportunities聽in community based organizations,鈥� said Asaf Zohar, Director of MASS.

Food sustainability and climate change are increasingly urgent and intertwined issues. From the way we produce and package our food, to how much we consume 鈥� our relationship with food is not sustainable.

While these are global issues, a powerful solution can be found in our very own local farmer鈥檚 markets.

鈥淚n many ways, small scale farming and local food systems are the best structures for supporting sustainable agriculture,鈥� explains Melissa Johnston, a Master鈥檚 student in Trent University鈥檚 Sustainability Studies program.

To keep afloat, many small-scale growers must use alternative business models and practices, which are often more sustainable. Planting diverse crops, avoiding the use of chemicals, and not using large machinery are all innovative 鈥� and environmentally friendly 鈥� ways in which small scale farmers are facing environmental challenges.

鈥淎nd farmer鈥檚 markets give an outlet for these small scale farmers who may otherwise not be able to compete on a larger, supermarket scale,鈥� says Johnston. 鈥淎nd local markets reduce food transport. So by choosing local markets, you鈥檙e contributing to a healthier environment.鈥�

Johnston was first struck by the potential of local food initiatives after visiting , a community project that encourages visitors to think more sustainably about food, land, and the local economy. Stopping by Abbey Gardens after an academic retreat, she and her colleagues were given a tour by Operations Director, Heather Reid.

鈥淚 was blown away by the place and was asking a million questions,鈥� says Johnston. 鈥淗eather saw that I was quite interested and we met over the next few months to discuss my potential involvement in a local research project.鈥�

With support from CFICE鈥檚 Community Environmental Sustainability Hub, Johnston was able to officially partner with Abbey Gardens.

As part of the partnership, Johnston gained hands-on experience in the world of small scale agriculture. From working in the fields, to managing Abbey Gardens鈥� tables at farmer鈥檚 markets, Johnston also engaged with some of the community鈥檚 farmers.

鈥淭hrough my conversations with people, I got a great snapshot of the Haliburton County food system and where local growers and farmer鈥檚 markets fit within it,鈥� said Johnston.

In return for access to the community, Johnston provided weekly reflections. These reports offered new analysis and critiques of Haliburton鈥檚 food system, which were of benefit to Reid and other community food advocates.

Johnston specifically remembers Reid telling her that, being lost in the day to day shuffle, it was nice to take a step back with her and see the bigger picture.

While the season is wrapping up, and her work with Abbey Gardens has ended, the benefits of the partnership continue.

鈥淢y relationship with Heather continues,鈥� says Johnston. 鈥淪he has offered to support and advise me through the process of writing my thesis.鈥�

As she moves into the writing stage of her thesis, Johnston hopes her research will give back to local farmer鈥檚 markets and strengthen the agricultural community.

鈥淕oing into my Master鈥檚, I knew I wanted to help real people with real problems, and not just write a thesis that would sit on a shelf and gather dust,鈥� says Johnston. 鈥淚 want to find ways in which the community can support local farmers, and how local farmers can better serve the community.鈥�