Research in Practice: The WISE Lab at the University of Guelph
by Heather Patterson, in collaboration with Dr. Allyson Menzies, Claire Kemp, and Kathryn Yarchuk
June 2, 2022
Dr. Jesse Popp and Dr. Paul Sibley lead a lecture for students at the Eramosa River in Guelph, Ontario. Photo credit: WISE Lab
As we all try to navigate the path towards reconciliation, approaches to science that value multiple ways of knowing and prioritize the needs of Indigenous Peoples are critical. This is especially true when studying the natural environment. The landscapes that today make up what we now call 'Canada’ have been home to many Indigenous Nations since time immemorial. As the first peoples of these lands, Indigenous people can offer unique insight into the historic and current relationships between the lands, waters, humans and all our relations.
Dr. Jesse Popp, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Science at the University of Guelph founded the Wildlife, Indigenous Science and Ecology (WISE) Lab in order to prioritize Indigenous values and Knowledge Systems in environmental monitoring and management, a sector that is often dominated by Western approaches.
The WISE lab is made up of a collection of academics at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral levels with a passion for ecology, and an interest in doing research in a good way. Members of the WISE lab work with a wide array of academic partners, government partners, NGO partners, and partner communities from across Canada to address and investigate a variety of ecological and socio-cultural issues using an interdisciplinary approach that is centred on community needs.
The WISE Lab is led by an approach to research that aims to weave knowledge systems, build equitable relationships, address partner concerns, uphold Indigenous values and ways of knowing as defined by partner communities, and conduct research in ethical space. Ultimately the basis of our research lies in cultivating relationships within and beyond research projects and ensuring reciprocity and inclusivity through all stages of the research project.
While newcomers to the CRP, Dr. Popp and her students have always endeavored to promote inclusive science that embraces multiple ways of knowing to investigate ecological questions. With topics that emerge from the needs and concerns of partner communities, our projects vary greatly in their subject matter and scope. Our projects have included examining the impacts of railway mortalities and commercial forest management on Great Lakes ecosystems, establishing community based-biodiversity monitoring programs, and studying the population patterns of specific species of concern. All WISE Lab projects are united by the intersection of wildlife, Indigenous science and ecology.
Additionally, since joining the CRP in 2020, Dr. Popp has become a valued member of the Ethical Space, Knowledge Systems, and Biocultural Indicators Streams to connect this work to a broader network and collaborative space.
Here are some of the WISE lab members who are also a part of the CRP:
Portrait of Dr. Allyson Menzies (Photo Credit: Allyson Menzies)
Dr. Allyson Menzies, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Guelph
I am from Treaty 2 Territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation (a.k.a Manitoba). I am of Métis and Settler descent, and am a wildlife biologist, trained mostly in a western/university setting. My current research focuses on ways to braid knowledge systems (Indigenous and western science) and prioritize Indigenous community values in environmental monitoring and research.
Specifically, I am conducting interviews with First Nation and Métis communities across Canada to discuss best practices for weaving knowledge systems and collect examples of environmental initiatives that have done so in a good way. I am also working with First Nations in Ontario and Manitoba to apply these insights on-the-ground, to build moose monitoring programs that prioritize Indigenous Knowledge and opportunities for the community to get out on the land and reconnect with their language, teachings, and traditional practices.
The teaching I am most grateful for, and the one that drives most of my personal and professional decisions, is that we have a responsibility to each other, as living beings on this earth – both human and non-human – to care for one another. If more people embraced this teaching, I think we would be in a better place, because it is hard to harm and disrespect something and/or someone if you feel as though you have a responsibility to protect it/them.
Part of this responsibility to the land and each other is to ensure all nations have the right and opportunity to participate in discussions and decision-making related to environmental caretaking in a way that truly respects their knowledge and priorities. This is why I feel at home in the WISE lab and the CRP – because they both embody these views.
An image of Claire Kemp in a marsh holding up a baby turtle. (Photo Credit: Claire Kemp)
Claire Kemp, M.Sc. Candidate in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph
I am a western trained ecologist of settler descent, with a professional background in both ecology and environmental education. I work and play on the lands covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum treaty in Southern Ontario, as well as on the Anishinabek territory of Magnetawan First Nation (MFN) where my research takes place.
Working in partnership with MFN, I am looking at how community-specific knowledge and values can be prioritized in wildlife monitoring. We are using wildlife cameras and a digital monitoring application to look at medium to large mammals across the landscape, as well as their relationship to linear features such as the roads and railway.
We want to help create a robust baseline dataset that can guide both environmental monitoring and decision-making in the community, as well as help develop plans and protocols with MFN’s Department of Lands, Resources, and Environment for continued community-based monitoring.
In addition, we will be interviewing and working with community members to identify specific values and priorities, while thinking about different ways these can be woven into the monitoring process. Putting community values and priorities at the forefront, we are hoping to understand what it means to conduct environmental monitoring in a good way.
For me, one of the most impactful aspects of this work has been the relationship building. Through this partnership with Magnetawan First Nation, I have had the opportunity to take time to cultivate and grow relationships – thinking beyond the scope of my research and really getting to know both people and the land.
In this way, we can better appreciate what we each have to offer, find the balance between listening and sharing, develop trust, and come together in a good way. As a bonus, I’ve found that these relationships make the work we do even more enjoyable – even on some of the longest, hottest, and buggiest days in the field my heart is filled by being out on the land with wonderful people.
In the WISE Lab it is understood that relationship building is an important first step in any project when working with community and is truly something that I love most about our network. I see this as one of the strengths of the CRP as well – understanding the importance of relationships while providing a space for these connections and partnerships to be made and strengthened.
An image of Kathryn Yarchuck sitting on a rocky outcropping, surrounded by trees. (Photo credit: Kathryn Yarchuck)
Kathryn Yarchuk, M.Sc Candidate in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph
I am a western-trained wildlife biologist of settler descent. I grew up on Treaty 1 Territory and it is on these lands where I developed a connection to the plants, animals, and land around me. Currently, I am a visitor within the Dish with One Spoon Territory, where I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from those who have cared for the lands long before me.
Recognizing that moose are a species of importance through both an Indigenous and a Western lens, my research works in partnership with Magnetawan First Nation (MFN) to accomplish two main objectives. First, through a community-based monitoring program, trail cameras are being used to explore the relationship among moose and different habitats in MFN, in addition to the influence of linear features (i.e., roads and railways) on moose activity.
By prioritizing community knowledge and values, this research brings together Indigenous and Western knowledges to document moose activity throughout MFN, and over time, will reveal changes and patterns that can guide environmental monitoring and decision-making within the community.
Secondly, we are working collaboratively to better understand how Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners can come together through Ethical Space to discuss moose concerns in central Ontario. By engaging in interviews with local First Nation communities, government biologists, and research scientists, we hope to identify considerations and best practices for creating spaces that are welcoming and respectful to diverse ways of knowing. Following interviews, we hope to bring partners together in a new Moose Knowledge Network that embraces the strengths of both Indigenous and Western knowledges to address concerns related to moose.
Spending time in communities and listening to others share stories about moose has been my favourite part of this work so far. Despite differences in our experiences and worldviews, we are all people first and our passion for moose is deeply rooted within our character – this passion connects us.
When we build from what connects us and embrace diverse perspectives, we can better understand the challenges moose are facing and how to best approach these challenges. Hearing these stories reminds me that we have a responsibility to the moose, the land, and to each other. Every interaction is an opportunity to learn a new perspective and create a space that makes others feel heard, respected, and valued.
Within the WISE Lab and the CRP community, there is a sense of unity among us that embraces our uniqueness as a strength. As we all take a small step towards creating transformative change in support of Indigenous-led conservation, it is encouraging to have support through the WISE Lab and CRP community that creates opportunities to share our experiences and learn from one another.
A portrait of Heather Patterson. (Photo credit: Heather Patterson).
Heather Patterson, M.Sc. Candidate in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph
I am an ecologist and science communicator of settler descent. I was born and raised in the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek in the Robinson-Huron Treaty area. It was in this territory that I developed a deep love and respect for all aspects of nature, and witnessed first-hand the deep and long-lasting impacts of resource extraction and industrial activity.
My current research focuses on the environmental and socio-cultural impacts of commercial forestry practices, particularly herbicide use, in Ontario. Through our work, we aim to weave Indigenous Knowledge with Western scientific literature and techniques in order to summarize documented impacts of herbicide use in commercial forestry, identify the knowledge gaps that currently exist, and inform future research. Ultimately the goal of the project as a whole is to amplify the voices of community members and other advocates and bring Indigenous perspectives to the forefront of the discussion around forest management techniques; foster relationships and mutual understanding between communities, federal and provincial government, and industry; and inform forest management in Canada, promoting more equitable and diverse views of forest ecosystems and how we as humans interact with them.
Some of the values that truly underpin my work are wisdom, respect, and humility. Without the wisdom and knowledge shared with me by community members, this work would not be possible. Often Western Science takes a very reductionist view of ecological systems, often completely ignoring socio-cultural aspects and dismissing traditional ecological knowledge and practices that have been passed down since time immemorial.
We must respect that we all come from different backgrounds, have different ways of seeing the world, and different priorities. We must also be humble, not assuming that our perspective is the “correct” perspective, and that other viewpoints also have merit and value. As a diverse partnership made up of conservation practitioners, community leaders, academics, government representatives, and many others; the CRP also embodies these values.
For more information about the WISE Lab visit: https://www.wiselab.ca/
For more information on Claire and Kathryn’s projects watch this video: