Introduced bumble bee dominates Lower Mainland pollinator surveys
Risa Sargent, who heads the Plant Pollinator and Global Change lab in LFS, and master’s student Sarah Knoerr are featured in a UBC News story to discuss rising concerns about the number of common eastern bumble bees—an introduced species—being found in the wild and in research surveys of pollinators in the Lower Mainland.
Indigenous Forest Gardens Look to Expand
In a first-of-its-kind partnership, UBC, Simon Fraser University (SFU) and three First Nations in so-called B.C. are applying novel approaches to measure soil processes and properties, and the downstream impacts on ecosystem health.
A Fast Read on Plastics in Our Food and Water
A new portable tool can give you a precise reading on how much plastic could be seeping from your plastic coffee cup and into your body. Read about the innovation by Assistant Professor Tianxi Yang and her team, on a device that works in tandem with an app and uses fluorescent labeling of micro and nano plastics (MNPs) to detect plastic particles ranging in size.
How Artificial Lights at Night Impact Insects and Bats
Artificial light can play a huge threat on insects and bats. An LFS masters student, Daphne Chevalier is working on a project that aims to understand the impacts of artificial light on various organisms and subsequently, its implications for our food system.
Building Common Languages to Support Healthier Communities
Alumna Madeleine Daepp has developed an array of tools to address some of our most critical issues, which she uses in her unique role as a Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research in Seattle, WA. With her role, she continues forging multi-disciplinary collaborations, focusing on the use of novel data sources and technologies to promote health equity and foster climate adaptation in cities.
Baby’s first bites: How to introduce food allergens to infants
May is Food Allergy Awareness Month in Canada. PhD candidate Brock Williams, a registered dietitian, talks about safely introducing potential allergens to an infant for the first time.
Going High Tech in Animal Agriculture
Imagine a future where animals – like many humans – wear Fitbit-like devices. Varina Cabrera, a short-term exchange student from Uruguay uses new technology to enhance the detection of lameness in dairy cows which can enable prediction and prevention of illnesses within the animals.
Establishing Spaces for Indigenous Land-based Learning
Wilson Mendes is completing his PhD in Integrated Studies in Land and Food System, focusing on how land-based education and Indigenous food system practices are essential for decolonization efforts. This includes promoting the health and wellness of Indigenous communities through engaging with the land, food, culture, and community.
Extreme Weather Impacts Wildlife Too
Extreme weather caused by climate change has had a devastating impact on the human residents of B.C, but the impact it has on wildlife is not well understood. Read more about how researchers of the Long-term Biodiversity Monitoring Program gather data to investigate what impact extreme smoke and heat has on the wildlife that call the UBC Farm home.
Improving Clinical Practice in Pediatrics
For his post-doctoral research, Brock Williams will be joining the Division of Allergy at BC Children’s Hospital, focusing on identifying the challenges and barriers that caregivers experience in introducing and regularly feeding infants commonly allergenic foods, such as peanuts and eggs.