Sustainable Food, Land, Water and Oceans
UN Sustainable Development Goals
For Indigenous peoples, the expression “all my relations” is an onto-epistemological touchstone for sustainability, acknowledging our place within an interconnected living world. This harmonic relational way of knowing, doing, and being evokes a sense of compassionate responsibility emanating from our willingness and capacity to create and sustain good relations with all aspects of creation including the earth, the sky, the water, the plants, and the animals. Being in ‘good-relation’ means honoring our relatives - taking care of each other and the world around us through constant and consistent acts of kindness, renewal, and reciprocity. We are all relatives.
Shawna Cunningham
Acting Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement
UNESCO Chair in Mountain Water Sustainability
UCalgary named host institution to address the challenges of sustaining and managing the mountain waters and develop solutions towards sustainable water management in the cold mountain regions that are being impacted by climate change.
Research and Innovation
UCalgary study show river deltas act as 'climate regulators' in storing carbon
Research led by Faculty of Science geoscientists finds deltas store organic carbon over geologic timescales. An international team led by UCalgary has shown that river deltas continuously remove and store significant amounts of carbon from Earth’s terrestrial biosphere over geologic timescales. Their study found the burial rates of organic carbon in the ancient delta are similar to the rates measured in modern deltas globally.
UCalgary researchers co-lead study on Canada-U.S. water-sharing agreement
How is water valued and shared between two countries? Schulich School of Engineering professor and researcher is heading up an independent cross-border study into updating the oldest piece of legislation governing the use of The St. Mary and Milk Rivers that runs between the US-Canada border.
Researcher measures the ocean’s contribution to combating climate change
An associate professor in the Department of Geography in the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Brent Else has been awarded Discovery Grant and Ship Time funding by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to study and measure just how much carbon is being absorbed by the ocean.
Teaching, Learning and Student Experience
Plants, pollinators and people: Preserving a mutually beneficial relationship
Many plants depend on native bees, butterflies and other pollinators to thrive. In turn, people rely on plants and pollinators to produce up to one-third of all the food we eat. But what are the impacts of urban environments, loss of habitat and climate change on this mutually beneficial relationship? Students and faculty at the UCalgary are helping to answer that question.
Land-based learning opportunity offered to UCalgary students
A block week course during spring semester offered UCalgary students a unique experiential learning opportunity to understand and practise Indigenous land-based learning approaches. Students had an opportunity work with and learn from local communities, in particular the Stoney-Nakoda, Blackfoot, and Tsuut’ina.
Tackling food security issues on campuses across Canada
As conversations surrounding food security continue to ramp up on a national and global scale, there appeared to be no better topic to focus on for this year's second annual Experience Ventures National Hackathon, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking. Teams of students from different post-secondary institutions across the country came together virtually to help design ideas for the future of food security on campus.
Campus and Community Impact
Nourish to Flourish at UCalgary
The Nourish to Flourish Working Group launched a community fridge pilot program on May 1, 2023. Students, staff and faculty at UCalgary are free to access the regularly stocked fridges and take what they need.
Grad students recommend water-conservation education in policy brief to the city
Following a one-week water-audit and result analysis, UCalgary students were inspired to take their water conservation recommendations right to the top of City Hall in hopes of The City increasing water-conservation education efforts.
UCalgary program to fight food insecurity
A survey conducted for a research program revealed 50% of respondents struggling with food insecurity and 80% revealing they could not bring enough food to last the entire day. This inspired Grad students to develop the Grad Snacks program to fight food insecurity on Foothills Campus, to provide nutritious, convenient snacks to students 24 hours a day.