Christa Bedwin

I’m pleased to share that my Nuffield Canada Scholar report is now published. This work is grounded in a simple but urgent question for Canada’s restoration community: Do we have the systems in place to deliver native seed at the scale our restoration commitments demand? Through my Nuffield research, I studied native seed systems in leading jurisdictions internationally, learning from producers, seedbanks, land managers, and policymakers. The report distills those lessons into five interconnected pillars that are essential for building a resilient, prairie-focused native seed system in Western Canada: 1️⃣ Producers at the center Supported by training, shared infrastructure, foundation seed, and long-term procurement contracts that provide stability and confidence to invest. 2️⃣ Seedbanks as active partners Conserving genetic diversity while also supplying foundation seed and rare species to growers and restoration practitioners. 3️⃣ Policy and procurement frameworks Embedding native seed use into regulations, standards, and restoration targets so supply and demand grow together. 4️⃣ Diversified markets Expanding beyond restoration to include regenerative agriculture, pollinator habitat, Indigenous stewardship, and urban greening. 5️⃣ National coordination Building strong producer networks, regional hubs, and cross-sector collaboration to move from fragmented efforts to a cohesive system. One of the greatest values of the Nuffield experience was the opportunity to think globally and act locally—to learn from international models and adapt those lessons to Canadian prairie landscapes, producers, and communities. I am deeply grateful to my primary sponsor, Nature Conservancy of Canada/Conservation de la nature Canada, for its leadership and support of conservation innovation, and to Nuffield Canada for the extraordinary opportunity to learn globally, challenge assumptions, and build lasting international connections. Thank you to the many individuals, organizations, producers, and researchers—both in Canada and internationally—who generously shared their time, insights, and perspectives along the way. This report is shaped by those conversations and relationships. My hope is that this work helps advance a national conversation about building the native seed systems needed to match our restoration ambition—and turning commitment into capacity on the ground. 📄 The full report is available here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/grapdubt I welcome dialogue, collaboration, and discussion as we continue to think globally and act locally. #NuffieldCanada #NativeSeed #SeedSystems #PrairieRestoration #ThinkGloballyActLocally #Biodiversity #RegenerativeAgriculture

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Great day in the field: Site visit to one of UBC's Alex Fraser Research Forests at a biomass fuel recovery operation. After an intensive timber cruise & survey they are now doing selective thinning (to provide circumstances for more robust tree growth + to mitigate wildfire so those trees can grow to maturity). This project is actually a dual-study because they will measure the economics once they sell the chips from these fibre piles. So far they know their costs are actually quite moderate (y) Part of the UBC CHP Academy, lead by Dominik Roeser https://lnkd.in/gYgRphvJ Big Meadow Road, BC, Canada

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To my knowledge, for over a century the probabilistic narrative in the science and management related to forestry practices is rarely invoked across Canada and globally. The post of Robert W. Gray below seems to be an interesting exception, that raises some mind boggling questions! Decades of forestry practices have failed miserably from all perspectives: hydrology, ecology, wildlife, biodiversity, and even economically. In my opinion, this is the results of the reductionist-deterministic narrative or framework, and at the smallest scales, which continues to misguide forestry worldwide. I always wondered WHY? It is because the deterministic-reductionist framework leads to the convenient outcomes??? I recall one of the peer reviewers assigned by a journal responding to one of our articles which advocated for the probabilistic framework in forest hydrology saying: “But we find comfort in determinism”!!! Until we acknowledge and understand the WHY, we will continue shooting in the dark, and we will never learn from the past. Casey M. Scott Scholefield MSc, RPF Philippe Theriault, RPF Erik Piikkila mike morris Erica Gies Didi Pershouse Jessica Shoubridge Hon BA, MA (Plan)

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The BC Watershed Security Coalition’s new report shows that BC has the lowest industrial water rates in Canada. Interestingly, the mining sector pays the highest rate among industries, yet its water practices are often misunderstood. The report does not clearly define water use, and in mining, water withdrawal and water consumption have very different meanings. For example, Teck globally returns about 70% of its withdrawn water back to the environment, meaning only around 30% is actually consumed. Without this distinction, data and comparisons can be easily misinterpreted. Clear definitions are key to meaningful discussions on water management and policy. https://lnkd.in/gitWMicc

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On June 10, we will release From Risk to Readiness: Enhancing Alberta’s Wildfire Preparedness Through the FireSmart™ Scorecard. Developed in partnership with FireSmart Alberta, the new FireSmart™ Community Scorecard is a practical tool to help communities assess wildfire readiness and prioritize action, grounded in FireSmart's Community Wildfire Risk Management Cycle and the Seven Disciplines. Our pilot rollout revealed both strengths and key gaps in preparedness. Stay tuned for the full report and actionable insights.

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The Region of Waterloo addressed water constraints at last week's council meeting. Staff say they're working to expand the existing supply. "At this time, the region is piloting new modular technology at the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant, including adding infrastructure such as a new pumping station, reallocating the water supply, expanding existing well supply and making immediate investments to repair existing infrastructure." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gPhQkqCv Township of Wilmot

The Spirit of the Land Indigenous Cultural Rights and Interests Primer is now available. The Primer outlines the foundational principles and definitions related to Indigenous Cultural Rights, addressing both the tangible and intangible dimensions of culture. It responds to a longstanding gap in Canadian Impact Assessment processes, where cultural impacts are often treated as secondary or folded into broader environmental or socio-economic categories. Developed as part of the Spirit of the Land Toolkit, the Primer supports Indigenous nations in articulating their own understanding of Cultural Rights and strengthening consent-based decision making on major projects. Rather than defining Cultural Rights from a legal or external perspective, it centres the authority of Indigenous nations to define, assess, and protect what matters within their own territories. This is an Indigenous-led framework, grounded in community principles and leadership, intended to raise the bar for meaningful inclusion of Indigenous nations in major project assessment. Download a copy here: https://lnkd.in/eq4kZHcG

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𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽-𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲? Sara Murdoch (MA '25 Brock University ) used Esri/Esri Canada tools to study the geodemographics of winery visitors across Niagara, research inspired by her family’s journey in rebranding and running 180 Estate Winery. When a flash freeze damaged part of the vineyard, it sparked questions about how guests perceive the winery experience, and how geography could help shape better engagement. Sara’s work combined location analysis and visitor travel patterns to uncover how boutique wineries can better serve guests; from weekday tastings to strategic marketing outreach. Her research offers data-driven insights for municipalities, winery owners, and the entire Niagara wine community. 𝗔 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗜𝗦 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲. 🗺️🍷 🍷 Read the full story: https://ow.ly/rpY050WHtQY 📍 Know someone in the wine or tourism industry? Tag them to join the conversation.

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After months of meaningful consultations with communities across British Columbia, the BCMF Conservation Department is excited to begin implementing the CleanBC Plastics Action Fund, in partnership with Alacrity Canada. This initiative will support plastic waste reduction and help advance a circular economy through recycling, remanufacturing, reuse, and repair. Grounded in community voices, regional realities, and Indigenous engagement. We’re grateful to everyone who shared their time, knowledge, and priorities during the consultation phase. Those conversations have shaped how this work will move forward, and we’re energized to turn planning into action. More to come as we roll out this important work across the province. #CleanBC #PlasticsActionFund #CircularEconomy #CommunityLed #IndigenousEngagement #Conservation #BCMF

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Your environmental scientists are publishing nothing. Your competitors are publishing garbage. And somehow, they're still winning. We need to talk about the LinkedIn problem. Right now, there's a municipal procurement officer in Calgary googling "PFAS expert Alberta" before they write their RFP shortlist. Your Principal Environmental Scientist has 20 years of experience with PFAS fate and transport. She's consulted on contaminated sites across three provinces. She doesn't show up in that search. The firm that does? Started three years ago. Their "expert" has written six LinkedIn posts about PFAS—none of them particularly good—but they show up. And they're on the shortlist. This is the game now. Every environmental firm knows they "should be doing content." But here's what actually happens: Your scientists don't have time. Your BD person doesn't understand vapour intrusion pathways well enough to write about them. You hire a marketing agency and they send back blog posts that sound like they were written by someone who just discovered what Phase II means. So you publish nothing. Or worse—you publish the corporate equivalent of beige wallpaper that nobody reads. Meanwhile, procurement teams are scrolling LinkedIn looking for signs of expertise before they ever call you. What we actually do One of our core services is 'Team visibility'. We sit down with your environmental scientists after they close a project. We ask them questions like: "What did the client not understand about this contamination risk?" "What's changing in the regulations that most firms are missing?" "What would've happened if they'd hired someone less experienced?" Then we write it. In their voice. Like they would actually say it. Not a corporate press release. Not AI slop. Not another "10 tips for better environmental assessments." Actual insights. From actual experts. Published under their name. Your scientist spends 30 minutes talking. We turn it into content that makes them look like the authority they already are. Why this matters Because right now, the firms winning work aren't always the best firms. They're the ones whose experts are visible. Whose names come up when people search. Who've published something—anything—that proves they know what they're talking about. You can be furious about it. Or you can adapt. We help you adapt. Oceanfront | Marketing for environmental firms that actually know what a Phase II is

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Polar Regions Research and Activities Grants Program. Offers $50k for projects in the Canadian Arctic that integrate community-based science engagement activities and knowledge sharing. Deadline: Feb. 27, 2026. https://lnkd.in/g3hcgFwF

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"Forest blowdown" Back in the mid-late 80s, when the Province of Ontario examined timber management practices across Crown Lands in what was then, the largest Class Environmental Assessment on forestry practices ever conducted in Canada; we thoroughly reviewed (and cross-examined leading global experts in the fields of) silviculture, harvesting practices (e.g., clear cut size), stream buffers, regeneration/scarification and free-to-grow standards, wildlife integration/protection, pest control, regulatory oversight, and forest management planning, to name but a few.    We attempted to put into perspective many of the long-standing myths and perpetuated attitudes (often promoted by biased media interests) such as old growth forests in Ontario that, even almost half a century later, have regrettably endured regarding contemporary timber management practices.   The one issue that we didn’t address (or at least not to my recollection) was catastrophic forest blowdown and its influence on the deposition of large woody debris in headwater streams and its effects on hydrology and water quality.    Perhaps this was intentional given that large blowdown events are extremely rare, occurring every century or so in many forests. Ergo, notwithstanding high recruitment potential, few studies have investigated the influence of blowdown on in-channel large wood volumes and their capacity for promoting sediment and water storage.   A recent study across the Wombat State Forest, Victoria, examined blowdown area with density (e.g., trees per unit area) mapped remotely and paired with field-based measurements of in-channel large wood and associated sediment and water storage in the Lerdederg River and its tributaries.   A key finding of this study was that a single blowdown event in 2021 contributed 88% of the wood volume surveyed in the Wombat State Forest streams.  As noted, blowdown events of this size are indeed rare, yet blowdown likely remains the main source of large wood to these headwater streams. Instream wood loads were less sensitive to supply (i.e. number of fallen trees) than to valley morphology, suggesting that morphology is key to understanding the recruitment of coarse woody debris to the river corridor following forest blowdown in these valley settings.   See Scamardo and Rutherfurd (2025) in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, “The impact of catastrophic forest blowdown on large wood loads in headwater streams”

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🌿 In our latest #WaterNews article by Billie Jo Reid, learn how #NatureJournaling has become a powerful cross-curricular tool for observation, curiosity, and connection for Project WET Canada. It encourages students not just to learn about their environment, but to learn with it 📝 Read more about it at https://lnkd.in/d6tPhT2b

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Land owners and Contractors shouldn't fear making discoveries during their projects. Indigenous communities also have rights to truth and reconciliation. These issues obviously scale as the projects get larger and larger. Making matters worse...much of the action and protocols on this feels performative to builders rather than actually impactful. This doesn't help anyone. When owners and builders are transparent with their findings, protocols should be clear and more standardized; otherwise, doing the right thing becomes punitive. https://lnkd.in/gCitiuTE

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Key takeaways from the BC Natural Resources Forum: Partnership, Preparedness and Culture Change British Columbia is known for its natural beauty and strong resource sector, but it is also a province facing increasing challenges related to natural disasters. At this year’s BC Natural Resources Forum, there was a clear commitment from Indigenous leaders, government, industry executives and post‑secondary institutions to strengthen relationships, exchange perspectives and collaborate on approaches that support the province’s future. A consistent message emerged throughout the conversations: Partnership is essential. Preparedness is essential. Culture change is essential. As wildfires and climate‑driven emergencies continue to shape BC’s landscape, cross‑sector collaboration remains a critical part of building resilience. Thompson Rivers University participated in the forum to contribute to these conversations and to support practical, collaborative efforts that enhance British Columbia’s capacity to respond to wildfire and other natural hazards. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gRARCfQV Thank you to Laura Duke, Ben Peco, Monty Armstrong and Rachel Woodhurst and Dr. Prof Airini for an insightful discussion. #BC #BCNaturalResourcesForum #Wildfire #NaturalHazards #Research #TRUWildfire

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The second project funded by the CWA GLFEI program is entitled: Mercury (Hg) biogeochemical cycling and methylation during nearshore Cladophora blooms in Lake Erie Which is being done in partnership with Vaughn Mangal, PhD. from Brock University, Svetoslava Tedorova from Syracuse University, and Denina Simmons and I from Ontario Tech University. Master's student Aisha Pasha from the Ontario Tech Faculty of Science is studying the Cladophora mats using advanced 'omics and molecular techniques to determine the prevalence of mercury methylation genes and bacteria in the mats, and their dynamics as function of mat and environmental conditions.

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