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Exploring Engagement with the EcoSchools Platform: An Interactive Display Board Exploratory Evaluation
No full textThis study explores strategies to enhance engagement with EcoSchools Canada, an online sustainability platform used across Canada. Through an exploratory case study involving two Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) schools, the research evaluates the effectiveness of interactive tools such as an Interactive Display Board (IDB) and action cards in fostering student engagement, self-efficacy, and action competence in sustainability initiatives. Through examining user experiences and feedback from Eco-teams and staff, the findings aim to identify if and how these interventions serve as valuable complements to EcoSchools activities. Although not a standalone solution, these tools facilitate deeper involvement when integrated within EcoSchools and Eco-team programs. The study highlights the need for future research on the long-term impacts of such tools within the broader EcoSchools framework, particularly regarding sustained engagement. Ultimately, this work contributes to the existing knowledge of sustainability education programs and addresses a gap in EcoSchools research, especially prior to its transition to an online platform
Implantation of Eel and Lamprey Acoustic Tag (ELAT) Alters Metabolic Rate & Feeding Behaviour in Juvenile Sea Lamprey
No full textThe invasion of the Laurentian Great Lakes by sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the early-mid 1900s caused serious harm to commercial, recreational and Indigenous fisheries. They continue to threaten these fisheries due to the blood-feeding behaviour of parasitic juvenile lamprey. Sea lamprey have a complex life cycle which begins with a filter-feeding larval stage, before they undergo metamorphosis and enter the parasitic juvenile stage, during which time they feed on the blood of fishes using their oral disc and dagger-like tongue. Following this stage, they migrate up freshwater streams, as spawning adults. One of the challenges in managing this invasive species is understanding the early movements and behaviour of the parasitic juvenile life-stage in the wild. The small size and elongated shape of these anguilliform animals make it difficult to implant tracking devices on or within the animals without causing potentially confounding physiological and behavioural responses. Fitting juvenile sea lamprey with tags to better understand their movements and behaviour would generate new knowledge that could be used to strengthen the sea lamprey control program in the Great Lakes. Recently, a small eel and lamprey acoustic tag (ELAT) was developed to study this poorly understood life-stage, but an understanding of how ELAT implantation affects the behaviour or physiology of the tagged animals is essential prior to its wider application in the field.
This thesis focused on determining what sub-lethal effects were experienced by juvenile sea lamprey due to tagging procedures and the burden of carrying the ELAT. Intermittent flow respirometry was used to determine the resting and maximum metabolic rates of three different groups of fish (control, sham surgery, and tagged) at 10-, 20-, and 30-days post-surgery to explore possible metabolic rate differences between treatment groups. Importantly, we found significant decreases in maximum metabolic rate and aerobic scope for tagged juveniles. ELAT implantation also affected feeding behaviour, as demonstrated in feeding trials where animals were implanted with ELATs and held with a single lake trout for 10 days. ELAT implantation in juvenile sea lamprey resulted in significantly lower probabilities of tagged juveniles attempting to and successfully attaching to the host, compared to control and sham surgery juveniles. In conclusion, high survival and tag retention following ELAT implantation suggests that this method may have value for tracking juvenile sea lamprey movements in the field, but the impairment of aerobic scope and feeding behaviour by the ELAT suggests that the interpretation of such data should be done with caution
Autism and Homelessness: An Intersectional Case Study in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario
No full textHomelessness is a growing crisis in Canada, with literature suggesting autistic traits as over-represented within this population. Literature addressing intersectional experiences of autism is emerging, however there are gaps in the research surrounding intersectional experiences of autism and homelessness. Research suggests that autistic individuals may be more vulnerable to experiencing homelessness and face difficulties in exiting homelessness. This qualitative case study utilizes a Disability Justice framework to explore intersectional autistic experiences of homelessness, social service usage, and suggests recommendations on improving support for autistic individuals at risk of and experiencing homelessness. Four autistic participants with experience of homelessness and accessing homelessness services within the Waterloo region are interviewed using a trauma-informed lens. Their narratives are analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, informed by social constructivism. Three themes are generated with a total of five subthemes. These themes address the role of relationships, the role of autistic camouflaging, and the role of social services in autistic experiences of homelessness. Using a combination of the findings from this study and existing literature, I created micro, mezzo, and macro recommendations to improve conditions for autistic individuals at risk of and experiencing homelessness. While this research study is complete, the ongoing advocacy and research efforts for systemic and interpersonal change must continue to decrease ableism for autistic individuals
Episode 4a: CoP Interview: Antiracism and Universal Design for Learning with Andratesha Fritzgerald
No full textIn this episode, Brenna interviews Andratesha Fritzgerald about her book Antiracism and Universal Design for Learning: Building Expressways to Success. Andratesha discusses using the tools of universal design for antiracist teaching practice goals, where and how racism shows up for learners in school (especially in K-12 education), and how educators can signal that their classroom will be a safer space for learning. Andratesha talks about the power of reflection in empowering learners.https://scholars.wlu.ca/community-of-praxis/1007/thumbnail.jp
Exploring Leadership in a Changing Church
No full textThe present phenomenological study investigated the experience of leaders and leadership among active Lutheran clergy serving congregations in the Eastern Synod of the ELCIC in a time of change. Eleven rostered leaders of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) were interviewed individually using a semi-structured interviews addressing leadership and changes in the church to facilitate the conversation. Participants also completed a participant questionnaire in advance of the semi-structured interview to make sure the sample was diverse in gender, years of ordination and geographical context of ministry. Participants were able to articulate what values and requirements needed to be in place to work collaboratively with colleagues as well as the influence of change especially a global pandemic, impacting their desire to work collaboratively with others. Given the information ascertained in this study more research within the wider ELCIC would give valuable insights to the influence of collaborative leadership during a time of change in the church
Evaluating the Decision-Making Ability of Basketball Players Using a Virtual Reality Perceptual Assessment
No full textAn essential component of individual and team success in basketball is decision-making ability. Critically, basketball coaches require reliable and valid tools to assess this skill to aid their talent evaluation processes. To address previous challenges in examining decision-making, the current study aimed to create a laboratory-based perceptual task that could serve as a proxy for in-game decision-making ability. Grounded in ecological psychology, the perceptual task allowed participants to perceive and act upon collision and aperture affordances in a virtual reality environment. The study sample included Canadian university basketball players and non sport-playing Canadian university students (x̄ = 21.14 years ± 2.43; 17 athletes and 19 non athletes). Two separate two-way mixed ANOVAs revealed that basketball players were more accurate (F(1, 34) = 4.327, p = 0.045, ω² = 0.052) and more consistent (F(1, 34) = 7.695, p = 0.009, ω² = 0.156) than non-athletes on the perceptual task. Correlational analyses suggested that consistent performance on perceptual task was moderately associated with higher assists (r(14) = 0.41 [-0.11, 0.75], p = 0.119), higher turnovers (r(15) = 0.42 [0.05, 0.79], p = 0.093), and higher box creation scores ((r(15) = 0.47 [0.10, 0.78], p = 0.060). Overall, the current study lays the foundation for a more holistic testing of athletes and challenges traditional approaches to evaluating decision-making. Future iterations of the perceptual task could prove useful for talent identification and investigations of decision-making ability in basketball players
At a Crossroads: Crisis, Vulnerability, and the Possibility of Transformation of Nature-Based Tourism in Canada
No full textWe live in an era shaped by a global polycrisis, where climate change, pandemics, economic shocks, geopolitical tensions, and social inequities are converging to create complex, cascading, and compounding risks. For Canada’s nature-based tourism sector, situated at the nexus of social and ecological systems, the polycrisis both amplifies the vulnerabilities of tourism and highlights tourism’s role in perpetuating global risks. Recognizing this duality, this dissertation examines how crises amplify systemic vulnerabilities while also acting as leverage points for transformative change in Canada’s nature-based tourism sector, drawing on geography, systems thinking, resilience theory, regenerative tourism, and futures thinking scholarship.
The three studies that form the core of this dissertation are intentionally designed to be complementary and integrated, spanning geographic scales (national and local), methods (modified Delphi technique, quantitative survey, semi-structured interviews), levels (individual, destination, sectoral), and global risks (climate change and COVID-19). The first study, a national horizon scan, engaged tourism experts to identify and prioritize emerging challenges for nature-based tourism in Canada’s parks, protected, and conserved areas over the next three decades, highlighting the sector’s exposure to interconnected risks. The second study, a national survey of 753 Canadians, examined shifts in travel behaviours, motivations, values, and preferences across four phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing both persistence and transformation. The third study examined tourism recovery after the 2024 Jasper wildfire through semi-structured interviews with tourism professionals and community representatives, revealing how structural vulnerabilities shaped recovery processes while also highlighting possibilities for alternative futures in one of Canada’s most visited nature-based destinations.
Taken together, these studies demonstrate that crises magnify systemic vulnerabilities yet also create opportunities for transformation. By situating tourism resilience within the broader context of the polycrisis, this dissertation advances the understanding of how a sector both shaped by and shaping global change can navigate uncertain futures. It offers theoretical and practical insights for aligning Canada’s nature-based tourism sector with regenerative and climate-resilient pathways at a time when systemic transformation is both urgent and necessary
Introduction to Sustainable Publishing Joint Issue
No full textEditorial introduction to a special joint issue with Imaginations Journal on sustainable publishing
