New class in May 2013!
ENVS 2000: Urban Field School

Urban Field School is being offered for the first time in May 2013. This field class offers an introduction to urban environmental science by examining the role of humans in ecosystems and how humans change ecosystem processes and functions within urban areas. Students gain hands-on experience in environmental science techniques during excursions in different urban settings with the Halifax Regional Municipality. While not yet a required class, it is strongly recommended that students entering their 2nd year take the class as part of their program.

Field School dates: May 6 to May 24, 2013
Instructor: Daniel Rainham
Pre- requisites: ENVS 1000.06 and open only to students in the BSc Environmental Science Program.
Notes: The class consists of daily field trips and/or labs. An auxilliary fee is charged to cover field expenses. Please email Daniel.Rainham@dal.ca for permission to register.
For more information contact: dhall@dal.ca

New Curriculum Requirements

Coming 2013-14: new curriculum requirements for the Major and Honours degree in ENVS. Read more...

Powershift 2012

This fall, over 80 youth from Halifax, many of which were Dalhousie University students, travelled to Ottawa to attend PowerShift 2012. PowerShift is an environmental conference and gathering of youth from all across the country focussed on building an environmental and climate justice movement in Canada. Three Personal Experiences...

The Impact of Global Land-cover Change on the Terrestrial Water Cycle

Human impacts on the terrestrial water cycle have the potential to influence hazards such as flooding and drought. Estimates of evapotranspiration for different types of land cover and data on changes in land-use show that land-cover change caused by people is already an important factor affecting the
terrestrial water cycle. Read more...

Dal research from the Health Geomatics Lab

Dal study finds that urban youth get more exercise than rural and suburban ones. More...

New Class: ENVS 2100 Environmental Informatics

Environmental Informatics is the knowledge, skills and tools which enable information to be collected, managed and disseminated to support research in environmental science. Students develop skills for the analysis, evaluation and synthesis of knowledge in environmental science. Information systems, tools and techniques are introduced and applied to current environmental challenges.

Note: ENVS 2100 Environmental Informatics is now required for all second year ENVS students in place of ENVS 2001 Analytical Environmental Science and Social Responsibility. It is offered in the Fall term. See the timetable for times and locations.

Environmental Science Students Audit Killam Waste System

In March 2011, a student team (pictured above) from ENVS 3502 Environmental Problem Solving II conducted waste audits
in the library to analyze compliance levels in the PROG bin systems. More...

Congratulations

Environmental Science's Emily Stewart has been awarded a 2011 Governors' Award in recognition of her academic accomplishments and exceptional contributions to campus life and community service. Emily is one of four recipients. 

Emily also recently received the W. Andrew MacKay Alumni Scholarship, which recognizes individuals with outstanding academic records and demonstrated leadership in extra-curricular activities. Read more...

Researcher investigates health of Nova Scotia watersheds

The province of Nova Scotia has committed to developing a comprehensive water resource management strategy.

The first project under the strategy is being led by Dr. Shannon Sterling and the Hydrologic Systems Research Group. Information will be collected and a tool will be created to assess the health of Nova Scotia watersheds. Read more...

Researcher wants to probe air quality

Like every city, Halifax has its share of air pollution and noise.

But exactly what kinds of contaminants foul the air in different parts of the city? What types of noise at what levels assault the ears of downtown residents, as opposed to folks in Bedford?

Halifax researcher Daniel Rainham wants to find the answers to those questions. Read more...

The 2010 Campus Green Guide

The Campus Green Guide--Living Sustainably at Dalhousie 2010 Edition Now Available!

Download at greenguide.dal.ca

A guide to getting greener

Kudos

Congratulations to Kendra Sauerteig (Honours Biology with a Minor in Environmental Studies) upon winning the Canadian Botanical Association’s Regional Undergraduate Award.
Read more...

On the environment's side

Environmental Programs graduate Alison Koper fights to protect the environment. Read more...

Taking a green perspective  

A new issue of Green Perspectives has just hit local newsstands. Read more...

Dal student urges action

Emily Rideout encourages Canadians to send letters to elected representatives urging action on climate change. 
                                                                             Read more...

Go with the floe

Dalhousie Environmental Science grad Caitlyn MacMaster recently spent two weeks in the Canadian Arctic. As a chaperone with Students on Ice, Caitlyn cruised the east coast of Baffin Island with a team of scientists, environmental visionaries, artists, respected Inuit figures, and enthusiastic students.
                                                                          Read more...

The Green List: the Baby Greens

Dal grad Zoe Caron makes the "green list" of the magazine Green Living: "A founding member of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. Co-authored Global Warming for Dummies with Green Party leader Elizabeth May, to be published in July."
Green Living, Mar. 17

Sowing seeding, reaping results

“Many wonderful seeds being sown everywhere at Dal,” is the way the first director of the Office of Sustainability describes the sustainability initiatives underway at the university.

It will be Rochelle Owen’s job to ensure those seeds grow into operational initiatives and come together in a university-wide plan.                                      Read more...

The tip of the iceberg

Zoë Caron graduated with a BSc in Environmental Sciences & International Development from Dalhousie University last spring. Read about her trip to Antartica to join the Students on Ice expedition. 

                                                                        Read more ...

Ideas for open spaces as people spaces

 Halifax may be the “City of Trees,” but a few public spaces could use a facelift. Take the crumbling concrete terrace off Market Street beside Scotia Square’s parkade, for example. Sze Ying Lui envisions radically redesigning it with more plants, water, quiet places to sit  and a covered walkway. Read more ...

Congratulations

Congratulations to those recently honoured at the  4th Annual Green Gala:

• Christine Angelidis is the recipient of the 2013 Environmental Science Program Award. This annual award is given to an Environmental Science Program student in her/his third year of study who has shown academic promise in her/his environmental course work.
• Haley Guest is the winner of the 2013 Owen Hertzman Prize. The Owen Hertzman Prize is granted annually to an Environmental Science Program student who is deemed to have contributed significantly to the Environmental Science Program school life.
• Stephanie Mellon is the recipient of the 2013 Pearson Book Prize. The book prize is awarded to the second year student who achieved the highest average in their first year courses.
• Tiffany Vass is the recipient of the 2013 Art and Dorothy Cooke Memorial Research Scholarship.
  

Congratulations to recent Science Atlantic Environment Conference winners:

• Tiffany Vass won the prize for best poster (What is the significance of "community" wind energy? The influence of local project initiation, participation, and investment on local perceptions) at the Science Atlantic Environment Conference at Acadia University, March 15 and 16, 2013.
• ENVS graduate Catherine MacNeil won the award for Best Graduate Presentation at the same meeting for her talk "Youth livelihood strategies and environmental decision-making in the humid forest zone of Cameroon". Catherine was a combined ENVS/IDS student and is
  currently studying at UPEI with Dr. Carolyn Peach-Brown.