2026 Project Highlights

Explore the Community-Based Research (CBR) projects completed through the Trent Community Research Centre (TCRC) during the 2025–2026 academic year. Use the menu below to browse projects by department and discover how students partnered with local organizations to create real-world impact:

Business Administration
Biology
Computing & Information Systems
Environmental & Resource Science
Forensic Science
Gender & Social Justice
History
Math
Master of Management
Media Studies
Policing & Community Wellbeing
Political Studies
Philosophy
Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems
Sociology

Business Administration

#6411: Short Term Rental Business, Licensing, Community Impact and Benefit

City of Kawartha Lakes

The City of Kawartha Lakes regulates Short-Term Rentals (STRs), which are properties rented for 28 days or less, benefiting tourism, businesses, and providing affordable housing. However, communities worry about potential disruptions to neighbourhood dynamics. This project assesses if the benefits of STRs outweigh the drawbacks for community support.

Student Researcher: Caleb Khan

Biology

#6405: Perception and knowledge of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among post-secondary students 18-30 years of age in the Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario.

Immunize Canada

This project explores the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of post-secondary students aged 18 to 30 regarding HPV and the HPV vaccine to better understand local awareness and barriers to vaccination.

Student Researcher: Natalya Blanchard

Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Kirk Hillsley

#6412: Strategies for Implementing Sepsis Guidelines within Paramedic Services

Dalhousie Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Emergency Medical Services

This project reanalyzes existing [SK1] transcripts with specific attention to the facilitators and barriers to implementing the surviving sepsis guidelines within Paramedic Services. This research will inform EMS organizations about promising practices to improve sepsis care.

Student Researcher: Emma Brouwer

Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Amy Greer

#6423: Soil Health Analysis for Growing a Permaculture Food Forest

True Peace Toronto

The goal of this project is to analyze the nutrient content in the soil of True Peace Toronto’s food forest. This project determines if nutrient deficiencies are the cause of the lack of productivity seen in fruit trees on the property, informing a plan for soil amendment grow and produce better food and medicine.

Student Researcher: Shreema Satra

Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Karen Thompson

Computing & Information Systems

#6279: Angler Harvest and Baseflow Effects on Brown Trout in Baxter Creek (MPFRA)

Freshwater Conservation Canada

This project assesses how recreational angling influences Brown Trout in the Zion Line reach of Baxter Creek within the Millbrook Provincial Fishing and Recreation Area (MPFRA) and whether interannual baseflow helps explain variation in Brown Trout abundance. All analyses will be delivered through a reproducible Snakemake + Docker data pipeline and summarized in a stakeholder-oriented interactive dashboard.

#6488: Assessing the Accessibility of the Peterborough Transit Website

City of Peterborough

This project evaluates the accessibility and usability of the Peterborough Transit website for users with diverse abilities, focusing on everyday tasks such as trip planning and accessing service updates. The project identifies barriers and develops practical recommendations to improve access to public transit information.

Student Researchers: Tahsin Maklai, Tamanna Chauhan

Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Alaa Alslaity

Environmental & Resource Science

#6315: Le Voyageur Outdoor Products - Biological Assessments to Support the Need for a New Improved Insect Protection Garment

Le Voyageur Outdoor Products

Le Voyageur Outdoor Products has designed and manufactured a new, unique and highly effective insect protection garment called “The Tick Suit”. This project focuses on the collection of biological facts, such as tick, mosquito and blackfly anatomy and how their physical strengths and weaknesses can be countered and controlled by the features of the tick suit.

Student Researchers: Ellise Morgan, Emily Deck, Jack Bell, Kylie Moore
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6386: Understanding and Addressing Illegal Dumping: A Case Study of Ashburnham Memorial Park

Clean UP Peterborough & Ashburnham Memorial Stewardship Group

The purpose of this project is to understand the psychological and social factors that contribute to illegal dumping in small towns, using Ashburnham Memorial Park as a case study. By examining why individuals engage in this behaviour and exploring effective strategies used elsewhere to reduce illegal dumping, the project identifies practical, community-based solutions.

Student Researcher: Meghan Elliott

Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Hill

#6431: Designing Landscapes for Water and Wildlife

Otonabee College

This project supports an ecological design initiative focused on enhancing biodiversity and managing seasonal water flow in a naturalized space on campus. Existing topographic features of the area were mapped to inform landscaping recommendations that support controlled seasonal flooding and create conditions that attract and sustain a diversity of native plant and animal species. The outcomes of the project will be used to guide future activities and updates in the study area, ensuring ongoing ecological improvement and habitat management.

Student Researcher: Natalie Caines

Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Autumn Watkinson

#6436: Assessing Critical Wetland Needs for Overwintering Success for Snapping Turtles

This project assesses wetlands in Ontario’s Highlands to determine their role in supporting the overwintering needs of snapping turtles, a species at risk. The project quantifies wetland basin availability on average across various “districts” and then evaluated their suitability for overwintering through remote sensing, to understand the average number of potential sites if adaptation to new areas is required due to wetland losses The results provide critical insight into habitat requirements, and guide land-use planning, as well as policies to protect overwintering habitats.

Student Researcher: Esme Batchelor

Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Tom Whillans

#6437: Trends in Turtle Populations in Ontario’s Highlands

This project analyzes seven years of community-science turtle data collected by The Land Between and Turtle Guardians volunteers to assess population characteristics, age and sex ratios, and species trends along roadways in Ontario’s Highlands. Over 4,000 observations, including environmental variables and road use patterns, were used to identify mortality hotspots and inform conservation priorities. Results will guide road management decisions, support mitigation strategies such as ecopassages, and provide practical insights to reduce turtle mortality while safeguarding species at risk.

Student Researcher: Karmin McDonald

Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Tom Whillans

#6450: Temperate Forest Carbon Compass: Literature Review for Measurement and Practice

Trent University Sustainability Office

This project explores the vital role of forests in mitigating climate change. Research focused on surveying literature related to carbon storage and sequestration in temperate forests, including soil carbon dynamics and monitoring techniques. These findings inform future landscape management efforts, providing valuable experience in environmental research and policy.

Student Researchers: Keirah Thompson, Sarah Kilby
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6451: From Soil to Policy: Agricultural Carbon Sequestration and Accounting in Practice

Trent University Sustainability Office

This project focused on advancing sustainable agriculture and climate solutions. Carbon sequestration in cultivated soils, with an emphasis on regenerative and low-tillage practices, and exploration of the evolving science behind agricultural carbon accounting were researched. In-depth literature review on how farmland ecosystems store and reduce greenhouse gases, and how these benefits are measured was conducted. These findings will inform future landscape management at Trent, contributing to broader efforts to reduce carbon impacts.

Student Researchers: Adam Wright, Kayla Homer
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6454: Beyond the Bin: Exploring Waste Diversion Strategies to Inform Opportunities in Selwyn Township

Township of Selwyn

Through the completion of a waste audit, Selwyn Township has identified several categories of waste that are not currently being diverted from landfill. This includes items like bulky plastics, textiles, carpet, and some construction and demolition waste. This project investigates best practices and opportunities that exist for municipalities to divert and recycle these materials.

Student Researchers: Alexander Cunha, Lingbo Meng
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6457: An Assessment of the Stewardship Options for the Needler's Mill Lands and former Community Arena in Millbrook, Township of Cavan-Monaghan

Township of Cavan-Monaghan

For the benefit of community residents and Council, this project provides “in perpetuity” stewardship options for the transformation of Millbrook’s historic Needler’s Mill area into a multi use municipal park tentatively named Needler's Common Town Square. Using case studies from Canada and the U.S., this project examines models of urban park stewardship led by not-for-profit groups.

Student Researchers: Amber Hurst, Jaden Hearns
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6458: Building the Foundation: Identifying Best Practices in Municipal Ecosystem Valuation

City of Peterborough

This project lays the foundation for the City of Peterborough’s wetland and waterways valuations, identifying municipal leaders across Canada and best practices for the valuation of wetlands and waterways. This includes current approaches and considerations for assessing the value of wetlands and waterways, with consideration of the costs needed to retain ecosystem function through the restoration of existing features and/or the creation of alternative features.

Student Researchers: Ben Rose, Owen Caron
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6461: Restoring Resilience - Growing Goodrich-Loomis

Lower Trent Conservation

This project determines what initial steps need to be taken by Lower Trent Conservation (LTC) to develop a solid plan to restore tallgrass prairie at Goodrich-Loomis Conservation Area. Research included the planning, preparation, and public outreach components necessary for safe and successful prescribed burn operations.

Student Researchers: Cooper Pelchat, Grace Boyle, Solenne Bedard
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6469: Micro-recycling and Community Makerspaces: Assessing Feasibility and Circular Economy Opportunities for Peterborough

Clean Up Peterborough

This project examines the feasibility, benefits, and community opportunities associated with developing a micro-recycling hub and complementary makerspace on hard-to-recycle plastics in Peterborough. Best practices from across Canada and internationally were explored, assessing environmental and economic opportunities, and identifying how community-scale recycling and makerspaces can support circular economy goals. Findings support future planning, community engagement, and potential funding applications for Clean Up Peterborough as it expands its circular economy programming.

Student Researchers: Eryn Kostash, Myah Sandiland
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6470: Community Farmland Governance

Farms at Work

This project is an environmental scan of community farmland projects that provides baseline information needed by Farms at Work, a local agricultural charity. It will help to inform work in developing one or more Community Farms in the Peterborough region with the goal of improving access by new farmers to farmland, shared infrastructure and supportive educational opportunities.

Student Researchers: Abbey Laurin, Katherine Gibson
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6473: How Winter Climate Change Shapes Lake Trout Survival

North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery

In this project, students examine how climate-driven changes in ice cover duration and winter water temperatures affect lake trout fry hatching, early feeding success, and survival, with particular attention to delayed spring productivity, oxygen stress, and shortened first growing seasons. Using the literature, students assessed whether altered ice and temperature regimes may be contributing to increased fry mortality in Hastings County and whether restoration interventions are warranted.

Student Researchers: Abbey Dubecki, Evan Miller, Laura-Jade Cohan, Mary Middleton
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6476: Assessing Forage Fish Biodiversity

Land'escapes

Over the past two years, Land’escapes has collected survey data on forage fish populations around the park, but the data has not yet been fully utilized. This project examines this dataset to identify species composition, assess habitat suitability, and develop recommendations for habitat improvements. Additionally, the project includes refining survey protocols and suggesting enhancements for future monitoring efforts.

Student Researchers: Aubrey Urbshott, Samuel Matukas
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6477: Assessing Dissolved Oxygen as a Predictor of Aquatic Biodiversity

Land'escapes

Over the past 2–3 years, Land’escapes collected monthly dissolved oxygen data from six target lakes within the park, and we want to understand what this data reveals about lake conditions and the species they could potentially support. Currently, these lakes are dominated by thriving bass populations, with little diversity, likely influenced by decades of questionable stocking practices. This project explores whether these lakes were historically suited for a more diverse fish community or if bass dominance is a natural outcome.

Student Researchers: Elijah Luxbacher, Jade Holman
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6478: Understanding Rodenticide Use, Risk Perception, and Attitudes Toward Rodents and Wildlife in Ontario

Defend Them All

In partnership with Rodenticide Free Ontario, this project examines rodent management practices in Ontario, public understanding of rodenticide risks, and interest in humane, non-toxic, prevention-first alternatives. The study also explores attitudes toward rodents and levels of concern for non-target species such as companion animals and wildlife, including birds of prey. Findings inform public education, advocacy, and evidence-based outreach.

Student Researchers: Adelaide Quinn, Isabelle Mullen, Karmin McDonald
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6481: BrightField Spots in the City: Case Studies and Local Feasibility for a Solar Farm within Peterborough

4RG

This project explores how inner-city solar farms have been successfully developed in other communities, examining their impacts, success stories, and key lessons learned. Existing barriers to urban solar development were identified and analysis was completed as to what would be required to establish a similar project in Peterborough. This work involved developing case studies and exploring local policies, informing a possible future CBR project including interviews with key stakeholders.

Student Researchers: Brianne Rutherford, Ethan Pelletier, Nathan Gillespie
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6482: Job Transition and the Shift Off Fossil Fuels

The Energy Mix

This project focuses on the transition from jobs in fossil fuel-related industries to clean energy, specifically: the impact of job losses on communities, and the current skills development landscape for clean energy careers. The project compiles quantitative and qualitative data using research and community engagement methods, including policy and media reviews, data analysis, and community surveys. This project provides a unique opportunity to explore a key piece of Canada’s economic and social transition to clean energy.

Student Researchers: Bronwyn Godden, Nira Uthayasangar, Shantacia Swaby, Vedanth Devadiga
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Eric Sagar

#6310, 6500-6509: Green Communities Canada - Best Practices for Engaging and Enabling Community Stewardship for Green Infrastructure Projects

Since 2021, Green Communities Canada (GCC) has worked with over 30 community organizations across the country to advance green infrastructure projects. Students studying Qualitative Methods in Geography and Environmental Studies (GEOG 2510H) worked together to identify best practices for stewardship activities, including volunteer engagement, and monitoring and maintenance of green infrastructure sites promoting long-term sustainability.

6500 - Keira Ritter, Heidi Springer, Liam Cumming, Alex Greer, Malaika MacOun, Kaylina Bouwers
6501 - Bradley McCutcheon, Abby Stinson, Dakota De Genova, Shantal Howell, Ebb Dennis
6502 - Alexandra Blakeney, Juliane Deubrouck, Oliver Parratt, Sienna Spence, Ruby Carbert, Avery Diak, Caleb Mcmanus, Jugisha Rekhi, Tiago Simao, Tyler Vine
6503 - Morgan Drew, Natasha Hall, Christine Chen, Alyssa Dicks, Breann McMurray, Andre Lazeron
6504 - Jude Candfield, Peyton Greenwood, Sandra Hall, Sam Joseph, Riley Maclean
6506 - Zoe Aikman, Erin Doyle, Alex Fois, Denver Haycock, Adria Mcauley, Austin Burgess, Shayla Degraaff, MacEy Hopkins, Trinity Howden, Olaoluwa Oyekunle
6508 - Vedanth Devadiga, Tyler McDonald, Olivia Di Maio, Levi Gaboury, Tanner Potts, Dallyn Rai
6509 - Maya Atkinson, Thanaa Lakehal, Kaylee Truax, Sebastien Kriekle, Nina Sadlik
6310 - Kendra Delaney, Brianna Dixon, Ava Patten, Isabelle Sturm, Jacob Keogh, Kara Boychuck

#6491: The Effect of Nature Connectedness, Awe, and Mental Health on Pro-environmental Behaviour (PEB)

Trent University Sustainability Office

This project aims to improve understanding of the factors that promote pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). It includes a literature review examining the relationship between nature connectedness, awe, and mental health, and how these elements interact to encourage PEB. The findings have implications for shaping behaviours that support sustainability, conservation of green spaces, and climate change mitigation.

Student Researcher: Colin Doyle
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Stephanie Rutherford

Forensic Science

#6399: Exploring the Viability of a Cash-First Food Bank Model in Kawartha Lakes

Kawartha Lakes Food Source

This project examines the shift in some regions, such as Canada’s West Coast, from non-perishable food donations to cash contributions for food banks. It assesses whether a cash-first model - designed to improve access to healthier food - could work in the City of Kawartha Lakes. The study analyzes local donation patterns, operational capacity, and community attitudes to identify needed infrastructure, outreach, and policy changes.

Student Researcher: Caity McConnell