TSE Seminar Series - School of the Environment

Informally meet colleagues, professors, and guest speakers; learn about ongoing research and issues related to the environment

Free and open to all members of the Trent community and the public

Friday October 3rd, 3:00-4:00pm, CCN M2

Ian Power, Trent University

Geochemical CO₂ removal for climate change mitigation: From HQP to HQP

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies are crucial for offsetting hard-to-abate greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. The weathering of alkaline rocks and minerals is one means by which the Earth naturally removes CO₂ from the atmosphere, and forms the basis of many geochemical CDR approaches, including enhanced weathering of mineral wastes at mines and carbonation of oxide and hydroxide minerals in engineered systems. In this presentation, we’ll explore the potential for CO₂ sequestration within mine wastes using diamond mines in South Africa and Canada as examples. Second, we’ll delve into the processes, mechanisms, and limitations in the carbonation of highly reactive oxide and hydroxide minerals that are being used in direct air capture technologies. The tremendous research contributions of many highly qualified personnel (HQP) from the PowerGeolab will be showcased.

Ian Power is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Environmental Geoscience in the Trent School of the Environment (PowerGeolab.com). Power’s team carries out laboratory and field experiments, as well as geochemical modelling, to understand mineral-water-CO₂ interactions in natural and mining environments for geochemical CO₂ removal. His research achievements include elucidating microbial and enzyme-mediated carbonation, CO₂ mineralization within mine wastes, natural analogues and magnesium carbonate formation processes, as well as advances in enhanced rock weathering.

Friday, November 7th, 3:00-4:00pm, CCN M2

Cameron Proctor, UWindsor

Uncovering the Hidden Half: How do Plant Roots in Agriculture Vary Over Space and Time?

Approximately 40-60% of plant assimilated carbon is deposited belowground to maintain and growth the root systems of plants. These roots respond strongly to gradients in limiting resources such as water, nitrogen, and phosphorous which can have profound effects on biogeochemical cycles and the carbon sequestration potential of soil. In agricultural contexts, where farmer economic and environmental outcomes depend on how well they deliver these resources to the roots, root plasticity is a real challenge as where the roots are in the soil changes year to year. Despite the need to understand the controls on the hidden half of plants, Canada's belowground monitoring infrastructure is extremely limited, especially considering the diversity of our crops and production regions. Cost, logistics, and durability are commonly cited barriers. However, next-generation minirhizotron technology may overcome these challenges to become a wide-spread tool, empower on-the-ground decision making and strategic research on crop varieties that are more resilient, need fewer resources, and are better adapted to future climates. This talk will discuss the arc of progression in minirhizotron technology and results from field trails monitoring sugarbeet disease progression.

Dr. Cameron Proctor is an Assistant Professor in the School of the Environment at the University of Windsor and is an executive member of the AgUWin research center. He is a remote sensing scientist who focuses on individual plant imaging from above (e.g., satellites, drones) and below (minirhizotrons) to understand how plants choose to allocate their limited resources, root system responses to stressors, and the role of root-soil-microbial interactions in carbon and nutrient cycles. His research program aims to commercialize new tools to image belowground processes that have never been monitored before. Unlocking the ability of scientists, farmers, and industry to observe root system dynamics in-situ in agriculture, forestry, savanna, and Arctic ecosystems and address some of the most pressing gaps in ecosystem management.

Friday, November 28th, 3:00-4:00pm, CCN M2

Andrew M. Gordon, Ph.D., R.P.F.; Prof. Emeritus, University of Guelph; Director, U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research, Haliburton County

Agroforestry Systems for Southern Ontario: Providing Environmental and Economic Goods and Services

Agroforestry arose in sub-tropical and tropical regions more than 6,000 years ago. With population growth, came the loss of much valuable forest cover as arable land grew to feed more people. Indigenous peoples were forced to create unique farming systems that blended trees, livestock and/or crops on small land holdings. In many parts of the world, agroforestry systems continue to play an integral role in feeding people and providing ecosystem services. Agroforestry is the premiere regenerative agricultural system and is regularly touted by agencies such as the FAO as a multi-pronged solution to world poverty and malnutrition.

Agroforestry systems were also historically employed by First Nations in temperate Canada, but agroforestry has been slow coming to the conventional and commercial farming systems currently in use on most of the agricultural landscape in North America.

In southern Ontario, many agroforestry practices could be employed on a large-scale: these would include commonly used ‘linear’ systems such as windbreaks and shelterbelts and riparian plantings. Forest farming systems have historically been a part of the farming landscape and bioenergy systems offer an alternative energy source for the future. Silvopastoral and intercropping systems uniquely integrate trees directly into animal and crop systems yet embrace the lowest rate of acceptance amongst the farming community. Nevertheless, in terms of carbon sequestration, nutrient capture, enhanced biodiversity, and in the case of silvopasture, animal welfare, these two systems alone could make major contributions to the sustainability of farming in North America.

In this seminar, Dr. Gordon will draw upon over 30 years of experimentation with these systems, describing their attributes, pros, cons, and economics. Reference will be made to the current low adoption rate and how this might be changed.

Andrew M. Gordon – Biography - 2025

Andrew M. Gordon received his B.Sc.F. (Forest Environment) from the University of New Brunswick in 1978 and a Ph.D. (Forest Ecosystem Ecology) from the University of Alaska in 1984. From then until his retirement in 2017, he was a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Biology (1984-2009) and then in the School of Environmental Sciences (2009-2017) at the University of Guelph, Guelph, ON. He attained the rank of full professor and was the first Director of the Agroforestry Research and Development Program.

His research interests lie in the investigation of ecosystem-level processes in both temperate/boreal forest and agricultural systems. He has been involved in a number of provincial forest research initiatives, including in the boreal forest, where he has directed a variety of research projects looking at long-term plantation productivity. He has spent considerable time developing and promoting agroforestry systems in temperate regions for their ameliorative and restorative properties, including both intercropping and riparian systems to reduce nutrient loadings to streams and other water bodies.

Dr. Gordon has a strong interest in the interaction of terrestrial and aquatic systems, stemming from his senior undergraduate research on Narrows Mountain Brook in central New Brunswick and a concurrent strong appreciation for the utilization of trees, forests and vegetation within the context of landscape level restoration of ecological processes. He is a licensed professional forester in the province of Ontario and a member of numerous professional organizations. He has also served as the Canadian representative to the International Energy Association (Short Rotation Biomass Fuels), was a Theme Director of CRESTech’s (a former Ontario Centre of Excellence) Controlled Environments Research program, currently in collaboration with NASA to develop biological plant systems for extended space missions, and a former co-director of C.A.A.R.N. (the Canadian Afforestation and Agroforestry Research Network), at one-time, an emerging BIOCAP network.

Dr. Gordon is the author and co-author of over 225 research publications in both refereed and non-refereed journals, book chapters, and technical communications. He conceptualized and edited the first global book on Temperate Agroforestry Systems (CABI Pub.), which is now entering its 3rd Edition. He has advised over 50 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students and is particularly proud of the fact that 19 of his former students hold professorial appointments at universities around the world. He has served on a multitude of University of Guelph academic and administrative committees, has considerable international experience in research, development, education and curriculum development in many countries (e.g. Nepal, Chile, Bolivia, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc.) and was the Director of a long-term CIDA Tier 1 project in Ghana entitled: “Agroforestry practices to enhance resource-poor livelihoods in Ghana”. He is the President and CEO of Forest Environments Universal, Inc., a small consulting company specializing in many of the above topics. Dr. Gordon is currently the Director of U-Links (ulinks.ca), associated with Trent University, North America’s only rural-based Centre for Community-Based Research.

Awards:

1991 Ontario Ministry of the Environment Research Award for Excellence in Research

(with 4 others)

1997 1st Place, for the best Web-Based course in North America, N.A. Web Conference

2007 Distinguished Service Award, Association for Temperate Agroforestry

2016 O.A.C. G. P. McRostie Award, for Excellence in Student Advising

2017 Inaugural Excellence in Research Award, Association for Temperate Agroforestry

Friday, January 16th, 3:00-4:00pm CCN M2

Amanda Stubbs, UNDO Carbon

From Academia to Industry Action: A Career in Enhanced Rock Weathering and the Pathway to Carbon Credits

Amanda, a Trent University alumna, will share her educational journey from studying at Trent to earning her PhD in Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow. She will also reflect on her unique experience representing Canada within the Commonwealth, stemming from her work advancing carbon dioxide removal research and advocating for climate science.

After transitioning from academia to industry, Amanda now works as a Senior Research Scientist at UNDO. In this talk, she will introduce enhanced rock weathering as a climate solution, discuss its potential across Canada, particularly in Ontario, and explain how companies measure, report, and verify carbon removal to earn carbon credits for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Amanda Stubbs is a Senior Research Scientist at UNDO Carbon, an enhanced rock weathering company. She earned her PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Glasgow in 2025, where her research focused on the carbon removal potential of rock-based technologies using locally available materials in Scotland. She previously completed her BSc in Geography (2018) and MSc in Environmental and Life Sciences (2020) at Trent University. Now based in Canada, Amanda leads academic collaborations at UNDO and supports the development and implementation of monitoring, reporting, and verification frameworks for verified carbon credits.

Friday, February 6th, 10:00-11:00 am (EST)

https://trentu.zoom.us/j/93833376448?pwd=z3jvmmX1dnmk9eYM6aRZpPHuXQXuTN.1

Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh, Bethlehem University

Environmental destruction versus environmental justice and sustainability: Case study in Palestine

Friday March 6th, 3:00-4:00pm, CCN M2

Tapan Dhar, Trent University

Tapan will discuss how risk perception shapes adaptive behaviour and whose knowledge and experiences are prioritized in climate adaptation planning. Drawing primarily on community-based research and narrative analysis in southwest Bangladesh, he examines how place, power, and perception influence climate adaptation planning and highlights how institutional responses often fail to reflect local understandings of risk and vulnerability. He will also briefly reflect on related insights from Peterborough to explore how these dynamics resonate in various contexts.

Tapan Dhar is an Assistant Professor in the School of the Environment. He earned his PhD in Planning from the University of Waterloo. His research examines the human dimensions of climate change adaptation and climate justice, with a focus on urban planning and design, disaster risk reduction, and community-based research to better understand how vulnerable communities experience and respond to climate risks.

Friday March 20th, 3:00-4:00pm, CCN M2

Dalal Hanna - Carleton University

Safeguarding nature’s contributions to people : Stories about protection, resource production and relationships

In this talk, I start by empathizing with the despair one can feel when it comes to the state of nature and it’s vital contributions to people. These amazing contributions - clean water, places to recreate, a stable climate - are deteriorating worldwide and that is tragic. But we have power over that deterioration, and this talk about how conservation science is one of those powers. I share stories of work I’ve contributed toward that highlights pathways to safeguard and restore nature’s contributions to people. Specifically, you’ll learn about how protected areas can support the provision of clean water, and recent advances in approaches to prioritize the expansion of the current protected area network. You’ll also find out about research compiling over 500 publications assessing the effects timber harvesting on freshwaters, and how improved natural resource management can be an important part of the solution. Finally, you’ll hear about the importance of relationships with land and water and how land-based learning can help foster these and contribute toward safeguarding fresh waters. My hope is that you leave this talk with new and exciting conservation stories to share, reminded of the importance of conservation science, and inspired to contribute toward a more sustainable and equitable future.

Dr. Dalal Hanna is an assistant professor of conservation science at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada), where she leads the Watershed Stewardship Research Collaborative. As a freshwater ecologist, educator and science communicator Dalal works to generate the information and momentum required for society to shift toward more sustainable and equitable living. Her focus in on how freshwaters can best be stewarded to ensure their continued contributions to people’s well-being all the while safeguarding the biodiversity they support. She is also the co-founder and director of Riparia, a Canadian Charity that works to create better connections between young women, science and water by bringing youth on free freshwater science land-based learning programs. She earned her PhD in Natural Resource Sciences from McGill University in 2019, is a 2025-2026 COMPASS Conservation Pathfinder, and has been a National Geographic Explorer since 2011.

Friday March 27th, 3:00-4:00pm, CCN M2

Daniel Amoak, Trent University

Seeds, agroecology, and climate resilience in smallholder farming systems: Toward a transdisciplinary approach

Seed insecurity remains a hidden barrier to climate resilience in smallholder farming systems. This talk explores how agroecology, seed diversity, and social factors, especially gender, shape farmers’ adaptive capacity. It also examines whether a transdisciplinary approach may offer a pathway toward more meaningful and lasting impact.

Daniel Amoak is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Agrifood Systems in the Trent School of the Environment. He is also the research lead at the Sustainable Environments and Equitable Dev't (SEED) research lab. His current research explores pathways to reviving neglected and underutilised crop species for food security & climate adaptation.