Our Changing Planet
Series Two
February 19th – 23rd
In Partnership With
Canada is host to many different habitat types, unique species, and exceptional ecosystems. This natural heritage is a key part to so many aspects of our lives – health, food, recreation, livelihoods, culture, art and music for example. Today, this heritage is facing many complex environmental challenges – from climate change to pollution and biodiversity loss. These threats put at risk not only the health and survival of species and ecosystems, but our way of life.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is the lead federal department for a wide range of environmental issues. The department’s work focuses on minimizing threats to people and nature from pollution; sharing information on weather, water and climate conditions; and conserving and restoring Canada’s natural environment.
ECCC scientists are hard at work in so many different fields. Their work helps ensure a clean, safe and sustainable environment for present and future generations.
Interested in learning more about the work of these inspiring people? This one- week series will bring you into the lives of some of these scientists, the work they do, challenges they face and even how their research is used to help you!
Each day will feature a different scientist talking about their specific field of research – something new every day. You don’t want to miss it!
Monday | February 19th
Why (and how!) Do We Measure Water Levels and Flows In Our Rivers and Lakes Across Canada
February 19th @ 12:00pm eastern
Elizabeth is a water resources engineer who loves water and the outdoors. She has over 10 years experience working at the National Hydrological Service, which runs the national hydrometric program called Water Survey of Canada. This program is responsible for collecting, analyzing and publishing water quantity data for thousands of rivers and lakes across Canada. Water Survey of Canada has been doing this for over a 100 years (since 1908)! Even though the reasons why we measure water levels haven’t changed too much; how we do this has!
This presentation will introduce the basics of Canada’s hydrometric program and network, and why and how we measure water across Canada.
Register: https://forms.gle/MFBnTXLLb4BfdQeh6
Tuesday | February 20th
Tracking Wildlife Health Coast to Coast with Lana Dolgova
February 20th @ 12:00pm eastern
Lana is a laboratory technologist for the National Wildlife Specimen Bank at Environment and Climate Change Canada. Her daily activities include receiving wildlife samples from all over Canada, preparing them in the lab and completing archival for the Specimen Bank. Her work takes her from the field, to the lab, to -40C walk-in freezers. This job is critical in helping us monitor the health of our wildlife and the environments they live in.
Register: https://forms.gle/MFBnTXLLb4BfdQeh6
Wednesday | February 21st
My Career as a Wildlife Ecologist: From Counting Poop to Protecting Caribou with Kim Dawe
February 21st @ 12:00pm eastern
Kim is a wildlife ecologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment and Climate Change Canada. Her career in science has taken her into the Canadian wilderness to count poop on the ground, record animal locations by helicopter and Cessna airplanes, and capture pictures of wildlife via cameras attached to trees. Now she uses all that experience to help threatened caribou populations by contributing to the strategy for conservation and recovery in Canada.
Register: https://forms.gle/MFBnTXLLb4BfdQeh6
Thursday | February 22nd
Science as a Difference Maker! How Data Leads to Change
February 22nd @ 12:00pm eastern
Paige is a Physical Science Specialist on a team called Transformation and Innovation within the Meteorological Service of Canada. She works to bridge the worlds of science and business. Her team uses science-based information to give meaningful and important advice that helps different groups of people make decisions. She works on many different files including an international initiative that focuses on the environmental sustainability of the technologies and procedures used to monitor and provide weather data through our networks! Today she will be talking about the importance of science communications, program strategies, and evolving international science-based policies – basically learning how science can lead to change!
Register: https://forms.gle/MFBnTXLLb4BfdQeh6
Friday | February 23rd
Rain, Snow or Sunshine? Tracking the Weather at Environment Canada
February 23rd @ 12:00pm eastern
Ever wonder how we track the weather? How we know when there’s going to be snow, or a heatwave, or a thunderstorm? Charlotte, a scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada is here to help show us! Her team is responsible for monitoring the weather all across Canada – from coast to coast to coast. While they do work across the country, a big part of the work focuses specifically on how to track weather over the oceans and in the Canadian High Arctic.
Register: https://forms.gle/MFBnTXLLb4BfdQeh6