Whillans, Tom

Ecological restoration of grassland ecosystems is increasing in scope in Ontario, as a result the demand for genetically appropriate, high-quality seeds of native plants is also increasing. This mixed methods study characterized fitness and seed quality traits using genetic, demographic and growth trial data for a keystone tallgrass prairie species Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). To estimate the ploidy levels in Big bluestem, our flow cytometric results indicated an average of 6.32 picograms of nuclear DNA within sixteen populations surveyed showing that hexaploid (6x) cytotypes are dominant in Southern and Central Ontario populations, aside from one 9x occurrence in Norfolk county, ON. Seed quality, measured through germination and viability testing did not change based on whether a population was remnant or restored. Concerningly, our study shows that remnant populations of Big bluestem are at risk of being lost as high quality seed sources likely because of the absence of stewardship and the resulting loss in population fitness. Workshops with prairie restoration practitioners suggest that there is significant vision behind the future of this work in the province, and that an ecosystem wide seed strategy for keystone tallgrass prairie species is a necessary next step to increase the sustainability of seed-based restoration strategies and preserve remnant site genetics.

Author Keywords: Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Ecological Restoration, fitness, polyploidy, practitioner, seed quality

The bringing together of Indigenous (IK) and Environmental science Knowledge (ESK) has garnered significant attention in environmental research. This intersection has been recognized for enhancing understanding of various contemporary environmental challenges. Despite its acknowledged importance, there remains a notable gap in understanding how these knowledge systems are brought together, specifically at the level of data analysis, presentation, and interpretation of results. Furthermore, even less is known regarding the appropriate and effective use of any one approach and method in its application. Therefore, this thesis was guided by the question, 'What approaches and methods have been used previously to bring together Indigenous and Environmental science Knowledge in environmental research, and what are the challenges and limitations of any one approach and method in practical application?' This question is investigated through the conduct of a systematic map and application of a case study scenario. A search protocol was developed and served as a guide for the conduct of a systematic map. This protocol detailed how articles focused on bringing together IK and ESK would be systematically gathered and analyzed (Chapter 2). The resulting systematic evidence base highlighted four main approaches used in the peer-reviewed literature to bring together IK and ESK, namely: (1) a narrative approach to mixing; (2) the use of statistical analysis; (3) use spatial overlap in GIS; and (4) mixing IK and ESK using illustrative figures (Chapter 3). In order to gain a more in-depth understanding of the identified approaches and methods, their use was explored through the application of a case study scenario on environmental factors influencing Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) growth in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Chapter 4). Although more data collection and analysis is needed to understand the relationship between environmental variables on Arctic Char growth in lakes surrounding Ulukhaktok, the attempt to link Indigenous Knowledge of lake ice change with Environmental science Knowledge on landlocked Arctic Char growth, coupled with insights informed from a review of relevant literature, led to the development of criteria that may be used in future research to test the identified approaches and methods. This thesis makes contributions to the academic literature by documenting and examining the types of approaches used to bring together IK and ESK at the level of data analysis, offering insights into the complex and evolving landscape of linking IK and ESK in environmental research.

Author Keywords: Arctic, Arctic Char, Environmental research, Environmental science Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, Knowledge linking

ABSTRACT

The Art of the Sustainable Street

Miriam L. R. Mutton

The street influences our sense of community every day. It is argued that getting the street right communicates a collective vision for action leading to sustainable community.

This investigation continues conversations for community repair and resilient change, especially for small town Ontario. The researcher is informed by ways of seeing inspired by Walter Benjamin's literary montage, The Arcades Project. By method of collecting and connecting information from literature sources spanning several decades and recent interviews, this thesis demonstrates in narrative form the value to community of everyday street details of human scale. Recurrent themes are adopted as technique in validation. Findings are presented from various perspectives including those of the design professional and the politician.

The sustainable street enables communication. Research outcomes indicate knowledge transferred through the art of storytelling supports place-making and connection to community. Fragments of information connect into themes defining safe streets which foster trust among strangers, and facilitate citizenship and good governance.

Key words: sustainable community, citizenship, safe streets, Benjamin, governance

Author Keywords: Benjamin, citizenship, governance, safe streets, sustainable community

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are declining across Ontario in both numbers and distribution, prompting concern for their future. Here, conventional, emerging, and predictive tools were combined to document brook trout occupation across seasons using streams in Haliburton County, ON as model systems. By using the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's (OMNRFs) Aquatic Ecosystem Classification (AEC) system variables with environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and backpack electrofishing, my research supports the development of species occupancy models (SOMs) and eDNA as tools to document brook trout occurrence. To do this, eDNA sampling was validated in Canadian Shield stream environments by comparison with single-pass backpack electrofishing before seasonally sampling two river systems across their main channel and tributaries to assess occupancy. Streams were classified as potential high, moderate, and low-quality brook trout habitats using indicator variables within the AEC and sampled seasonally with eDNA to quantify occupancy and relate it to habitat potential at the county scale. Results showed eDNA to be an effective tool for monitoring fish across Canadian Shield landscapes and that brook trout occupancy varied seasonally within and across watersheds, suggesting that habitat and fish management strategies need to consider seasonal movement and spatial connectivity. Using these tools will enable biologists to efficiently predict and document brook trout occurrences and habitat use across the landscape.

Author Keywords: Aquatic Ecosystem Classification, brook trout, Canadian Shield, connectivity, environmental DNA, seasonal occupation

This thesis aimed to determine what factors influence individual- and community-level shoreline stewardship attitudes and behaviours. Shoreline stewardship is part of the broader literature of environmental stewardship and place-based conservation. The needs and barriers limiting stewardship action were examined, as were the opportunities for increased impact. The Love Your Lake (LYL) program served as a case study into the impact of ENGO programming on shoreline stewardship among shoreline property owners in Ontario. This was investigated using a program workshop, interviews and focus groups with past program participants, and existing participant survey data. Community-Based Social Marketing principles were used to further examine the opportunities for increased impact on stewardship behaviour. The study found that the LYL program was effective in starting or continuing a conversation in communities around shoreline health. Some of the remaining needs and/or barriers included limited time at the cottage; limited knowledge of how to fix existing shoreline issues; low stock of local native plants and environmentally minded landscapers; ineffective messaging; a lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern; and weak environmental policies and governance of shorelines. Some participants also listed cost as a barrier, while others felt it had been well addressed already. Most participants thought that education could be a barrier but that it had been well addressed locally through LYL or other programming. Some key motivators and opportunities to increase shoreline stewardship included community building, increased lake association capacity, improved communication and marketing strategies, and persistence.

Author Keywords: Community-Based Social Marketing, Environmental Stewardship, Lake Health, Place-Based Conservation, Pro-Environmental Behaviour, Shoreline Stewardship

Partnerships for management of public parks have a long history, but little attention has been given to the current models of partnerships during a period of municipal austerity in Ontario. Using a qualitative assessment of transcripts from representatives of 10 municipal partner groups, this research considers what some of the current models are, the impact that they may have, and how municipalities may foster these partnership arrangements. The participating organizations demonstrated that their governance models evolved to suit their mandate, activities, and scope of interaction with their municipality. Additionally, this research corroborates past findings that efficacy of an organization is tied to their ability to partner with other agencies and act as a capacity amplifier. These results demonstrate how municipal conservation partnerships can be effectively applied to create enhanced financial outcomes and improved community engagement, while delivering community based environmental programming.

Author Keywords: Conservation, Environmental Stewardship, Municipal Management, Partnership, Social Ecology, Urban Parks

Wetland loss in southern Ontario, escalated by development, is putting pressure on planners as they struggle to meet development needs while maintaining a balance with regional natural heritage. Wetland offsetting, coupled with strategic environmental assessment and sustainable community planning, offers a potential solution. A combined approach of literature review, interviews, focus group, and case study with Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) allowed me to present experiences and perspectives on wetland offsetting, site selection methods, and ecosystem service priorities. The focus group looked at organizational interactions and decision-making processes during wetland offsetting. Research resulted in creation of the Strategic Wetland Offset Site Selection Score Card (SWOSSS Card). Five of CLOCA's past offsetting projects were reviewed to see what worked and what did not. Findings determined that use of strategic wetland offset site selection tools have the potential to provide an efficient means to quantify offsetting risk ahead of restoration efforts.

Author Keywords: compensation, landuse planning, offsetting, prioritization, restoration, wetlands

The world has met the target of halving the number of people without access to improved-drinking water . However, the focus in rural areas (where 83% of the people without access to improved-drinking water live) has been on the construction of infrastructure, rather than on the strengthening of existing local institutions to create a long-term sustainable solution. This research aims to understand what are the necessary characteristics that CWOs, the main rural water supplier institutions around the world, must have to offer safe water continuously and in the long term. The results indicate that to offer such conditions, internal and external characteristic need to coexist. Those characteristics will emerge from case studies analysis in rural and peri-urban areas in Colombia, through interviews, surveys, document reviews, observation exercises, and a comparison with the literature. Internal characteristics include proper infrastructure conditions, user satisfaction, best management practices, social capital, be a development catalyzer, and environmental awareness. External characteristics include easy access to subsidies, efficient communication channels with authorities, continuous training, and environmental legislation/education. This study concludes that enforcing these characteristics will strengthen the existing institutions and can provide a sustainable solution for rural water supply issues.

Author Keywords: community-based water supply organizations, costs, management, financial sustainability, rural Colombia, state subsidies, water tariffs

While there is an emerging body of literature on the role and effectiveness of community-based research (CBR) in addressing the needs of local communities, few studies have explored its promise in areas lacking established collaborative models. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of CBR to meet the sustainable community development needs of the primarily urban Durham Region in Southern Ontario. Semi-structured interviews with twenty sustainability-focused community members from the academic, municipal, private and non-profit sectors were conducted using Glaser and Strauss' grounded theory to develop a working hypothesis that was analyzed with the aid of the qualitative data software program ATLAS.ti. The results reveal that while the region's academic and community groups have little time to initiate formal community-campus collaborations, the additional manpower and expertise that a well-structured CBR model provides could significantly assist local organizations complete unfinished projects and undertake new initiatives.

Author Keywords: Community-based research, Community-campus collaboration, Cooperative education, Durham Region, Experiential education, Sustainable development

Wetlands were once widespread in southern Ontario, but many have been drained through land use changes. Using a case study of twelve landowners in the Kawartha region, I explored motivations for restoring wetlands. Psychological research suggests that people who are more connected to nature and attached to place are more likely to behave sustainably. Results showed that having land available and receiving funding were necessary preconditions. Connectedness to nature and place attachment were motivations, as were personal benefits and having a supportive social community. Challenges included: the Permit to Take Water, paperwork and bureaucracy, delays and timing, and economic restrictions. Positive outcomes were: increased property value and crop productivity; personal enjoyment of wetlands; and improved wildlife habitat and water quality. Negative outcomes were: `nuisance' wildlife, trespassing, and a lack or excess of water. This is a novel study exploring nature connectedness, place attachment and wetland restoration qualitatively in southern Ontario.

Author Keywords: agriculture, connection to nature, motivation, southern Ontario, stewardship, wetland restoration