![]() | |
Fall 2023 |
Newsletter Archive |
Catamount Fellowship | ![]() |
![]() One of the things we most enjoy about our affiliation with Mount Royal University is our ability to engage directly with students to address complex conservation challenges. This year, Miistakis has engaged with the Catamount Fellowship program, which is a cohort-based learning experience for Mount Royal University students committed to building a more sustainable future. The fellowship combines community-engaged research and immersive educational experiences. By delving into frameworks for social innovation, engaging in hands-on learning, and actively listening to the community, students investigate the root causes of ecological, social, economic, and cultural challenges identified by the community. Over the next 6 months we will be working with Muhammad Nabeel, a psych/sociology double major, as his community partner. We have poised the following question for Nabeel to address and we look forward to working with him throughout his fellowship. "How might we enhance the viability of ecological connectivity (the interconnection of natural habitats and ecosystems) within Calgary by leveraging the potential of social capital to maintain and protect these interconnections?" It is well recognized that we are facing a biodiversity crisis. One key strategy to address this crisis is to maintain ecological connectivity. Ecological connectivity is the degree to which different habitats and ecosystems are connected and functionally linked, allowing the movement of species, energy, and ecological processes between them. However, ecological connectivity is an unfamiliar concept, lacks empirical studies, and is not currently integrated in planning processes at a municipal, provincial, or federal level. | |