Sustainable Communities Field School

The Sustainable Communities Field School (Field School) aims to advance sustainability, climate action and education across diverse groups and communities.

The Field School has been in existence since 2015, and has positioned UBC Botanical Garden (UBCBG) as a leader in sustainability education, research and engagement. Our team aligns educational programs to the UN Sustainability Development Goals (UN-SDGs) and delivers team building experiences to organizations and youth.

In 2021, the Field School launched a Climate Change Adaptation project with the aim of accelerating climate action by engaging local and global garden networks to build inclusive and resilient communities. By increasing capacity to understand and adapt to climate change, we aim to improve the resilience of our landscapes in the Pacific Northwest and nurture plants and biodiversity for future generations.

Our three main goals to advance adaptation at various scales, from local to global, are:

1. Adaptation Planning

Collaborating with established and emerging networks (gardens, universities and local governments), the Garden is developing community-driven solutions for adapting plants and landscapes through:

(1) a regional adaptation plan for the Pacific Northwest; and,

(2) plant-specific case studies for valuable collections such as maples, crop wild relatives, alpine plants, and native plants.

Climate and conservation planning will enable networks to understand future climate risks, prioritize adaptation options and build on collective strengths to drive climate action and plant conservation.

Menu of Adaptation Actions for Botanic Gardens and Arboreta

Assessing adaptation actions across the global botanic garden network, the Menu of Adaptation Actions for Botanic Gardens and Arboreta aims to showcase Gardens taking action. The Menu has been designed as aliving document that can be updated and revised over time. 

 

2. Action for Adaptation Biodiversity Atlas and Policy Tools

The UBCBG is developing an online biodiversity atlas for southwest BC, collaborating with the Coastal Douglas-fir Conservation Partnership and the UBC Okanagan Earth Observation and Spatial Ecology lab.

We are developing decision and policy support tools for local governments and First Nations on BC’s southwest coast to support actions for climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation. (www.actionforadaptation.ca)

Southwest British Columbia’s (BC) lowlands host over 75% of BC’s population.  The area includes the Coastal Douglas-fir zone (CDFmm), home to the largest number of species and ecosystems at risk in BC.

Our purpose is to provide local governments and First Nations with key environmental spatial layers for climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation in one location that can be downloaded or viewed online.

3. Climate Education

Our team engages businesses, organizations and youth in nature-based education at the Garden. We are constantly updating our tours with new information about SDGs, biodiversity and climate action to reflect emerging local and global priorities. To book a tour please visit our Group Experiences and Tours page.

Programs and Publications

Peer-Reviewed Publications

  1. Ulrich, J.C., Moreau, T., Luna-Perez, E., Beckett, K. Simon, L., Migicovsky, Z., Diederichsen, A., Khoury, C. 2022. An inventory of crop wild relatives and wild-utilized plants in Canada. Crop Science. Vol 62, Issue 6. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20807
  2. Migicovsky, Z., Amyotte, B., Ulrich, J., Smith, T., Turner, N., Pico, J., Ciotir, C., Sharifi, M., Meldrum, G., Stormes, B., Moreau, T. 2022. Berries as a case study for crop wild relative conservation, use, and public engagement in Canada. Plants People Planet. 2022: 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10291
  3. Krishnam, S., Greene S.L., Khoury, C.K., Kuehny, J., Miller, A.J., Moreau, T., Novy, A. 2020. People pollinating partnerships: harnessing collaborations between botanic gardens and agricultural research organizations on crop diversity. Acta Horticulturae 1298: 37-42. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1298.7.
  4. Khoury, C.K., Greene, S.L., Krishnan, S., Miller, A.J., Moreau, T., Williams, K.L., Rodriguez-Bonilla, L., Spurrier, C., Zalapa, J., and Nabhan, G.P. 2020. Toward integrated conservation of North America’s crop wild relatives. Natural Areas Journal 40(1): 96-100. doi: 10.3375/043.040.0111. https://doi.org/10.3375/043.040.0111.
  5. Novy, A. and T. Moreau. 2019. Crop Science Special Issue: Connecting Agriculture, Public Gardens and Science. Crop Science - Special Submissions: Celebrating Crop Diversity: Connecting Agriculture, Public Gardens and Science. Alliance of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Societies. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America. ACSESS Digital Library.
  6. Khoury, C. K., Greene, S. L., Krishnan, S., Miller, A. J., and Moreau, T.L. 2019. A  Road Map for Conservation, Use and Public Engagement around North America's Crop Wild Relatives and Wild Utilized Plants. Crop Science - Special Submissions: Celebrating Crop Diversity: Connecting Agriculture, Public Gardens and Science. Alliance of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Societies. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America. ACSESS Digital Library.
  7. Moreau, T.L., and Speight, D. 2019. Cooking up Diverse Diets: Advancing Biodiversity in Food and Agriculture through Collaborations with Chefs. Crop Science - Special Submissions: Celebrating Crop Diversity: Connecting Agriculture, Public Gardens and Science.  Alliance of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Societies. American Society of Agronomy Crop Science Society of America. ACSESS Digital Library.
  8. Krishnan, S., Moreau, T.L., Kuehny, J., Novy, A., Greene, S.L. and C. Khoury. 2019. Resetting the table for people and plants: Botanic gardens and research organizations collaborate to address food and agricultural plant blindness. Plants, People and Planet. Vol 1. Issue 3 157-163.
  9. Zelenika, I., Moreau, T.L., Lane, O., and Zhao, J. 2018. Sustainability education in a botanical garden promotes environmental knowledge, attitudes, intentions and willingness to act. Environmental Education Research. Vol 24 (11).
  10. Zelenika, Moreau and Zhao. 2018. Toward zero waste events: Reducing contamination in waste streams with volunteer assistance. Waste Management. Vol 76: 39-45.

Other Publications

  • Jackson, L., Moreau, T., and Justice, D. 2024. Blueberry. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/blueberry
  • Chan-Khan, Z., Moreau, T., and L. Jackson. 2024. The Role of Public Gardens in Advancing Community Food Security and Resilient Food. Systems. Public Garden Magazine. Volume 29, Issue 2.
  • Novy, A., Hestness, E., Khoury, C.K., Miller, A., Moreau, T., and E. Warschefsky. 2024. Botanic Gardens Contribute to Food Security Through Education, Conservation, and Research. Vol 1, Chapt. 3 In: T. Pullaiah and D. Galbraith (eds) Botanical Gardens and their role in Plant Conservation. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, LL
  • Moreau, T., and S. Willoughby. 2023. Change Much? Marking our Mark and Tracking Impact using Logic Models and Theories of Change. Public Garden Magazine Volume 28, Issue 4.
  • Volk, G.M., T. Moreau, and P. F. Byrne. 2023. Conserving and Using Climate-Ready Plant Collections. https://colostate.pressbooks.pub/climatereadyplantcollections/front-matter/introduction/.
  • Khoury, C.K., Greene, S.L., Moreau, T., Krishnan, S., and Miller, A.J. 2019. Botanic Garden - Agriculture Research Collaborations around North America’s Crop Wild Relatives and Wild Utilized Plants. Public Garden 34(4): 6-9. https://adobeindd.com/view/publications/b51a2f77-7438-4cce-9c7a-21da325ef663/teyz/publication-web-resources/pdf/11_2019_PG_Magazine.pdf
  • Moreau, T. 2018. Food Gardens Growing Global Goals: Setting the Table for Sustainable Development. Roots. Botanic Gardens Conservation International Education Review. 15 (2) Nov. 14-16.
  • Moreau, T., and A. Novy. 2018. Public Education and Outreach Opportunities for Crop Wild Relatives in North America. In: Greene S., Williams K., Khoury C., Kantar M., Marek L. (eds) North American Crop Wild Relatives, Volume 1. Springer Cham.

 

For more info: garden.programs@ubc.ca