Issues in urban biodiversity, greenspace, health, and fire

Using a mixed-methods approach, this work analyzes greenspace access trends across Laval, Quebec, and develops community-informed planning scenarios aimed at enhancing greenspace accessibility for marginalized communities. The research asks: How can Laval increase municipal greenspace coverage and work towards global climate targets while improving greenspace accessibility in marginalized communities? How can urban greening support and strengthen the intersectionality and community dynamics of different neighbourhoods? How can local knowledge and perspectives be utilized and prioritized in the development of urban greening scenarios?

This study examines the behavior, adaptation, and characteristics of the various birds inhabiting the urban area of Montreal, highlighting how green spaces in the city support biodiversity and suggesting ways for the citizens and the city to protect bird populations and know more about our actions impact them. By combining field notes, photos, and reflections, the project merges personal observation with broader sustainability goals, fostering awareness of urban ecology and the importance of preserving bird habitats. 

The goal of this presentation is to share preliminary results from an ongoing qualitative study examining disaster recovery in Jasper National Park following the 2024 Jasper Wildfire Complex. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with tourism workers, local business owners, and other community members, the research explores how housing insecurity and uneven recovery processes shape well-being. While housing and recovery are the central focus of the study, health emerges as an important secondary theme through participants’ accounts of stress, uncertainty, displacement, and the longer-term impacts that economic and housing instability have on residents and tourism workers. Situating housing and livelihoods as key social determinants of health, the presentation will highlight how disaster recovery intersects with mental and social well-being, particularly in a tourism-dependent community. The project uses political ecology and political economy perspectives, looking into how climate-related disasters interact with existing economic structures and labor conditions.

This research examines urban intergenerational gardens as sites of radical relationality, care, and multispecies engagement in the context of climate, health, and social crises.