UVic Geography

Global challenges require creative, interdisciplinary solutions🌍
In UVic's Global Development Studies program, students explore issues such as global inequality, sustainability, food systems,🌾migration, social justice🌱 and international development through hands-on and community-engaged learning.

Learn more👉https://www.uvic.ca/socialsciences/programs/interdisciplinary/global-development-studies/index.php

CAG/CARTO 2026 kicks off next Monday! 🎉
We are so looking forward to hosting 300 members of the Geography community 🌍from across Canada to our jam packed week of events.

Learn more 👉https://event.fourwaves.com/cagcarto2026/pages

Happy International Day of Biological Diversity 🌸🐢🐝🐦🐘
We are reminded that every ecosystem—no matter how remote or seemingly sparse—plays a vital role in the richness of life on Earth. Arctic biodiversity🫐 may be lower in species number compared to more temperate regions, but its unique assemblages have developed remarkable adaptations to short summers and long, dark winters, making distinctive contributions to the global biodiversity pool.
In the Socio-Ecological Lab, Noémie and her team study Arctic biodiversity to better understand the impacts of ongoing climate change on these fragile ecosystems, working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples who have long called these lands home and hold deep knowledge of their environments.

Congratulations to Dr. Sophie Norris on receiving the Early Career Award for Excellence in Research! 🎉🔬

Dr. Norris’ work in reconstructing past glacial environments is helping provide critical insight into our planet’s future. As a leader in Quaternary geoscience, she founded UVic’s Geomorphology and Chronology Research Lab—one of the only facilities of its kind in western Canada—supporting advanced radiocarbon and cosmogenic nuclide dating.

We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and the impact of her work in advancing climate and environmental research 🌍✨

📸 Left to right: Chris Bone (Department Chair), Ian O’Connell (Professor), Dr. Sophie Norris (Professor), Gillian Krezoski (Senior Lab Instructor)

🎟️ CAG/CARTO Day pass pricing is now available! Join us for inspiring conversations, art, film, and lectures during the conference. Click the link to learn more and secure your pass.

✨ Event Highlights:
🖼️ June 1–4 | Resilience: Art Exhibition
Curated by Natalie Rollins, an interdisciplinary artist and emerging curator, this exhibition brings artistic practice into dialogue with questions of land, place, and relationality. Presented in connection with the CAG/CARTO conference, the exhibition will be on display at McPherson Library and during select times at Sngequ House.

🎬 June 1 | Film Screening & Discussion
The K’ëgit Totem Pole: Restoring Witsuwit’en Relations and Restorying the Musée du Quai Branly
Join Joanne Connauton (Wahnapitae First Nation, PhD Candidate, FSU) for a documentary screening and discussion exploring the history and ongoing significance of the K’ëgit totem pole taken from northern British Columbia in 1938. 🔗Use the link in bio to reserve your seats!

🎤 June 4 | Canadian Geographies Lecture
Featuring Deborah McGregor (Anishinabe, Whitefish River First Nation), Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Indigenous Planetary Well Being at the University of Calgary. Dr. McGregor’s work focuses on Indigenous knowledge systems, environmental and climate justice, health, and Anishinaabe legal traditions.

🔗 https://confreg.uvcs.uvic.ca/?cid=1717

Mountain Meteorology Field School Recap ❄️January 2–9, 2026❄️
The class spent an unforgettable week at Mount Cain🗻located in the territory of the ‘Namgis First Nation. From skiing through alpine terrain to collect data, they explored how elevation, slope, and aspect shape weather patterns—and what that means for avalanche safety, alpine tourism, and communities relying on these environments. Evenings were spent in a cozy cabin, ⛄️🌨️with snow falling outside and game nights bringing everyone together. A perfect balance of science, adventure, and community

Big ideas start in lectures… but the magic happens in the lab 🔬💫

Tracking herring 🐟 from space 🛰️
Mapping real landscapes around Victoria 🗺️
Exploring water flow with stream tables 🌊

Turning “I think I get it” into “I’ve got this!”
Shoutout to our amazing lab instructors for making it all happen 💙

Tomorrow is World Fair Trade Day. We have the opportunity reflect on how ethical business models aim to create more equitable and sustainable supply chains. Professor Sophia Carodenuto studies how ethical chocolate🍫 is produced and traded in West Africa, examining Fair Trade 🌴 programs designed to improve farmer incomes and transparency. Her research shows that while these initiatives offer important benefits, they can also limit farmers’ choices 👩‍🌾 in pricing and markets—highlighting the need to look beyond labels to understand how ethical sourcing works in practice.

Learn more about Sophia's research👉 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001671852500123X?via%3Dihub

From data to design 🗺️🎨
In Geography 323: Digital Cartography, students create final projects that combine two datasets into a thematic map of their choice. Every map tells a different story—and no two are the same 🌄

We are hosting the Canadian Association of Geographers conference this June and we need your help!
Are you looking to rack up some volunteer hours this summer and network with other geographers?

Student volunteers will receive💫
✅ A certificate from CAG acknowledging your academic service experience
✅ Opportunity to select a conference session you are interested in attending as a volunteer assignment
✅ An entry into a raffle for a gift basket containing a selection of gifts and a $500 gift card

What you can expect 💫
✔ Set-up and takedown, registration, information desk, and session and activity support.
✔ A minimum of 6 volunteer hours total

Check out the sessions being offered and send us an email 📩 https://event.fourwaves.com/cagcarto2026/schedule