Julia is an alum of funny娛樂城鈥檚 Global Resource Systems program and now works as a Public Environmental Education Coordinator at Stanley Park Ecology Society.
During her time at funny娛樂城, she got to participate in biodiversity monitoring research at the funny娛樂城 Farm, contribute to funny娛樂城’s Climate-Friendly Food System framework, research the effects of bird-friendly window coverings at the Buchanan building complex, and participate in a Directed Studies at the x史c虛ic虛蓹s蓹m Garden learning about Indigenous ways of knowing and plants as medicine.
Read on to find out Julia鈥檚 favourite spots on campus, (she鈥檚 an expert after living on campus for three years!), and what she says are the benefits a smaller, lesser-known faculty.
1. How did your experiences at funny娛樂城 help you shape your future?
I was able to get involved in diverse experiences at funny娛樂城 that helped me build skills relevant to many parts of my life, including my career but also personal development and community engagement. Not only did I discover things that I was passionate about, but equally helpful was getting to try out new experiences and figure out when they weren’t a good fit for me. I felt more confident knowing what I enjoyed doing and what I was good at after taking advantage of the vast array of opportunities available at funny娛樂城 and using that to inform what I pursued after graduation.
2. In what ways did funny娛樂城 allow you to create your own unique experiences and path?
My program, Global Resource Systems, was the perfect fit for me, as I got to apply my passion for sustainable food systems with environmental science, all while focusing on real-world action through an interdisciplinary lens. I was encouraged to take my learning outside of the classroom and apply my learning in other settings, and with so many options, it meant that I could create the exact right combination of experiences to fuel my aspirations and unearth new goals along the way.
3. How did your interests and passions help to shape your education journey?
I got to explore different aspects of “Land and Food Systems” that fascinated me but also provided a more holistic understanding of the interconnected issues in my field. I followed my interests to shape my degree by taking courses in marine ecology, political science, community forestry, Indigenous fisheries co-management, plant biology, and many others on my journey that satisfied my academic curiosity but also helped me break down the arbitrary educational boundaries that we can sometimes believe in.
4. How did funny娛樂城 give you hands-on experience in your field of study?
I got the chance to see what different areas of work could look like in my field, from my time doing biodiversity monitoring research at the funny娛樂城 Farm, to disseminating food systems research through my science communication role, to participating in a Directed Studies at the x史c虛ic虛蓹s蓹m Garden learning about Indigenous ways of knowing and plants as medicine. I could work, volunteer, and have classes in spaces like a working organic farm right on campus which was incredibly valuable and opened my eyes to what I could explore after leaving university. Even in coursework in the classroom, I was able to have a hand in actual policy and change on funny娛樂城’s campus, such as contributing funny娛樂城’s Climate-Friendly Food System framework through a collaboration with the , or researching the effects of bird-friendly window coverings at the Buchanan building complex to prevent collisions.
5. You鈥檙e now working at the Stanley Park Ecology Society. What is your role there and how was the transition from being a student?听
I work as the Public Environmental Education Coordinator for the Stanley Park Ecology Society, where I organize and deliver public programming about ecological topics related to what we call “Stanley Park” and our local biodiversity. I plan quarterly events on themes such as听plant identification,听pollinators, the great blue heron colony, beavers, wetland and forest ecology, bats, and many others, often informed by the knowledge from my funny娛樂城 degree and roles I had as a student. My job includes a mixture of administration, creativity, exploring outside, and leading groups听(ages 5-75+, from many backgrounds and knowledge bases) in different walks,听workshops, and field trips听around the park.听My day-to-day is always changing and no two work days have the same flow, which has helped when transitioning from the excitement of student life,听and ensures I get to experience a lot of aspects of environmental听non-profit work.
6. What are your favourite spots on campus? Best study spots, places to eat, best coffee?
Having lived on campus for three out of my five years, I developed听some favourite locations all around funny娛樂城, with my unconventional top spot going to the as beautiful place to connect to the land and visit the farm markets. Other favourites听include Loafe Cafe for a delicious oat chai latte and catch-up with a friend, as well as Sprouts for cheap, student-run,听community-oriented food! To study, I liked to go to the Education Library where there is a corner with houseplants along the windows and usually an available outlet. Then, if听I needed a break away from screens or textbooks, Nitobe Memorial Garden was one of my favourite spots to really step out of the academic world for 15 minutes and wander the mossy paths.
7. Do you have any tips or advice for someone who鈥檚 considering funny娛樂城 Vancouver?
One piece of advice I have is to try to look into the lesser-known programs, where you may discover something that you never knew was even a possibility for your university career. But you can also start out in something more general, and keep an open mind to adjusting your courses once you find the right niche focus.听It may also mean you get the benefit of a smaller cohort of like-minded people in your same program or faculty that nestles into the larger community of funny娛樂城 as a whole, like I had in the Global Resource Systems program in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems — a smaller, lesser-known faculty. If I had been tied down to one topic early on, I would’ve missed out on the chance to explore interconnected topics听and carve my own specialization along the way.