Research

Caribou Conservation and Policy

Community-led Monitoring

Conservation research in the North works best when it aligns with local priorities and perspectives. In response to concerns about how climate change may be shifting predator and prey interactions and contributing to calf mortality, I worked with the Kugluktuk Angoniatit Association to co-develop a community-led camera-trap program on the Bluenose-East calving grounds. Together, we deployed 96 cameras across the landscape to monitor caribou, bears, wolves, and other species during calving.

All equipment is community owned, and local Inuit lead the fieldwork, data collection, and decision making. The dataset will help us evaluate predator presence during peak calving, identify periods of high calf vulnerability, and explore how environmental change influences these interactions. We are now working with other communities to expand this model of non-invasive, locally led wildlife monitoring across the Arctic.

Moving in a Changing Arctic

Roads can change where caribou can go. Industrial development is expanding across the Arctic, often without fully considering impacts on wildlife or Indigenous land use. My Liber Ero fellowship focuses on reducing negative impacts of linear infrasctrucure on barren-ground caribou by modeling responses to roads and co-developing planning.

By integrating science, community leadership, and policy, I aim to support proactive and culturally respectful infrastructure planning across caribou ranges.

Photo: Peter Mather

Arctic Conservation Policy

Climate change and industrial development are transforming Arctic ecosystems faster than current policies are responding. Without long-term funding for monitoring, emerging trends are detected too late, and management remains too reactive instead of preventative.

My work focuses on building and advocating for adaptive, long-term, community-driven monitoring systems grounded in Indigenous stewardship. Using non-invasive tools like camera traps and acoustic recorders, we prioritize locally defined questions and uphold co-management rights under land claim agreements.

Bighorn Sheep Evolutionary Ecology

For my PhD at Université de Sherbrooke, I studied how bighorn sheep at Ram Mountain, Alberta, acquire and allocate resources across their lifespan, and how this shapes growth, reproduction, and fitness. Using decades of individual-based monitoring data, I examined how environmental conditions and individual heterogeneity influence trade-offs between growth and reproduction, and how behavioral differences in resource acquisition drive variation among individuals.

I also developed Bayesian structural equation models to assess phenotypic plasticity, mixture models to uncover llife-history trajectories, and showed how different methods of estimating fitness can change ecological interpretations. I plan to continue advancing research on individual heterogeneity and evolutionary ecology, and I would welcome opportunities to collaborate on related projects.

Broader Research Collaborations

Banff & Ya-Ha Tinda

I collaborate with Prof. Mark Hebblewhite and several graduate students on projects examining elk, bison, and plant ecology in Banff National Park and the neighbouring Ya-Ha Tinda Ranch. Projects include predicting and understanding elk parturition based on movement data, and modelling plant biomass.

Eurasian lynx in Romania

In collaboration with Profs. Mark Hebblewhite, Mahdieh Tourani, and MSc student Andrei Dinu, this project seeks to understand how human activity shapes lynx–prey dynamics through a large camera-trapping effort.

Improving animal movement models

I am also working with collaborators towards improving statistical tools in movement ecology (e.g., SSFs, HMMs) to make models more intuitive, realistic, and ecologically grounded, bridging the gap between theory and real-world movement patterns.

Regulatory Capture

Led by Dr. Sara Cannon and other Liber Ero fellows, this project explores how industry influence weakens environmental regulation. Through case studies we highlight the need for stronger transparency, oversight, and scientific independence in environmental policy.

Caribou Parasites

Led by honors student Celebrity Wright with Prof. Eliezer Gurarie, this project uses camera-trap photos to detect fly-related parasite lumps on caribou and track how parasite loads correlate to reproduction.

Migration Conservation

Through the Global Initiative on Ungulate Migrations, I contribute to mapping and comparing large-scale migrations of caribou and other ungulates to guide conservation and connectivity planning.

Partners

I am deeply grateful to the many individuals and organizations who make my research possible. My work is built on meaningful partnerships with Indigenous communities, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and academic collaborators. I especially thank the local knowledge holders, land stewards, and community members who have generously shared their time, expertise, and guidance. Your collaboration, trust, and leadership continue to shape my approach to conservation science in lasting ways.

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