UVic Geography

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)

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