The View from 2117: Human Actions, Consequences, and Perspectives on Mountain Regions

This project is now complete!

Read the final project summary below (click to open the PDF)

Version française disponible ici

Principal Investigator: Pamela Shaw (Vancouver Island University)

Opportunity: What are the ways in which individual and collective behaviour, population growth, regulatory regimes, and societal change have affected and will affect First Nations, mountain communities, and mountain environments over the next century?

Objectives: The project’s key objectives are interdisciplinarity, deep partnerships, and cross-scale evaluations, which align with the CMN’s Vision, Goals, and Research Themes as they speak to the interconnectedness of people, economies, cultures, and environments, and take a long-term approach to addressing the needs of First Nations, communities, and ecosystems. In the short term, the project will provide a research and engagement framework that can be replicated in Canada’s other mountain biosphere reserves. In the long term, the research aims to influence how we view and regulate mountain landscapes. Participation in the Canadian Mountain Network will ensure that this project team is able to elevate knowledge on these fragile and changing environments.

Research Plan: A multi-modal approach will be taken, including demographic analyses, indicator development, quantitative field research, surveys, focus groups, case studies, community engagement, and psychological assessments. The research will range in scope from to the philosophical, examining “eudaimonic” values, or values associated with a good life” as discussed in Chan, Balvanera, et al. (2016) to classic understandings of social/ecological relationships discussed in Folke, Biggs, Norström, Reyers, and Rockström (2016) to a call for clarity into the “fuzzy” terminology often cited in conservation research as critically examined by Zylstra, Knight, Esler, and Le Grange (2014).

Key Outcomes & Impact: The goal of this research is to have an impact on policy, procedural, best practice, and regulatory environments that shape human actions in fragile ecosystems. The discovery of new, innovative methods of resolving conflicts or shaping behaviours through education, improved communications, information sharing, review of practices and regulations, and legislation/bylaw development will have a profound impact on the human/nature relationship in the study area. The development of publicly-accessible databases and synthesis reports will ensure that this new knowledge will be transferable to any jurisdiction/First Nation/local government grappling with similar issues.

February 2020 Presentation: The View from the 2117

February 2021 Presentation: The View from the 2117

Other Team Members:
Geraldine Manson (Vancouver Island University)
Sylvie Lafreniere (Vancouver Island University)
Lindsay McCunn (Vancouver Island University)
Maureen Reed (University of Saskatchewan)
Maria Inȇs Paez Ferriera (Instituto Federal de Educação)