Beavers and Socio-ecological Resilience in Inuit Nunangat (BARIN)
Lead Research Organisation:
Anglia Ruskin University
Department Name: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Abstract
Our project investigates the drivers and dynamics of regime shifts in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region through examining interlinkages between beaver population change, changes in lakes and streams and fish population and the outcomes for Inuvialuit communities and their wellbeing. Species distribution change is occurring globally due to changing climate and changing human activities. Changes in the distribution and density of key species such as ecosystem engineers can reduce ecosystem resilience and create a fundamental restructuring of ecosystems, known as regime shifts; these impact ecosystems, ecosystem services, local livelihoods and wellbeing. Within Inuit Nunangat, beavers are transforming ecosystems and impacting wellbeing. Recent observations include rivers running dry and changes in hydrologies impacting fish, dams creating barriers to accessing land and water and changes to on-land vegetation. Inuvialuit organisations have stressed that this is an urgent issue requiring action.
We will bring together a diverse multidisciplinary team of experts to coproduce field, remote sensing and interview research that both addresses fundamental questions and provides important information to support decision-making and stewardship in Inuit Nunangat in the face of environmental and social change. To advance theoretical scientific understanding of regime changes, we will examine the role of species population dynamics on regime shifts. Specifically, we will test whether past dynamics of beaver colonies impacts the transitions to new ecosystem states and investigate what specific ecosystem changes are generated by beaver occurrence and permanent and transient beaver colonies. This will also advance system-specific knowledge of the changes occurring in beaver populations, lakes and streams and fish in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and their impacts on communities and wellbeing. Our research is focussed on responding to urgent priorities from Hunters and Trappers organisations, the Fisheries Joint Management Committee and Inuvialuit Game Council including assessing current beaver distribution, the magnitude of recent change and impacts on fish, communities and wellbeing. We will also support the long-term needs of communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and beyond by co-creating tools and infrastructure to support Inuit-led research such as beaver and fish monitoring toolkits which incorporate and value traditional knowledge in research and app infrastructure to support ongoing data collection.
Our collaboration is led by Philip Marsh (Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada), Helen Wheeler (Anglia Ruskin University, UK) and Herb Nakimayak (Inuvialuit Fisheries Joint Management Committee). We bring together expertise in wildlife ecology, hydrology, permafrost, biogeochemistry, aquatic ecosystems, fish biology and communities and wellbeing to address this timely issue. Our group include several researchers with long-term research within the Inuvialuit region, those with connections to international coordination of research on beavers in the Arctic and circumpolar freshwater monitoring and many with existing community-based monitoring programs that represent a coproduction between Indigenous organisations and communities and scientists. Our proposal has been coproduced from the outset with extensive consultation across Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat organisations. It is designed to sustain this close coproduction working with community researchers with consultation throughout and key dissemination products targeted to meet community needs for both more immediate decision-making and to facilitate ongoing Inuvialuit-led research.
We will bring together a diverse multidisciplinary team of experts to coproduce field, remote sensing and interview research that both addresses fundamental questions and provides important information to support decision-making and stewardship in Inuit Nunangat in the face of environmental and social change. To advance theoretical scientific understanding of regime changes, we will examine the role of species population dynamics on regime shifts. Specifically, we will test whether past dynamics of beaver colonies impacts the transitions to new ecosystem states and investigate what specific ecosystem changes are generated by beaver occurrence and permanent and transient beaver colonies. This will also advance system-specific knowledge of the changes occurring in beaver populations, lakes and streams and fish in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and their impacts on communities and wellbeing. Our research is focussed on responding to urgent priorities from Hunters and Trappers organisations, the Fisheries Joint Management Committee and Inuvialuit Game Council including assessing current beaver distribution, the magnitude of recent change and impacts on fish, communities and wellbeing. We will also support the long-term needs of communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and beyond by co-creating tools and infrastructure to support Inuit-led research such as beaver and fish monitoring toolkits which incorporate and value traditional knowledge in research and app infrastructure to support ongoing data collection.
Our collaboration is led by Philip Marsh (Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada), Helen Wheeler (Anglia Ruskin University, UK) and Herb Nakimayak (Inuvialuit Fisheries Joint Management Committee). We bring together expertise in wildlife ecology, hydrology, permafrost, biogeochemistry, aquatic ecosystems, fish biology and communities and wellbeing to address this timely issue. Our group include several researchers with long-term research within the Inuvialuit region, those with connections to international coordination of research on beavers in the Arctic and circumpolar freshwater monitoring and many with existing community-based monitoring programs that represent a coproduction between Indigenous organisations and communities and scientists. Our proposal has been coproduced from the outset with extensive consultation across Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat organisations. It is designed to sustain this close coproduction working with community researchers with consultation throughout and key dissemination products targeted to meet community needs for both more immediate decision-making and to facilitate ongoing Inuvialuit-led research.
Organisations
- Anglia Ruskin University (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Alaska Fairbanks (Collaboration)
- Wilfrid Laurier University (Collaboration)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (Collaboration)
- University of Montreal (Collaboration)
- University of Guelph (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (Collaboration)
Publications
Root-Bernstein M
(2023)
What Are ILK in Relation to Science? Using the 'Ethic of Equivocation' to Co-Produce New Knowledge for Conservation
in Sustainability
Description | ArcticNet: Student Stipend and Training Funds |
Amount | $9,617 (CAD) |
Funding ID | 216 (Cycle 3) |
Organisation | ArcticNet |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | Canada |
Start | 03/2023 |
End | 03/2024 |
Description | Canada Research Chairs: Field Equipment |
Amount | $344 (CAD) |
Organisation | Government of Canada |
Department | Canada Research Chairs |
Sector | Public |
Country | Canada |
Start | 03/2019 |
End | 09/2025 |
Description | NSERC Discovery Grant |
Amount | $19,462 (CAD) |
Organisation | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | Canada |
Start | 03/2018 |
End | 03/2026 |
Description | A-BON Arctic Beaver Observation Network |
Organisation | University of Alaska Fairbanks |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration has strengthened as a result of the award. I have become a co-lead of the Arctic beaver observation network, increasing my role in this network. This is an international network coordinating beaver research across the Arctic. As part of this I lead-organised a conference in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, for which I raised funding from the International Arctic Science Council, Ken Tape also contributed funds towards the running of the meeting. This partnership emerged from BARIN and other beaver-related research I have been conducting and will support wider outcomes of to emerge beyond BARIN that are supported from BARIN data and activity. My contribution has also been to greatly increase the focus on Indigenous participation and Indigenous knowledge in the partnership. I also have set up a remote sensing specialist group within the network. |
Collaborator Contribution | Ken Tape set up the network in 2020 and has an ongoing leadership role in the network. He participated in the meeting in Yellowknife, and supported its organisation. He also manages the list of A-BON contacts from the scientific community and the website. He will host the next network meeting, planned for the first quarter of 2024. |
Impact | This is a multi-disciplinary initiative supporting knowledge coproduction between Indigenous knowledge holders and natural and social scientists. It involves Indigenous knowledge holders, remote sensing experts, ecologists, physical scientists and social scientists. |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Cambridge University Tree Ring Unit |
Organisation | University of Cambridge |
Department | Department of Geography |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | A postdoctoral researcher from the team is doing dendrochronological analysis on shrub rings to estimate beaver occupancy. She is contributing to lab meeting and the working environment of the group more broadly through this collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | We are using facilities at Cambridge University tree ring unit and in kind contribution of staff time are being made to the project. |
Impact | Early stages, none to date. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Canadian Partnership |
Organisation | Environment and Climate Change Canada |
Country | Canada |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | This project has been developed as a close collaboration between UK and Canadian partnerships. I have provided project leadership in collaboration with the Canadian PI. This includes everything from research design, partnership management, staff recruitment, network development, organisation and leadership of meetings and on the ground field research, coordination and planning. |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners have variously provided coordination of Canadian activities and budget, network development, recruitment of staff and collaborative field research design. |
Impact | We have had multiple conference presentations on the overarching project, approach and preliminary findings at national and international conferences and at Inuvialuit co-management organisation meetings. This has involved contributions from across the natural and social sciences and therefore been highly interdisciplinary. The research and presentation have also address multiple worldviews. We have a more specific conference presentation on the use of medium resolution remote sensing imagery of identify beaver activity which has also been accepted for an upcoming conference. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Canadian Partnership |
Organisation | University of Guelph |
Country | Canada |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This project has been developed as a close collaboration between UK and Canadian partnerships. I have provided project leadership in collaboration with the Canadian PI. This includes everything from research design, partnership management, staff recruitment, network development, organisation and leadership of meetings and on the ground field research, coordination and planning. |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners have variously provided coordination of Canadian activities and budget, network development, recruitment of staff and collaborative field research design. |
Impact | We have had multiple conference presentations on the overarching project, approach and preliminary findings at national and international conferences and at Inuvialuit co-management organisation meetings. This has involved contributions from across the natural and social sciences and therefore been highly interdisciplinary. The research and presentation have also address multiple worldviews. We have a more specific conference presentation on the use of medium resolution remote sensing imagery of identify beaver activity which has also been accepted for an upcoming conference. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Canadian Partnership |
Organisation | University of Montreal |
Country | Canada |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This project has been developed as a close collaboration between UK and Canadian partnerships. I have provided project leadership in collaboration with the Canadian PI. This includes everything from research design, partnership management, staff recruitment, network development, organisation and leadership of meetings and on the ground field research, coordination and planning. |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners have variously provided coordination of Canadian activities and budget, network development, recruitment of staff and collaborative field research design. |
Impact | We have had multiple conference presentations on the overarching project, approach and preliminary findings at national and international conferences and at Inuvialuit co-management organisation meetings. This has involved contributions from across the natural and social sciences and therefore been highly interdisciplinary. The research and presentation have also address multiple worldviews. We have a more specific conference presentation on the use of medium resolution remote sensing imagery of identify beaver activity which has also been accepted for an upcoming conference. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Canadian Partnership |
Organisation | Wilfrid Laurier University |
Department | Faculty of Science |
Country | Canada |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This project has been developed as a close collaboration between UK and Canadian partnerships. I have provided project leadership in collaboration with the Canadian PI. This includes everything from research design, partnership management, staff recruitment, network development, organisation and leadership of meetings and on the ground field research, coordination and planning. |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners have variously provided coordination of Canadian activities and budget, network development, recruitment of staff and collaborative field research design. |
Impact | We have had multiple conference presentations on the overarching project, approach and preliminary findings at national and international conferences and at Inuvialuit co-management organisation meetings. This has involved contributions from across the natural and social sciences and therefore been highly interdisciplinary. The research and presentation have also address multiple worldviews. We have a more specific conference presentation on the use of medium resolution remote sensing imagery of identify beaver activity which has also been accepted for an upcoming conference. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Community Meeting, Inuvik, Nov 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Community outreach meeting to discuss project updates at the Inuvialuit Game Council in Inuvik, Nov 2023. This included a co-developed presentation led by two Inuvialuit participants. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Community meeting, Whitehorse, Sept 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Community outreach meeting to discuss project updates at the Inuvialuit Game Council in Whitehorse, September 2023. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Community meeting, Winnipeg, Jan 2024 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Community outreach meeting to discuss project with the Fisheries Joint Management Committee in Winnipeg, January 2024. This included a co-developed and presented presentation with an Inuvialuit representative. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
Description | Consultations |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | I have presented the research and gained feedback from Inuvialuit organisations at multiple junctures. This supports the coproduction of the research. Meetings to date are as follows: Inuvialuit Fisheries Joint Management Committee regular business meeting, 30th January 2023, Winnipeg, Canada (joined online) Inuvialuit Game Council regular members meeting, 1st December 2022, Inuvik, Canada (in person) Tuktoyaktuk Hunters and Trappers Committee. 31st August 2022, Tuktoyaktuk, Canad (online due to covid) Inuvik Hunters and Trappers Committee. 10th August 2022, Inuvik, Canada (in person) Inuvialuit Fisheries Joint Management Committee regular business meeting, April 2022 (online) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.jointsecretariat.ca/ |
Description | Coverage in the Guardian newspaper |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview with a Guardian journalist regarding changing beaver populations and the impact on communities |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
URL | https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/02/global-heating-beavers-alaska-northern-canada |
Description | Interview Up Here Magasine |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | I gave an interview for Up Here Magazine's November/December 2022 on the project and its objectives. The article appeared in the print version of the magasine. The print run of this magasine is given as 25,000 or higher. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.uphere.ca/ |
Description | Interview for Cabin Radio news |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Several members of the research team were interviewed by Cabin Radio (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories) in August 2023 about the work being conducted in 2023. This was published as an article on their website: https://cabinradio.ca/152040/news/environment/climate/new-study-looks-at-how-beaver-migration-is-impacting-inuit/ |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://cabinradio.ca/152040/news/environment/climate/new-study-looks-at-how-beaver-migration-is-imp... |
Description | Interview for regional newspaper CBC North |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Media engagement with PhD candidate about their work at the Trail valley Creek research station for BARIN, "32 years on, research station north of Inuvik, N. W. T., still going strong". CBC North. July 2023. By Dez Loreen. Available at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/trail-valley-creek-research-station-inuvik-1.6918562 ; |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/trail-valley-creek-research-station-inuvik-1.6918562 |
Description | Joint ABON/BARIN workshop November 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | I organised a combined meeting of the Arctic Beaver Observation Network and BARIN project attended by Indigenous community members, representative of Indigenous organisations, researchers and practitioners. . The meeting facilitated dialogue and knowledge sharing on environmental change between Indigenous peoples, researchers and decision-makers. A notable achievement was over 50% of participants were Indigenous, providing a clear message against tokenism in knowledge partnerships. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Lecture on fish-related objectives of the BARIN project at Wilfrid Laurier University. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | An invited lecture on fish-related objectives of the BARIN project was given at Wilfrid Laurier University. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Local project launch in Inuvik, NT, Canada, July 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | I organised a launch event to engage Indigenous community members and Indigenous decision-making organisations to discuss the projects aims and demonstrate some of the planned research methods. Indigenous community members shared their knowledge about beaver range expansion, discussed research priorities and asked questions regarding the research methods. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Radio interview and press release |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | A press release was made to describe the launch of the project, which was covered in BBC online, the Cambridge Independent. This led to a radio interview which was played on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, BBC World Service, BBC Essex and BBC Look East. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Talk and discussion for Canadian Association for Girls in Science, March 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Canadian Association for Girls in Science (https://girlsinscience.ca/) March 2023 - PhD candidate hosted a virtual education session for students aged 7 - 16 about research associated with BARIN. Generated discussion about the local impacts of beaver activity and permafrost thaw on northern ecosystems, economies, and infrastructure. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Talk and discussion for NSERC CREATE LEAP, Nov 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | NSERC CREATE LEAP (training tomorrow's LEAders in Permafrost thaw and northern research; https://www.permafrost-leap.ca/) Nov. 2023 - PhD candidate led a session to educate LEAP members on topics related to the BARIN project. Generated discussion about the local impacts of beaver activity and permafrost thaw on northern ecosystems, economies, and infrastructure. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.permafrost-leap.ca/ |