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Young Professionals find value in
hands-on, transdisciplinary training Specialized source-to-tap training week & Annual General Meetings connect pan-Canadian participants
Twenty-three highly qualified personnel (HQP) from coast to coast gathered on Vancouver Island for the annual forWater Source-to-Tap Training Week (ST3) in August 2022. As new graduate students from the University of Waterloo, we were excited to meet other HQP in Canada who share the same passion for the conservation of forested watersheds. From touring water treatment plants to hiking Strathcona Provincial Park, the week offered learning experiences about the management of drinking water from source to tap. Three months later in October, we gathered for the Network’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), also held on Vancouver Island. This multi-day conference-style meeting provides updates, including announcements of achievements, latest research, knowledge mobilization initiatives, and general forWater information. The Network shares field and lab work experiences and future career opportunities. This helps build community within our Network where we can reach out for collaborations or discuss research. |
Photo: Anjali Krishna and Harshina Brijlall are graduate students in Dr. Kirsten Müller’s lab studying cyanobacterial communities in Turkey Lakes Watershed, ON, Canada.
Experiential Education Training Improves Research Outcomes
Hadeel Abed shares how her Master’s research focused on cyanobacterial communities was improved by the experiential education training provided by the Network.
Hadeel Abed was part of a group of graduate students in the forWater Network fortunate enough to attend the third Source-to-Tap (ST3) training week on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. During the week participants were exposed to the inner workings of source water protection (SWP) for drinking water. The pan-Canadian transdisciplinary forWater Network connects students of different research backgrounds to improve their knowledge of how climate change-exacerbated disturbances, like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires, affect forested watersheds and the waters that flow through them. |
Experiential learning is the act of learning by actively engaging with the material instead of passively reading about it. This type of learning relies on four processes: experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting.
During the training week, participants were fortunate to spend considerable time interacting with experts in source water protection. Through this exposure, they understood the nuance of implementing SWP plans and insight into the challenges faced by water industry professionals, all because they were seeing it directly. As young professionals attending this training, they could start to grasp the entire process involved in SWP, from start to finish (i.e., source to tap) and truly value the importance of maintaining forested source watersheds. "Through this exposure [interacting with industry professionals] we gained an understanding of the nuance of implementing SWP plans and insight into the challenges faced by water industry professionals, all because we were experiencing a glimpse of it directly." |
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After each immersive experience, the group reflected on the complexities of source water protection and water treatment systems. They then drew connections from the broader watershed scope to their individual research projects. By being exposed to this broader context, participants could start thinking about the significance of their research and its potential to contribute to industry performance improvements. During the training week, SWP was not a theory in a textbook, it was a dynamic process uniquely implemented in each watershed we visited.
The final pillar of experiential learning, and perhaps a core reason many choose to do this type of research, is acting upon experience. By acting, young researchers hope to make tangible differences in the scientific community, bridge the knowledge gaps in identifying climate change-related impacts, and apply their findings to improve the security of safe, reliable drinking water. |
Hadeel’s participation in the forWater Network has expanded her field of vision to all the facets of water science, source water protection, and drinking water treatability. The Network has introduced her to processes that she would not otherwise interact with in her field of microbiology. The experiential learning activities during ST3 week established new, long-lasting professional connections with peers, professors and industry partners. Through these valuable experiences, she has gained skills and learned new perspectives that I will be able to draw on in my future career as a water industry professional.
Images, left to right: Observing the macroalgae Nereocystis sp. in Victoria, British Columbia; source: H. Abed; Taking surface water samples from Little Turkey Lake; source: H. Abed, Turkey Lakes Watershed, ON; Graduate students from Kirsten Müller’s lab from the University of Waterloo attend ST3 week 2022; source: H. Abed |
The importance of collaborative research for Young Professionals
Lauren McGregor shares how her Master’s research focused on biofiltration of wildfire-impacted water was improved by the collaborations that resulted from her participation in the Network.
My involvement with the forWater Network has emphasized the immense value of transdisciplinary partnerships. As a student who is relatively new to water research, my unique experiences with the Network have not only advanced my academic work and professional development, but have also served to ground my research in relevant drinking water industry challenges.
The forWater Network brings together international researchers, industry professionals, and non-profit organizations to tackle complex challenges faced by the water industry as a result of climate change impacts. Its scope spans from source waters to taps, and bridges the gap between forest management and water quality and treatability. This is no small feat as these disciplines have traditionally not always been aligned. The unique nature of the Network has allowed me to conduct research at the intersection of environmental engineering and biology. Stepping into this transdisciplinary space has been a rare and exciting opportunity that has enhanced my research tremendously. For example, I have been able to leverage the power of modern genetic sequencing tools with an understanding of their practical limitations, ensuring that my work is deductive and meaningful.
"The unique nature of the Network has allowed me to conduct research at the intersection of environmental engineering and biology. Stepping into this transdisciplinary space has been a rare and exciting opportunity that has enhanced my research tremendously", shares McGregor.
Exposure to a broad scope of research has greatly improved my ability to overcome traditional subject matter silos. Presentations given by Network members provide insight into topics that are outside, but intrinsically linked to, my research. Foundational knowledge in watershed science, forest management, and source water protection provides much needed perspective to my work in water treatment. Instead of being limited to literature reviews, I have heard researchers discuss the significance of their findings and recommendations at length, as well as the obstacles they faced and how they overcame challenges. Events such as the annual conference hosted by the Network have allowed me to gain skills in presenting to multistakeholder audiences and to receive feedback from water practitioners. Their insights have helped refine my research objectives to increase the impact of my findings and the applicability to industry.
As I navigate the path to a career as a water industry professional, I have gained a deeper understanding of the benefits of transdisciplinary collaboration and its importance to securing a future with safe, reliable drinking water for all.
My involvement with the forWater Network has emphasized the immense value of transdisciplinary partnerships. As a student who is relatively new to water research, my unique experiences with the Network have not only advanced my academic work and professional development, but have also served to ground my research in relevant drinking water industry challenges.
The forWater Network brings together international researchers, industry professionals, and non-profit organizations to tackle complex challenges faced by the water industry as a result of climate change impacts. Its scope spans from source waters to taps, and bridges the gap between forest management and water quality and treatability. This is no small feat as these disciplines have traditionally not always been aligned. The unique nature of the Network has allowed me to conduct research at the intersection of environmental engineering and biology. Stepping into this transdisciplinary space has been a rare and exciting opportunity that has enhanced my research tremendously. For example, I have been able to leverage the power of modern genetic sequencing tools with an understanding of their practical limitations, ensuring that my work is deductive and meaningful.
"The unique nature of the Network has allowed me to conduct research at the intersection of environmental engineering and biology. Stepping into this transdisciplinary space has been a rare and exciting opportunity that has enhanced my research tremendously", shares McGregor.
Exposure to a broad scope of research has greatly improved my ability to overcome traditional subject matter silos. Presentations given by Network members provide insight into topics that are outside, but intrinsically linked to, my research. Foundational knowledge in watershed science, forest management, and source water protection provides much needed perspective to my work in water treatment. Instead of being limited to literature reviews, I have heard researchers discuss the significance of their findings and recommendations at length, as well as the obstacles they faced and how they overcame challenges. Events such as the annual conference hosted by the Network have allowed me to gain skills in presenting to multistakeholder audiences and to receive feedback from water practitioners. Their insights have helped refine my research objectives to increase the impact of my findings and the applicability to industry.
As I navigate the path to a career as a water industry professional, I have gained a deeper understanding of the benefits of transdisciplinary collaboration and its importance to securing a future with safe, reliable drinking water for all.
Doctor Creek wildfire ash collection site. Ash collected was used in Lauren McGregor's biofiltration research. Source: S. Bahramian, WaterSTP research group
