College of Sustainability Dalhousie University

10/20/2026

Forestry has a long history in Nova Scotia. What do ecological forestry practices look like, and how can local communities help steer those discussions? This week in the ESS Lecture Series we're welcoming guest speaker Mary Jane Rodger, Executive Director of Medway Community Forest Cooperative and the Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust, to present on the topic of "Community Approaches to Ecological Forestry".

The lecture is taking place this Thursday, October 22nd, 7:05-8:30pm in the Potter Auditorium (Rowe Building, 6100 University Ave.). All are welcome to attend!

Some more background on our guest speaker:

Mary Jane Rodger has been involved with many facets of Nova Scotia’s shift to ecological forestry, playing an influential role in the Lahey Forest Practices Review and serving on the Department of Natural Resources’ initial Minister’s Advisory Committee. She spent a year as a Forest Conservation Coordinator with the Canadian Wildlife Service within Environment and Climate Change Canada. She has been working with trees and forestry since her days as a tree planter and has a Master of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto.

We hope to see you there! For any folks unable to attend: please note that the lecture WILL be available to view as a recording on our Vimeo channel about a week after the lecture's initial presentation (https://vimeo.com/channels/1971041).

Have questions about this event? Contact [email protected].

Medway Community Forest Co-op

10/16/2026

Today (Friday, Oct. 16th) is the registration deadline for this year's RBC Sustainability Leadership Certificate program! If you've been thinking about it, now is the time to take the plunge.

Program participants will complete three in-person modules at Dal Studley Campus and two action projects. In Module 1, you'll explore your personal leadership style and how it connects to sustainability. In Module 2, you'll gain powerful tools for planning, facilitating, and leading change in complex systems. In Module 3, you'll deepen your collaboration skills, practice facilitation, and reflect on your growth as a leader.

By the end of the program, you'll have a personalized sustainability leadership toolkit (including methods such as Appreciative Inquiry, Circle Practice, Open Space Technology, and World Café), and you'll have hands-on experience designing and delivering a project to help change your community for the better.

Program fees are just $150 for the whole certificate (covering supplies, meals and snacks during the modules). Registration is open to both Dalhousie students AND members of the broader Halifax community.

See the program schedule and register online at our website today: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/sustainability/programs/slc.html

10/13/2026

This week in the ESS Lecture Series, we're welcoming former Federal Liberal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, who will be speaking on the topic of "Hope and Hard Truths: Three Decades Inside Environmental Politics".

The lecture is taking place this Thursday, October 15th, 7:05-8:30pm in the Potter Auditorium (Rowe Building, 6100 University Ave.). All are welcome to attend!

Some background on our guest speaker:

Steven Guilbeault began his career as an activist, and in 1993 he co-founded Équiterre, the largest environmental organization in Quebec, and served as its Senior Director from 2008 to 2018. He also worked as a Director and Campaign Manager for Greenpeace and was a Strategic Advisor for more than 10 years at Cycle Capital Management, a Canadian fund dedicated to the development of clean technologies.

Guilbeault was elected as a Federal Member of Parliament in 2019 (Laurier-Sainte-Marie QC) and named Minister of Environment and Climate Change after the 2021 election. He was re-elected in 2025 and named to head the newly created ministry of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada as well as the Quebec lieutenant in Mark Carney’s cabinet. Guilbeault resigned as Cabinet minister in November 2025 following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Carney and Alberta’s government to build an oil pipeline from the Alberta Tar Sands to the British Columbia coast. He resigned his parliamentary seat in August 2026.

We hope to see you there! For any folks unable to attend: please note that the lecture WILL be available to view as a recording on our Vimeo channel about a week after the lecture's initial presentation (see Vimeo link in our bio).

Have questions about this event? Contact [email protected].

09/29/2026

We're headed to the high seas in our next lecture! 🌊 🐳 This week in the ESS Lecture Series, we're pleased to partner with International Ocean Institute Canada and Oceans North to present the 2026 Annual Elisabeth Mann Borgese Ocean Lecture. Three guest speakers will explore the topic of "Bringing the High Seas Home: What does the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty mean for Canada?"

The lecture is taking place this Thursday, October 1st, 7:05-8:30pm in the Potter Auditorium (Rowe Building, 6100 University Avenue). All are welcome to attend!

Our three guest speakers for this lecture are Susanna Fuller (Oceans North), Amy Irvine (High Seas Alliance), and Anna Metaxas (Oceanography and Biology, Dalhousie University).

We hope to see you there! For any folks unable to attend: please note that the lecture will be available to view as a recording on our Vimeo channel the week after the lecture's initial presentation (https://vimeo.com/channels/1971041).

Have questions about this event? Contact [email protected].

09/28/2026

The RBC Sustainability Leadership Certificate is open for registration! Do you have an idea to spark positive change in your community? This immersive program will give you new skills and tools to help you successfully design, plan, and lead your project, bringing your ideas to life.

Between October 2026 and March 2027, participants will attend three weekend modules in-person at Dalhousie’s Halifax Studley Campus and complete two action projects, with assignments and online peer coaching included along the way. Upon fully completing the program, you'll receive your Sustainability Leadership Certificate AND two additional Dalhousie micro-credentials, which can be displayed in resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

Total program fees are $150 per participant – this covers all supplies and meals/snacks during the weekend modules. Dal students can apply for a member grant from the DSU to help offset these costs. NOTE: We have a number of seats reserved for Dal alumni, non-Dal students, and members of the broader Halifax/Nova Scotia community. Tell your friends!

Applications for this year’s RBC Sustainability Leadership Certificate program are due by October 16, 2026. Find all the details and application info on our website: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/sustainability/programs/slc.html

Have any questions about the program? Contact Mim at [email protected].

09/16/2026

The September SUST Community Meal is coming up next week -- join us on Thursday, Sep. 24th, 5:00-7:00pm at the College of Sustainability for some good food and conversation! SUST students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends of the College are all invited.

Remember to RSVP via the online form (so we know how many guests to expect): https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/V5AfJA9mjt

09/15/2026

The ESS Lecture Series is back! We're kicking off the fall semester this week with our first guest speaker: Dal Vice Provost of Indigenous Relations John Sylliboy, who is speaking on the topic of "L'nu Wisdom and Sustainability".

The lecture is taking place this Thursday, September 17th, 7:05-8:30pm in the Potter Auditorium (Rowe Building, 6100 University Avenue). All are welcome to attend!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This year we are not simultaneously livestreaming the lecture series on Zoom, but all lectures will be publicly available to view as recordings on our Vimeo Fall 2026 channel by the Tuesday following the lecture's presentation (https://vimeo.com/collegeofsustainability).

As some more background on our guest speaker:

John Sylliboy is Dalhousie University’s first Vice Provost of Indigenous Relations. Previously, he was the co-founder and executive director of the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance, an Indigenous collective that celebrates 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities and a health research partner at the IWK Children’s Hospital. John’s goal at DAL is to bring community-based knowledge and experience into all he does at the university.

We hope to see you there! Have questions about this event? Contact [email protected].

07/23/2026

Have a broken household item you wish you could fix? Halifax now has a free monthly Repair Café, which you can attend for advice and/or direct assistance in repairs.

🎉 Great news, Halifax!

Halifax now has a new Repair Café hosting FREE monthly repair events!

Bring your broken household items and, with the help of skilled volunteers, have them repaired at absolutely no cost—that's FREE repairs, FREE advice, and absolutely NO tips expected.

Best of all, it's tariff-free! 😄

Repair Cafés are a great way to save money, reduce waste, learn new skills, and keep perfectly good items out of the landfill.

Watch for upcoming event dates and bring something back to life instead of throwing it away!

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18uQfXTxPc/

06/09/2026

We are so proud of all our new sustainability grads this spring -- congratulations to every single one of you, and best of luck in the next steps of your journey!

Our final grad spotlight of the season is Ruby Swartz, who is graduating with a BA Combined Honours in Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS) and Political Science.

Ruby is also the 2026 recipient of the Deborah Buszard Prize, awarded to an ESS grad judged to have contributed significantly to academic life at the College of Sustainability. Congrats Ruby!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS?

“My highlight of ESS was definitely organizing the Green Gala. I loved getting the opportunity to create space to dance away the challenges of the year while celebrating the incredible SUSTie community!”

Favourite course?

“I have two! I loved SUST 2001: Global Environmental Governance. I particularly enjoyed the simulations (which included impeaching my TA). I also really enjoyed Pathways to Green Energy taught by Wayne Groszco. Green energy infrastructure is my passion, and I loved the chance to learn about some of the technical aspects of energy systems.”

What's one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“Climate resilience! I think that studying climate change can be really heavy, and thinking about how to adapt our communities so we can best protect ourselves and our neighbours can provide a lot of hope!”

06/08/2026

Naomi Black is graduating with a BA Combined Honours in Environment, Sustainability, & Society (ESS) and Environmental Science, with a Minor in Security Studies. Congrats Naomi!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS?

“My highlight of ESS was the Community Meals program. There is something so important about taking the time to share a meal with the people around you, and these meals were an incredible opportunity to connect with the faculty, students, and staff of the college. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to host these meals and to have spent the day cooking with the wonderful friends I met in this program, creating so many memories I will cherish.”

Favourite course?

“My favourite courses within ESS were Global Environmental Governance and Conflict Negotiation and Sustainability. These courses really expanded the scope of the sustainability field in my eyes and fostered a passion for understanding the important relationship between mitigating conflict alongside the ongoing climate crisis.”

What's one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“I hope that people continue to work towards more resilient food systems. Sustainability is more than just ensuring resilient ecosystems and working towards environmental justice; it requires us to consider how communities can become more adaptive to an ever-changing world. Ensuring that there are pathways to stable and consistent food access is a crucial step towards safeguarding communities’ ability to flourish.”