Island Lecture Series

Island Lecture Series: Dr. Irené Novaczek 

March 21st, 7pm
Faculty Lounge SDU Main Building, UPEI

Join us March 21st for an Island Lecture from marine ecologist Dr. Irené Novaczek on the Ecosystem Restoration Project at Basin Head. Basin Head was designated as a “Marine Protected Area” under the Oceans Act in 2005, to conserve and protect a unique strain of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) which is thought to exist only within the confines of Basin Head.

The talk will focus on adaptive management of the Marine Protected Area to ensure that the unique giant form of Irish moss at Basin Head is able to survive in the coastal lagoon environment which is challenged by impacts of local agriculture, invasive European green crabs and ongoing climate changes.

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Request to Give an Island Lecture

Do you have a research project on an island studies subject that you would like to present in our Island Lecture Series?
Send an email to IslandStudiesUPEI@gmail.com to suggest a topic and discuss possible dates!
Please read our FAQ before submitting

FAQs

When and where are the lectures usually held?
Our Island Lectures are usually held monthly (September to April) on a Tuesday evening at 7pm in the SDU Main Building Faculty Lounge at UPEI; though in the past, we have held a few virtually on zoom because of the pandemic restrictions.

How long should my presentation be?
30-50 minutes for presenting and up to 40 minutes of Q&A or discussion.

What kind of audience will I be speaking to?
The audience is usually a mix of academic and public depending on the topic of the lecture. The more accessible the topic is, the more general community members the lecture attracts.

Will I have access to a projector for my slides?
Yes, most of our lectures feature slideshows. You should have access to a projector in the Faculty Lounge during your presentation, but we advise you to bring your own laptop. We recommend arriving half an hour to an hour before the event so that someone can show you how to set it up beforehand.

Will there be a recording available after?
Yes, if you are willing to be filmed, we usually film the events and share them on our YouTube channel and web page afterward. You can then share the link anywhere you want! Previous recordings can also be found at https://islandstudies.com/events/recordings/

What do you need from me? What is my timeline?
In order to promote the event, we need a title and a short description of the topic, as well as a short bio and high-resolution headshot of the presenter. The earlier that we have these, the better we can promote the event, especially in print formats. 3-4 weeks ahead is ideal. If you have a professional Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram account, let us know so we can tag you when we promote the event on social media.

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ISLAND LECTURE SERIES | JANUARY 2023


Island Lecture Series: Towards Energy Sovereignty on Labrador’s Remote Island of Ponds
Dr. Nick Mercer
Tuesday, January 24th, 2023 · 7:00pm AST (UTC-4)
Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI

(Hosted by the Institute of Island Studies · January 24th, 2023)
Newfoundland and Labrador is a global leader in the development of renewable energy. However, the electricity-generation mix differs dramatically in remote and Indigenous communities throughout the province, which remain almost exclusively reliant on diesel fuel, resulting in numerous energy inequities. While sustainable energies are often promoted for these isolated villages, emerging research demonstrates detrimental socio-economic and livelihood implications which emerge when development is led by outsiders or corporate interests. The presentation will focus on an 8+ year community-based research partnership between Dr. Nick Mercer, the NunatuKavut Community Council’s Department of Research, Education, and Culture, and the NunatuKavut Inuit community of Black Tickle, located on the subarctic tundra Island of Ponds, in southern Labrador. The research focuses on identifying and addressing community needs, integrating local knowledge and sustainability values, and mobilizing community-led initiatives to enhance island energy resilience.

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ISLAND LECTURE SERIES | JANUARY 2023

Island Lecture Series: Towards Energy Sovereignty on Labrador’s Remote Island of Ponds
Dr. Nick Mercer
Tuesday, January 24th, 20 · 7:00pm AST (UTC-4)
Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI

(Hosted by the Institute of Island Studies · January 24th, 2023)
Newfoundland and Labrador is a global leader in the development of renewable energy. However, the electricity-generation mix differs dramatically in remote and Indigenous communities throughout the province, which remain almost exclusively reliant on diesel fuel, resulting in numerous energy inequities. While sustainable energies are often promoted for these isolated villages, emerging research demonstrates detrimental socio-economic and livelihood implications which emerge when development is led by outsiders or corporate interests. The presentation will focus on an 8+ year community-based research partnership between Dr. Nick Mercer, the NunatuKavut Community Council’s Department of Research, Education, and Culture, and the NunatuKavut Inuit community of Black Tickle, located on the subarctic tundra Island of Ponds, in southern Labrador. The research focuses on identifying and addressing community needs, integrating local knowledge and sustainability values, and mobilizing community-led initiatives to enhance island energy resilience.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Dr. Nick Mercer is a recently appointed professor within UPEI’s Master of Island Studies [Sustainable Islands Specialization] and Environmental Studies programs. Prior to joining the UPEI community, Dr. Mercer held a SSHRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship within Dalhousie University’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies. In this role, Dr. Mercer studied questions of energy justice in isolated northern communities, examining how [or if] communities have participated in energy-related decision-making, and how [or if] communities have benefitted from development. Dr. Mercer has a long research relationship with remote and island communities, having conducted almost a decade of partnership research with the Island of Ponds in Labrador, on issues ranging from participatory energy planning, to water security, to gendered dimensions of resource access. Dr. Mercer serves as one of eight appointees to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Net Zero Advisory Committee and is a vocal advocate for community-led clean energy policy and practice.

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Island Lecture Series| Anticosti: Finisterre Metropolitan with Matthew Hatvany

ISLAND LECTURE SERIES | OCTOBER 2022
Island Lecture Series: Anticosti: Finisterre Metropolitan with Matthew Hatvany
Dr. Matthew Hatvany
Tuesday, October 25, 2022 · 7:00pm AST (UTC-3)
Faculty Lounge, SDU Main Building, UPEI

(Hosted by the Institute of Island Studies · October 25th, 2022)
In the latest installment of the 2022 Island Lecture series, Matthew Hatvany, professor of Geography at Université Laval in Quebec City, will share his research on his current project entitled “Anticosti: Metropolitan Finisterre.”

Two large islands lie at the heart of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Despite their relative proximity and comparable sobriquets, one “Garden of the Gulf” the other “Paradise Found,” the similarities end there. It is the smaller of the two, Prince Edward Island, that realised provincial autonomy through the development and control of its human, agricultural, forest, and fish resources. The larger, Anticosti, experienced little internal development despite abundant resources, being purposely constructed by external decision makers as a Finisterre Insulaire or Land’s End controlled and dependent upon metropolitan decision makers and investors to assure the well-being of its small population. While Anticosti is little known in Quebec or by its nearest neighbours in Atlantic Canada, the island is celebrated by the upper classes of distant North American and European metropoles as a natural paradise as well as an aspiring UNESCO heritage site for its unique fossil and sedimentary strata.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Matthew Hatvany, professor of Geography at Université Laval in Quebec City, will be spending the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023 on sabbatical leave as an associate professor at the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI. He will be employing the theories of metropolitanism and territoriality to study the unique development of Quebec’s Anticosti Island. During his sabbatical, Dr. Hatvany will be collaborating with UPEI professors Laurie Brinklow, director of the Institute of Island Studies, Josh MacFadyen, director of the GeoREACH lab, and Island scholar Edward MacDonald. 

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