RRU climate map shows university’s network of action and potential

Learn more about climate action and sustainability at Royal Roads.

The Royal Roads University Climate Network Map showcases initiatives and the faculty and staff working on them as well as project or research areas, all while illustrating the links between them. The new, interactive map demonstrates RRU’s outsize impact in climate-related research in an accessible way by highlighting a wide variety of projects and the people behind them.

“The map offers a virtual gathering space of climate expertise, individuals and projects that are at Royal Roads,” says Maria Bremner, RRU manager of climate action and sustainability. “So, whether it's a staff member who's leading a project on greenhouse gas emissions or a faculty member doing research in food security or community energy transitions, the map features those different activities and individuals. Currently we have 50 projects and over 30 individuals — and we know this will grow over time.”

Click and learn about researchers and research

The Climate Network Map was created by the Climate Action and Sustainability office working with the RRU-based Cascade Institute, a research centre “addressing urgent and entangled global problems.”

Map users can hover over a researcher’s photo for basic information on their areas of interest or click on it for more details; the same approach applies to projects. 

For example, clicking on Robert Newell’s photo shows that he is a Canada Research Chair in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainability, and includes plenty of other information on his work.

Projects linked to Newell in the map include: “The Social Implications of Agri-genomics” and “Systems-based Visualization Tools for Integrated Watershed Management." When map visitors click on the project  icons, they learn everything from the funding institutions for the research project to the projected outcomes and end date.

Aiming to spur more collaborations

“What we wanted to do with the map is really profile, both inside the university but also outside, the wide array of individuals and projects connected to climate change action and research,” Bremner says. 

Ideally, the map will spur collaboration between peers, Bremner says, noting, “I think within the climate space in general, there really is that desire to work in connected ways and support one another… The map may not do all of that but it definitely helps to convey that it's a network of action and it's a network of potential.”

She also says the map reflects the diversity of work happening in response to the climate crisis. 

Diversity of climate work at RRU highlighted

“There's lots of different spaces that people are working on, whether it's climate resilience or food or biodiversity or health, so that's really encouraging and it's interesting to see that interconnectedness,” Bremner says.

“If there's a space where we can gather and try to make sense, in a coherent way, of the variety of different things that are happening and how we might then contribute, that's where I think we can really start to move in more effective ways,” she adds, noting, “The map isn't the endpoint. The endpoint is thinking about how the map will spur greater connections, relationships and, ultimately, greater collaboration."

Don’t see you or your project on the map?

First, read the FAQs about scope and eligibility to see what kind of project themes are featured on the map, then fill in one or both of the following forms:

• Researcher/Project Leads Information — this form is for RRU staff or faculty leading or participating in a broad range of climate action work at RRU.
• Climate action initiative — RRU projects and initiatives, research or community partnerships are accepted. Multiple initiatives can be registered. Projects that are active or have occurred within the last five years can be included.

Learn more about climate action and sustainability at Royal Roads.