Chris Black

Education

BSc. Ecological Restoration, Dip. Integrated Environmental Planning

Responsibilities

Leading the the expansion of the ARI science outreach in the North Slave. Working with educators and STEM professionals to coordinate community events, public research presentations, and provides hands-on activities to local youth to promote science and research taking place in the north.

Skills and expertise: Environmental planning and monitoring, hydrology, ecology, biology, botany, project management, ecological restoration, STEM education, public outreach, geographic information systems, professional tinkerer.

Current Projects: ARI STEM Outreach Program – I work with educators and STEM professionals to provide hands-on activities to local youth, and coordinate community events and public research presentations to promote science and research taking place in the north.

Personal information

Raised in rural Alberta, I spent much of my childhood exploring the creeks and forests around me. Looking for wilder adventures, I moved to southeastern BC where I pursued snowboarding as a full-time passion. Summers were spent working on farms in exchange for winters full of snow. With a growing knowledge and passion for the natural world, I then pursued a Diploma in Integrated Environmental Planning from Selkirk College in Castlegar BC. This incredible program provided experience with botany, hydrology, geology, GIS, environmental chemistry, and sustainability (to name a few). Many of my interests were still focused around water, and I had the pleasure of serving as a Director for Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society while also piloting a regional water conservation initiative for local governments. I then headed to the coast and gained a Bachelor of Science in Ecological Restoration from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. I gained experience working on real-world restoration projects with stakeholders, the public, and administrators. With a strong interest in moving to the North, I gained employment with Parks Canada at Nááts’įhch’oh National Park Reserve in the Mackenzie Mountains. Based out of Tulita, I supported research efforts in the Sahtu Region. Some of my project contributions included establishing snow monitoring plots, coordinating water quality sampling, and processing remote camera images and scat samples for woodland caribou studies.

Now residing in Yellowknife, you can find me on the trails or the water when I am not working on STEM outreach projects. I’m thrilled to be part of the research community at ARI and even more thrilled to be sharing exciting initiatives with youth, families, and educators of the region.