Indigenous Ecology Lab
Start date:
Undergraduate Degree: BSc in Environmental Science, University of Washington, 2015
Graduate Degree: MSc in Soil Science, University of British Columbia, 2022
Indigenous ecologies and food systems, below ground ecosystems, Indigenous food sovereignty, wildfire recovery
I come from a background in organic agriculture having grown up on a small island in the Salish Sea. My interest in growing food and stewarding agroecosystems led me to study soil science with the Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes Lab at UBC. There I collaborated with BC farmers to coordinate research on agricultural climate change adaptation. The desire to work in service to Indigenous sovereignty and for the health of ecosystems that feed and care for us brought me to the Indigenous Ecology Lab. It is a joy and honor to contribute to community-based research that supports Indigenous food systems.
Biking up hills, cooking overly complicated meals to share with friends, drawing mosses
Alongside St’at’imc First Nation in the Lillooet region of British Columbia, my PhD project will examine soil recovery trajectories after severe wildfires with an aim to support regeneration of Indigenous food systems on the landscape. This study will be led by community priorities for ecological recovery.
Kesler, R., Nakada, A., Yates, E., & Smukler, S. M. (2022). British Columbia Cover Crop Database and Selection Tool: Final Report and Recommendations. Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes Lab, University of British Columbia.
Kesler, R., Lewis, D., & Smukler, S. M. (2023). Vancouver Island Winter Vegetable Variety Trial: Final Report and Recommendations. Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes Lab, University of British Columbia.
Kesler, R. (2022). Overwintering with plastic silage tarps as a tool to improve the climate resilience of organic vegetable production in British Columbia (T). University of British Columbia. Retrieved from https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0416482