Meet Martin Kastner, "Canada's New Noah"

As filmmaker Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic makes a splash on theatre screens, Wildlife Preservation Canada has selected Martin Kastner, a student from Waterloo's Faculty of Environment, for “Canada’s New Noah,” a program providing practical training and field experience in managing and conserving endangered species.

Each year, more than 100 candidates—including undergraduate, master's, and PhD students, practicing wildlife biologists, and veterinarians—apply for the one coveted position.

"We were impressed not only with Martin's passion and commitment to conservation, but also with his maturity in recognizing the importance of involving communities in conservation work," said Elaine Williams, executive director of Wildlife Preservation Canada. "We are confident that with this unique training and field experience, and as former New Noahs before him, Martin Kastner will become one of Canada's conservation leaders in the fight to save species from extinction."

Kastner will soon begin fieldwork in Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean and the former home of the extinct dodo bird. Approximately seven per cent of species that are recovered globally through conservation intervention are from Mauritius.

“As one of the graduates of my conservation and restoration ecology group, Martin has been a driver in local efforts for conservation,” said Professor Stephen Murphy, chair of the Department of Environment and Resource Studies. “Now the world stage is his, and given the unprecedented pace of extinctions and habitat loss caused by humans, his efforts will be needed to restore the biodiversity that underpins the fabric of ecological functions worldwide.”

While on Mauritius, Kastner will receive four weeks of intensive theoretical training and more than 16 weeks of practical experience in field placements working to save some of the world's rarest species in Mauritius and its offshore islands.  

“I feel that being selected as Canada’s New Noah is an acknowledgement of my research and past work, but especially an investment in my potential to become a leader in ecosystem restoration in Canada and around the world,” said Kastner. “I can't wait to work hard, make lots of connections and learn as much as possible about the projects in Mauritius. I have no doubt it'll be an experience of a lifetime.”

The Canada’s New Noah program aims to train young Canadian biologists in the techniques required to breed endangered species in captivity, reintroduce them into the wild, and manage wild populations.

Previous recipients have helped to save three species from almost certain extinction, including the Mauritius kestrel, a tiny falcon that was once reduced to only four individuals in the wild, and is no longer classified as endangered.

As part of the program, Kastner will work towards a Durrell Post-Graduate Diploma in Endangered Species Recovery, designed to provide students with the field experience and species and human resource management skills they need to run wildlife conservation projects.

 

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Salary administration, staff policies updated

As part of a project to review and renew all university policies over a multi-year time period, the Secretariat and Office of General Counsel has published updates to two Class S Policies on its website.

Policy 5 - Salary Administration, University Support Staff and Policy 18 - Staff Employment have been updated after amendments were approved by the President on Friday, March 28.

Changes to Policy 5 include the cancellation of section 4, to reflect the integration of housekeepers and janitors with the rest of the university's staff within the USG grades, and an amendment to Appendix A, to appropriately reflect the titles of the members of the Provost's Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation (PACSC).

Changes to Policy 18 consist of several clarifications and additions:

• A clarification about Human Resources’ role when a staff member loses her or his job due to organizational change (in section 3, “Appointments” and first paragraph in section 5);
• The possibility to skip steps during progressive discipline (in section 4, “Exceptions to Performance Improvement”);
• The ability for hiring managers to expand the pool of applicants for USG 6-15 (in Appendix A, “Preparing to Recruit”, and in Appendix G);
• A clarification about the process relating to temporary reassignments (in Appendix B “Temporary Reassignments Within Organizational Unit”);
• Minor clarifications in “Notice and Severance Entitlement Information” (in Appendix E, re column D of “Notice and Severance Entitlement” and “Salary Continuation option”); and
• The addition of Appendix G “Interpretations”, to include recent interpretations of terms and processes relating to particular aspects of the policy.

As the Secretariat and Office of General Counsel continues to review and renew the university's policies, updates will be published in the Daily Bulletin. All policies can be read on the department's website.

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Internationalization town hall tomorrow

The third in a series of Mini Town Halls will be taking place on Wednesday, April 2 in the Earth Sciences Museum at the Centre for Environmental and Information Technology. The theme focus will be on internationalization, with the event running from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Internationalization theme leads Nello Angerilli, associate vice-president, international, Drew Knight, director, global alliances, and Sue Horton, associate provost, graduate studies, will be speaking.

The town halls are organized to give an opportunity to members of the university community to learn how the Strategic Plan is being put into action as the theme leaders and members of the theme working groups present their progress and also answer questions.

Similar to the Fall and Spring town hall meetings, questions can be submitted in advance to townhall@uwaterloo.ca, and the conversation can be joined using the #UWth hashtag and also by following @uWaterlooLIVE. The event will be webcast live, and seating is limited.

 

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Notes as the cruelest month begins

The Board of Governors meets today in QNC 0101 beginning at 1:45 p.m. The meeting's agenda is available online as a PDF document.

Plant Operations is reporting that rooms 2341, 2348 and 2349A in E2 will be without heating service from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 as new fan coils are installed.

Two members of the Perimeter Scholars program—Lauren Hayward and Jacob Barnett—will be participating in an event entitled "The Future of Physics: Kate Lunau of Maclean's Magazine in Conversation with Emerging Talent at Perimeter Institute." The event takes place at the Perimeter Institute at 7:00 p.m.

Friends and colleagues are being invited to a retirement reception for Doreen Knol from Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA) that will be held on Tuesday, April 8 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Laurel Room in South Campus Hall. Please RSVP to Pat Graf by Friday, April 4 if you would like to attend.

 

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