PEOPLE

Dr. Mike Waddington
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Ecohydrology
Mike has over 30 years of boreal wetland research experience and over 20 years of expertise working with energy companies on boreal wetland restoration. For the last dozen years he has examined the ecohydrological controls on peat fire burn severity and he is the lead PI of the Boreal Water Futures project. He is a self-proclaimed map geek and an active adventure runner and adventure racer.

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Research Associates and Postdoctoral Fellows

Dr. Chantel Markle
Postdoctoral Fellow
Chantel is a conservation biologist who uses spatial and landscape ecology principles and techniques to better understand how reptiles use a landscape and enhance protection of species at risk. She is examining how changes in climate and land-use  impact the availability and resilience of vital habitats.


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Dr. Colin McCarter
Postdoctoral Fellow
Colin’s research interests lie in the reactive transport of metals, pollutants, nutrients, and carbon under changing environmental and climatic conditions. He is currently exploring how the climate change enhanced burning of peatlands increases toxic metal mobility and how to mitigate these risks through active restoration activities.

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Dr. Paul Moore
Research Associate
Paul's research integrates field and lab-based measurements of peatland processes and properties in order to parameterize physically-based models. His modelling is being used to define thresholds of disturbance which significantly impact ecosystem function under future climate scenarios.



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Dr. Sophie Wilkinson
Postdoctoral Fellow
Sophie is investigating ecohydrological thresholds to deep burning peat and the role of feedbacks in peatland  resilience to wildfire and climate change. She is evaluating and developing forest fuel modification treatments to reduce peat burn severity and aid fire suppression in wildland-urban and wildland-industry interfaces.

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Graduate Students


Hope Freeman
MSc Student
Hope is adopting an ecohydrological lens to examine the suitability of freshwater turtle overwintering habitat and the potential impacts of land-use change on the turtle overwintering resilience zone

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Alex Furukawa
PhD Student
Alex is examining ecohydrological connectivity of rock barrens landscapes




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Renée McDonald
MSc Student
Renée is researching the effects of wildfire on rock barrens and peatland carbon biogeochemistry.





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Taylor North
MSc Student
Taylor is investigating the effects of wildfire on SAR rattlesnake overwintering habitat. Taylor is also our iWetland Citizen Science Co-ordinator.




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Emma Sherwood
MSc Student
Emma is examining spatial ecology and ecohydrology for restoration approaches for the impact of wildfire on SAR habitat.




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Alex Tekatch
MSc Student
Alex is examining the effects of the Parry Sound 33 wildfire on vegetation resilience in rock barrens and peatland ecosystems.


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Greg Verkaik
MSc Student
Greg is examining the effects of wildfire on rock barrens runoff and water quality.





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Undergraduate Students

Lysha Boudreau-Pirsich
BSc Student
Madeleine Hayes
BSc Student
Lysha is an Honours Environmental Science Co-op student. She will be examining Geographic Information Systems applications to ecohydrology.



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Madeleine is an Honours Environmental Science Co-op student. She is assisting and learning more about field and lab-based procedures relating to species at risk, wildfire and hydrological research.



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Alex Clark
Research Assistant
Alex is an Honours Earth and Environmental Science Co-op student. She is interested in ecosystems and biogeochemistry and is working on our peat fires and toxic metals project.



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Justin Kruse
Research Assistant
Justin is an Honours Biology and Environmental Science student.





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Amanda Qian
Research Internship
Sarah Wiebe
Research Internship
Amanda is an Honours Biology and Environmental Science student and is joining the lab in summer 2021 as research intern.



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Sarah is an Honours Environmental Science student and research intern. She is interested in species at risk, spatial ecology and is excited to learn more about lab and fieldwork techniques. 


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Gracie Crafts
Research Assistant
Gracie is an Indigenous Environmental Science student at Trent University and is joining the lab in summer 2021.



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All photographed research personnel handled turtles under approved research permits. 

Past Members

(alphabetical listing of former McMaster Ecohydrology Lab grad students, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians)
  • Craig Allison (GIS Specialist, County of Grande Prairie, AB)
  • Steve Baisley (Senior Geoscientist, O’Kane Consultants, Calgary, AB)
  • Katie Black  (Biologist, Kilgour & Associates, Ottawa, ON)
  • Jason Cagampan (Lands and Economic Development at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Vancouver, BC)
  • Sarah Day (Surface Water Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Environment, Hamilton, ON)
  • Patrick Deane  (Forest Fire Scientist, Canadian Forest Service, Sault Ste. Marie, ON)
  • Ben Didemus (Hydrogeologist, BluMetric Environmental, Sudbury, ON)
  • Dr. Tim Duval (Associate Professor, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON)
  • Melissa Greenwood (Scientist, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON)
  • Alex Furukawa (Research Assistant, McMaster Ecohydrology Lab, Hamilton, ON)
  • Dr. Gustaf Granath (Scientist, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden)
  • Dr. Lorna Harris (Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB) 
  • Kristen Harrison (Senior Ecologist, North-South Environmental Inc, Kitchener, ON)
  • Danielle Hudson  (Hydrologist, Canadian Forest Service, Sault Ste. Marie, ON)
  • Steve Kaufman (Associate and Hydrologist, Golder and Associates, Sudbury, ON)
  • Dr. Manuel Helbig (Assistant Professor, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS)
  • Kelly Hokanson (PhD Student, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB)
  • Rebekah Ingram (Research Associate, NAIT Centre for Boreal Research, Peace River, AB) 
  • Dr. Erik Kellner (Hydrogeologist, Midvatten Consulting, Borlange, Sweden)
  • Dr. Scott Ketcheson (Canada Research Chair and Assistant Professor, Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB)
  • Dr. Nick Kettridge (Professor, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK)
  • Kieran Lehan 
  • Dr. Max Lukenbach (Groundwater Scientist, Advisian - WorleyParsons Group, Edmonton, AB)
  • Maria Lucchese (Hydrologist, Ontario Ministry of Environment, Toronto, ON)
  • Brandon Mackinnon (Fire Scientist, FP Innovations, Edmonton, AB)
  • Dr. Merrin Macrae (Professor, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON)
  • Kristyn Mayner (Wetland Stewardship Specialist, Ducks Unlimited, Edmonton, AB)
  • Cameron McCann (Hydrogeologist, Wood PLC, Thorold, ON)
  • Pippa McNeil (Biologist, Yukon Government, Whitehorse, YT)
  • Dr. Carl Mitchell (Professor, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, ON)
  • Dr. Paul Moore (Research Associate, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON)
  • Dr. Paul Morris (Associate Professor, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK)
  • Dr. Adriana Puentes (Postdoctoral Fellow, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden)
  • Dr. Rich Petrone (Professor, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON)
  • Nicole Sandler (Science Teacher, Stockholm, Sweden) 
  • Kate Shea (Environmental Compliance Specialist, BHP Billiton, Yellowknife, NT)
  • James Sherwood (Wetland Reclamation Technician, Waterloo, ON)
  • Alanna Smolarz (Biologist, Magnetawan First Nation, Britt, ON)
  • Danielle Solondz (Rehabilitation Scientist, Ontario Aggregate Resources Corp., Burlington, ON)
  • Dr. Maria Strack (Canada Research Chair and Professor, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON)
  • Dr. Dan Thompson (Forest Fire Scientist, Canadian Forest Service, Sault Ste. Marie, ON)
  • Karola Tóth (Environmental Engineering Manager, SNC Lavalin, Mississauga, ON)
  • Dr. Eeva-Stiina Tuitilla (Professor, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland)
  • Jessica Vu (Geoscience Scientist, RWDI, Guelph, ON)
  • Fiona Warren (Scientist, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON)
  • Kevin Warner (Senior Hydrogeologist, Cambium Inc., Peterborough, ON)
  • Lana Wilhelm (Water Resources Specialist, Credit Valley Conservation Authority, Meadowvale, ON)
  • Dr. Sophie Wilkinson (Postdoctoral Fellow, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON)