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THUNDER BAY -- Faculty and students from Lakehead University will receive easier access to the Experimental Lakes Area as a result of a new five-year memorandum of understanding.
The agreement is with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Winnipeg-based organization that assumed oversight of the experimental lakes in 2014.
Under the terms of the memorandum, staff from both organizations will be able to participate in workshops and seminars together, while students will benefit from being supervised by staff from each organization.
Collaborative research projects will draw on the expertise of both institutions.
Situated east of Kenora, the ELA has been described as "a natural laboratory," and is comprised of 58 small lakes and their watersheds.
The lakes in the ELA have not been affected by human activity other than research conducted by scientists. The IISD/ELA website describes how researchers, by manipulating the lakes, are able to examine how all aspects of the ecosystem respond to influences such as climate change, agricultural runoff, water management, contaminants and chemical substances.
Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Lakehead's vice-president of research and innovation, said "The experiential learning that comes from performing research outside of the lab is invaluable. I look forward to seeing the research that results from this agreement."
Matthew McCandless, executive-director of IISD-ELA, called the agreement another step in IISD-ELA "opening its doors to the world, committing itself to educating the freshwater scientists of tomorrow."
