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There are a number of ways that students can complete a Trent CBR research project. You either need to be enrolled in a Trent University or Fleming course that offers CBR. Current courses at Trent include but are not limited to: ERST 3080Y, ERST 3130H, ERSC 1010Y, ERSC 3160H, ERSC 3840H, ERST 4250H, BIOL 3890, FRSC 4890Y, GEOG 3820H, GEOG 4830Y, IDST 4220Y, and SUST 5901H.
There are a number of ways that students can complete a Trent CBR research project. You either need to be enrolled in a Trent University or Fleming course that offers CBR. Current courses at Trent include but are not limited to: ERST 3080Y, ERST 3130H, ERSC 1010Y, ERSC 3160H, ERSC 3840H, ERST 4250H, BIOL 3890, FRSC 4890Y, GEOG 3820H, GEOG 4830Y, IDST 4220Y, and SUST 5901H.
OR…
You can apply to do an independent project under the supervision of a faculty member. Most of our independent projects commence at the beginning of each semester, but opportunities may be available at any time throughout the year. Click here for an "Independent Student Application form for a CBR project"
OR…
You can complete a CBR project as your master’s thesis. A number of community-based projects are broad in scope, require a high level of academic skill and more time for completion. Review the project descriptions for proposals that suggest group work or graduate level work. If a project interests you, contact us directly to discuss. CBR is a unique opportunity to apply your research skills while also gaining valuable professional experience!
Available 2021 - 2022 U-Links Projects (Haliburton County)
Below is a list of available projects in Haliburton County. If you are a student researcher and see a project that you are interested in or would like to learn more about them, you can also check out project here, email Daniela Pagliaro, Administration and Logistics Coordinator (admin@ulinks.ca) or submit an application form (link below).
Benthic Macroinvertebrate Biomonitoring Projects
(Multiple Projects Available - CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST!) NOTE: These projects are available for the 2021 fall semester and involve a field component. Benthic macro-invertebrates (or “benthics” or “benthos”) are aquatic, spineless organisms that live on the bottom of water bodies. Since the late 1980’s they have been used as biological indicators for common aquatic pollutants as they spend part or the entirety of their lives in the water. The use of benthics as an indicator of water quality is now used throughout the world and has been widely used in Ontario since the early 2000’s. These community-based research projects are ideal for an undergraduate student as a full-term project and will include field work early in the fall (COVID-19 health and safety policies from Trent University and U-Links will be in effect). Students are recommended to have OBBN certification or other previous field work experience.
#5020 Health Benefits of Natural Plasters
NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely. Beyond Plasters, a natural plasters business based in Haliburton, Ontario, is looking for research on the health benefits of natural plasters. The student(s) will conduct a literature reviews on the health benefits of natural plasters vs synthetic plasters, and, if possible, conduct a lab analysis (VOCs) of the Beyond Plasters mix vs synthetic plasters under faculty supervision. It is hoped the research will bring to light the long-forgotten benefits of natural plasters and present them in the new context of healthy building practices in the 21st century. 
#4985 QEII Species Summary - Five Lined Skink
NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely. Queen Elizabeth II Wildland Provincial Park is a non-operating park located between Minden and Gravenhurst and is managed by Ontario Parks. They are looking for a student or pair of undergraduate students to research (via literature review and communication with researchers) and write a QEII specific summary of Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus): focusing on their local biology, ecology, population status, cultural significance, and recommended management strategies. This species summary will be used to inform and educate Park Staff about the species. The summary will provide current information for informing park management, and the regions diverse community of stakeholders. It may also identify gaps in the local life science/cultural knowledge of the species and thus initiate further research. 
#4480 "The Missing Element": Stories of the Mountain Street Red Cross Outpost NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely. Canoe FM (local radio station) and Haliburton Highlands Land Trust (environmental conservation organization) are non-profit organizations working out of a historic building on Mountain Street in Haliburton that was once a Red Cross outpost. A small 1983 book by Martha Perkins,“A Hospital of our Own” was written about its history. The purpose of this project, hosted by Canoe FM, is to discover more about the building and the health professionals who worked there in order to develop a better understanding of the hospital’s connection to history and its contributions to the local community. Existing data will be augmented through oral history interviews with local community members and a visual media display intended for the office. This project is ideal for a small group of senior undergraduate students with a combination of graphic design and interviewing skills. 
#5028 Assessment of Remote Sensing and Imagery Data and Tools for Use by the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely. Habitat loss and degradation are the greatest threats to biodiversity in Canada today. To mitigate this process in the Haliburton Highlands, the HHLT is acquiring lands of ecological and cultural significance for conservation purposes. It works to select only those properties which clearly have long-term benefit to the public and can be maintained by the land trust in perpetuity. The HHLT is currently working towards the development and implementation of strategies and approaches that would ensure it can meet its management, monitoring and land stewardship responsibilities. The purpose of this project is to determine the potential for use of remote sensing and GIS imagery to help the HHLT better achieve its land conservation and ecological management mandate. Remote sensing and GIS imagery are seen to provide a broader view of the Haliburton Highlands in the context of the its landscape classification, biodiversity, biological connectivity, and ecological changes over time. 
#5029 Delineating the Velocity of Climate Change in the Haliburton Highlands for the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely. The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust has as its mandate “to conserve plants, wildlife and clean water of Haliburton County to ensure a legacy of forests, fields and wetlands, and the species they nurture.” To achieve this goal the HHLT is acquiring lands of ecological and cultural significance for conservation purposes. Informed and science-based decision-making is necessary to acquire and manage these landscapes in perpetuity as is the main responsibility of HHLT. Analytical landscape evaluation processes and tools are seen to be key to HHLT decision-making for new acquisitions, land management, monitoring and stewardship endeavours. This project has as one its purposes to critically review one method available for estimating the velocity of climate change in the Haliburton Highlands region. A second purpose is to recommend how this method can be applied by the HHLT for achieving its mandate of landscape conservation. 
#5030 Watershed Mapping Profile and Protocol for the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely. The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust has as its mandate “to conserve plants, wildlife and clean water of Haliburton County to ensure a legacy of forests, fields and wetlands, and the species they nurture.” To achieve this goal the HHLT is acquiring lands of ecological and cultural significance for conservation purposes. Informed and science-based decision-making is necessary to acquire and manage these landscapes in perpetuity as is the main responsibility of HHLT. Analytical landscape evaluation processes and tools are seen to be key to HHLT decision-making for new acquisitions, land management, monitoring and stewardship endeavours. This project entitled Watershed Mapping Profile and Protocol has as one its purposes to develop a spatial context of the HHLT properties and Haliburton Highlands surrounding areas in terms of their watershed composition. Watershed mapping in simple terms uses elevation and flow data to define catchment areas of water systems. Geographic information science is applied to generate the watershed maps. The protocol piece of the project has as its purpose the development of a workflow for using the watershed mapping products for such endeavours as habitat and land conservation. | |||||
Matched Projects for the 2021-2022 Academic Year
Congratulations to the student researchers who have matched up with the following local research projects!
#5047 Gull Lake Wetland Assessment
NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and involves a field component.
The Gull Lake Cottagers' Association is looking for some assistance gathering data on a wetland located on the shores of Gull Lake. Students matched with this project will be expected to make a field visit to the wetland in September to assess the size of the wetland in addition to the creation of a list of visible flora and fauna. The rest of this project will be comprised of a desktop review of other data sources for previous reports of flora and fauna in the vicinity of the wetland. This data will be summarized by the students in the form of a report for use by the Cottager's Association in order to guide potential future protections of the wetland.
NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and involves a field component.
The Gull Lake Cottagers' Association is looking for some assistance gathering data on a wetland located on the shores of Gull Lake. Students matched with this project will be expected to make a field visit to the wetland in September to assess the size of the wetland in addition to the creation of a list of visible flora and fauna. The rest of this project will be comprised of a desktop review of other data sources for previous reports of flora and fauna in the vicinity of the wetland. This data will be summarized by the students in the form of a report for use by the Cottager's Association in order to guide potential future protections of the wetland.
#4997 Supports for Eating Disorder in Rural Communities [GRADUATE-LEVEL RESEARCH] NOTE: This project is available for the 2021 fall semester and can be completed remotely.
The National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED), based in Toronto, is part of the group that developed a national strategy for eating disorders. A local NIED volunteer would like to know more about how we can improve current services and what information and resources we need to empower families and inform a local strategy in rural communities such as Haliburton County.
Youth struggling with mental health issues fare better when their families are empowered to take a lead role in their child's treatment. Potential research questions include: a) what can we learn from the research on best practices on family based therapy techniques to better inform and empower families to treat disordered eating within their own households? and, b) what are the unique resources and care needs for rural communities? This project will include a focused literature review on Family Based Treatment, alternative models such as emotion-focused family therapy, and a review of the implementation science required to promote the uptake of findings into practice. It may also include interviews with family health practitioners, leading experts in the field of eating disorders, and, if possible, individuals with lived experience.
The National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED), based in Toronto, is part of the group that developed a national strategy for eating disorders. A local NIED volunteer would like to know more about how we can improve current services and what information and resources we need to empower families and inform a local strategy in rural communities such as Haliburton County.
Youth struggling with mental health issues fare better when their families are empowered to take a lead role in their child's treatment. Potential research questions include: a) what can we learn from the research on best practices on family based therapy techniques to better inform and empower families to treat disordered eating within their own households? and, b) what are the unique resources and care needs for rural communities? This project will include a focused literature review on Family Based Treatment, alternative models such as emotion-focused family therapy, and a review of the implementation science required to promote the uptake of findings into practice. It may also include interviews with family health practitioners, leading experts in the field of eating disorders, and, if possible, individuals with lived experience.
Completed 2020 - 2021 Projects:
#5013 Natural Shoreline Stabilization Methods
#5012 Blue-Green Algae Mitigation Strategies
#5011 Exploring Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) Control Strategies and Economic Benefits of Controlling the Spread of this Invasive Species for Drag and Spruce Lakes
#5008 Kennisis Lake History Book Part 2
#5005 Demographics and Dental Caries
#4984 Halls Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment#4977 Sustainable Procurement in Haliburton County/City of Kawartha Lakes
#4976 - Planet Haliburton Radio Show Ideas
#4969 Redstone Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4966 Factors in Securing Employment in Haliburton County & the City of Kawartha Lakes
#4964 Kennisis Lake History Book: Part 1
#4963 Kennisis Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4962 Gull Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4961 Lake Kashagawigamog Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4959 Long-Term Invasive Species Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4958 Long-Term Club Moss Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4957 Long-Term Dragonfly Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4956 Long-Term Frog Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4955 Long-Term Bird Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4954 Miskwabi Lakes Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4953 Kawagama Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4952 Hawk Lakes Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4951 Haliburton Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4950 Glamor Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4949 Ston(e)y Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4939 Understanding the Levels and Opportunities for Environmental Protection at the Municipal Level, in The Land Between Bioregion - Southern Ontario’s Last Intact Wilderness Landscape.
#5012 Blue-Green Algae Mitigation Strategies
#5011 Exploring Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) Control Strategies and Economic Benefits of Controlling the Spread of this Invasive Species for Drag and Spruce Lakes
#5008 Kennisis Lake History Book Part 2
#5005 Demographics and Dental Caries
#4984 Halls Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment#4977 Sustainable Procurement in Haliburton County/City of Kawartha Lakes
#4976 - Planet Haliburton Radio Show Ideas
#4969 Redstone Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4966 Factors in Securing Employment in Haliburton County & the City of Kawartha Lakes
#4964 Kennisis Lake History Book: Part 1
#4963 Kennisis Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4962 Gull Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4961 Lake Kashagawigamog Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4959 Long-Term Invasive Species Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4958 Long-Term Club Moss Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4957 Long-Term Dragonfly Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4956 Long-Term Frog Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4955 Long-Term Bird Monitoring: Haliburton Highlands Land Trust
#4954 Miskwabi Lakes Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4953 Kawagama Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4952 Hawk Lakes Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4951 Haliburton Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4950 Glamor Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4949 Ston(e)y Lake Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assessment
#4939 Understanding the Levels and Opportunities for Environmental Protection at the Municipal Level, in The Land Between Bioregion - Southern Ontario’s Last Intact Wilderness Landscape.