I am a fourth-year student at the University of British Columbia studying Chemical Biology. After spending my last co-op term in the chemistry industry in California, I decided to move to the Peace River region to focus more on biology. I am looking forward to learning more about the agroecosystem of the Peace.
Growing up in the Kootenays and helping out on my grandparents’ farms has given me a great appreciation for both agriculture and the outdoors. While these farms paled in comparison to many of the farms here in northern Alberta, they instilled in me the importance of insects in agriculture.
The Peace River region is the largest producer of creeping red fescue in North America. The seed is used to grow forage, in land reclamation, and is often a filler in turf seed products. I am currently counting the seed-bearing stems found in each plant bunch (pictured above). Once counted, the stems will be threshed in order to calculate the yield of seeds per stem and per plant.
I am excited for what the next 8 months will bring and thrilled with the opportunity to explore the Peace!