Extensive mill closures by industrial forestry companies in forestry-dependent towns in British Columbia, have, in many cases, resulted in effectively eliminating the local primary industry. Communities have lost the economic and social base that sustains families, the municipal tax base and the local retail market, and the local forest expertise has been forced to look elsewhere for work. Many communities around the world have developed viable community forestry frameworks and successful operations as a means of addressing sustainability, social and economic issues. While a number of community forestry supports are available in B.C., many communities continue to experience difficulties establishing viable forestry operations. This research will examine the broad-spectrum and site-specific challenges faced by three designated B.C. communities at different stages along the continuum toward successful operations, and will propose strategies aimed at overcoming the barriers to their success.

Stocking trout to create successful sport fisheries is an irresistible lure to fisheries managers and sport anglers alike, but the implicit assumptions behind this simple process have seldom been questioned or assessed. Using common fisheries monitoring techniques, combined with social surveys, at nine Alberta lakes, I quantified three main assumptions behind put-and-take stocking. Surprisingly, 1) stocking high densities of Rainbow Trout created very low-density populations; 2) these populations supported mediocre fisheries; 3) these mediocre fisheries, if above a threshold catch rate, attracted very large numbers of satisfied anglers. Based on these findings, the stocking density and the direct cost of stocking were reduced by 80% at three experimental lakes. No major decreases in fishing quality, angler participation, or angler satisfaction were observed. I suggest refinements in the stocking process focus on determining how to provide adequate numbers of trout to create a basic level of satisfaction with the fishing experience.

In Manitoba there are an estimated 200 small and 10 large wastewater treatment systems contributing nutrients to surface water when effluent is discharged. The objective of this study was to assess the sustainability and social acceptance of wastewater irrigation in the southeast Interlake region. It was concluded that sustainably irrigating forage crops would be challenging. The combination of soils with only ratings of fair for irrigability and the low quality of wastewater limits the long term sustainability of irrigation. Only one study site maintains a high potential to develop a wastewater irrigation program due to sufficient suitable land and appropriate wastewater quality. The social acceptance of wastewater irrigation is mixed with only about half the survey respondents favourable to irrigation or reuse of wastewater.

In recent years we have witnessed growing interest in corporate environmental responsibility and the concept of sustainability amongst businesses globally. Regardless of the motivation, be it competitive advantage, social license to operate, share value (socially responsible investing), shareholder pressure, public pressure, employee retention, cutting operational costs, the escalation of corporate accountability, or even altruistic goals, this is a growing trend among business. This field is in its infancy and requires considerable leadership. This paper is a collection of multiple descriptive case studies focusing on how Canadian best in sectors in the mining, oil and gas, telecom, finance, hospitality, and retail industries are integrating corporate environmental responsibility into their corporate strategy. Many areas for further study have been identified.

Food security continues to be an area of concern worldwide. In Canada, our ability to feed ourselves has diminished significantly and on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, we produce less than 5% of the food we consume. A number of factors have influenced this decline including the globalization of food systems and an increase in regulations. Cities have an opportunity by way of by-laws to increase local food security. In this case study, The City of Colwood has little functional agricultural land but a significant opportunity to expand its urban agriculture activities. Although the community supports such initiatives, the local government has not yet implemented supportive policies and by-laws. This municipal government has the ability to increase local food security through the use of its legislative abilities.

ACES is an integrated curriculum program that has been a part of the Yukon public education system since 1989. This study explores the impacts of this place-based outdoor education program on the participants‟ relationships with the environment. Interview and observation data were collected from 15 participants during a 13 day canoe trip on the Yukon River, which was the culmination of their semester long course. There were nine significant themes that emerged from the data that provide insight into the successes of the program and the impact it has on the students. The findings support the importance of outdoor education as a means for connecting young people with nature and as a catalyst for change and growth. They demonstrate the central role the teacher has in the success of the program and how the Yukon-centric focus promotes a connection with the local landscape resulting in concern for local environmental issues.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and survivors suffer motor impairments. The rodent sensorimotor system is similar to the human's, making rodents a good model to study the effects of stroke. Transgenic technology makes the mouse a desirable stroke model, however, there are few behavioural tests to assess behavioural outcome. This thesis evaluates mice subjected to permanent or temporary occlusion focal motor cortex strokes in a skilled reaching task. The first experiment documents changes in skilled movements in mice with a permanent occlusion focal motor cortex stroke. The second experiment is identical but uses a temporary occlusion focal motor cortex stroke. The third experiment compares the two strokes. The results indicate permanent occlusion mice suffer great impairments, and a larger injury, than temporarily occluded animals. The mice with the largest insults were most impaired. Mice make an excellent behavioural and genetic model for studying motor system stroke. / viii, 115 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.

No description available.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for a Masters Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / Background: The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of Chiropractic students towards research at Durban University of Technology (DUT). The Chiropractic profession has made significant progress with regard to the production of high quality and clinically relevant research (Newell and Cunliffe, 2003; Hawk et al, 2008) and the continuation of this research effort will be the responsibility of the graduates that constitute the future profession (Newell and Cunliffe, 2003). Furthermore Cull, Yudkowsky, Schonfeld, Berkowitz and Pan (2003) state that the greatest predictor of this is a positive attitude, therefore it is essential to establish the present attitudes amongst the students. Method: The study was a quantitative questionnaire based, self administered, attitudinal survey. The sample group included all the Chiropractic students registered at DUT (n=185). Results: There was a response rate of 74,59%. The results indicated that on average students thought that the research subjects and courses taught at DUT were not interesting and that they did not adequately prepare them to perform research. The majority of the students felt that the research process was completely vague to them and that they felt insecure about their knowledge of research methodology. It was evident that students thought that DUT staff members placed a great emphasis on research and that they were easy to approach with regards to research. The area of greatest concern was that although students thought that the student researcher relationship was of great importance, they indicated that it was difficult to find a supervisor and they also indicated that inadequate supervision had delayed their research progression. For the most part students thought that research was important and they enjoyed listening to and reading research. However, only slightly positive scores were recorded when students were asked if they wanted to do research in the future, as they felt it was difficult and time consuming. Conclusion: Many factors were significantly associated with positive attitudes towards research at DUT and the strongest correlation between scales was between the importance of research and positive feelings towards research (r=0.713). Most students felt research was important and that it made them more knowledgeable however, if given the choice they would study at an institute where research was not mandatory.

This thesis is a critical examination of patterns of research in the academic study of Shona traditional religion, with special reference to methodological considerations. I analyse the methods and approaches used so far by prominent writers in the study of Zimbabwe's Shona traditional religion so that we may be able to develop better ways of researching it. I then discuss ways that ought to inform and direct the research methods that are most likely to yield adequate empirical studies of the Shona people. I analyse works of the "early writers", as well as those of Michael Gelfand, Gordon Chavunduka and Michael Bourdillon. Where relevant, I explore the connection between the researchers' religious, cultural, academic or professional "baggage" and how this relates to their research. Discussing methodological issues such as: the "insider-outsider" question, the "emic-etic" issue, value-judgment as well as the questions of reductionism, "subjectivity" and "objectivity" in scholarship, I examine these writers' attitudes to, and the ways they wrote about Shona traditional religion and cultural practices. I assess their approaches and research methods in relation to those from various disciplines such as history, phenomenology, theology, anthropology and participant observation. I analyse the extent to which these writers, for example, utilised the historical approach or presented insider perspectives in an endeavour to reach an adequate and thorough understanding of Shona religion and culture. In view of the fact that Shona traditional religion is a polyvalent and polymorphic community religion, I argue that no one approach and method can be said to be "the" only method so as to attain a comprehensive understanding of the meanings veiled in Shona religion and culture. Furthermore, given the nature of Shona traditional religion, it is essential for researchers to exploit as much of oral history as possible. Thus, researchers also need to learn the Shona language, live in the community for a long period of time, attend and observe every bit of Shona life so as to see, hear and understand how these phenomena fit together. It is suggested that methodological conversion and agnostic restraint need to be forged into a multi-disciplinary and poly-methodic science of religion in the quest of a research model to be used in order to attain a better understanding of Shona religion, culture and society. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.