Stephen Decker
Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies and Geography, Internship/Graduate Officer, Masters of Arts in Environmental Policy
Dr. Stephen Decker’s research specialty is Integrated Resource and Environmental Management (IREM) with a focus on the human dimensions of wildlife management. His particular focus on the human dimensions of wildlife management is especially relevant in Newfoundland and Labrador as provincial wildlife managers are faced with a number of contentious management issues which demand the formulation and effective application of integrated management responses. Some of the most prominent of these issues include, but are certainly not limited to, significant declines in caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations in both the Newfoundland and Labrador portions of the province, several hundred vehicle – moose (Alces alces) collisions annually, the impact of hyper-abundant moose on native vegetation and the resulting cull of moose in Gros Morne and Terra Nova National Parks, and the range expansion and impacts of the eastern coyote (Canis latrans).
His doctoral research focused on exploring trends toward integrative approaches in wildlife management using caribou management in insular Newfoundland as a case study of such trends. He has also conducted research focused on the reintroduction of European Bison (Bison bonasus) in Germany and the Netherlands.
Education
- PhD, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of British Columbia
- MA, Geography, Memorial University
- BA, Environmental Studies, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University
Research Interests
- Integrated Resource and Environmental Management (IREM)
- Sustainable Resource Management
- Public involvement in resource management decisions
- Parks and protected areas planning and management
- Human dimensions of wildlife management
Projects
- Research collaborator on the $2.3 Million SSHRC Partnership grant between Memorial University and the Nunatsiavut Government: Tradition and Transition
- Reviewed and/or contributed to the design of a number of social science surveys for the provincial wildlife division (including the North American Waterfowl Management Plan Human Dimensions Working Group National Survey and surveys of muskrat and ptarmigan hunter perceptions and expectations) and other groups
- Conducted a study and prepared an internal report on members’ opinions regarding the legitimacy of the Canadian Wildlife Director’s Committee
- Principal Investigator for an ongoing baseline study of general public and hunter knowledge levels, attitudes, etc. regarding Newfoundland and Labrador’s 2015 – 2020 Wildlife Division Moose Management Plan
- Principal Investigator for Workforce Innovation Centre funded project:Forest-based Bioeconomy Development in Newfoundland
Teaching
Examples of Recent Courses Taught:
- Environment and Sustainability 1000: Introduction to Sustainability
- Environment and Sustainability 3000: Human Dimensions of Resource Management
- Environment and Sustainability 4010: Seminar in Environment and Sustainability
- Geography 1050: Geographies of Global Change
- Geography 4405: Outdoor Recreational Resources and Planning
- Environmental Policy 6002: Environmental Policy Research Design and Methods
Supervised Students
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Environmental Policy
Current:
- Jennifer Adams: Perceptions of Wind Turbines in Rural Communities: A Case Study of Orono, Ontario
- Jason Dicker: Examining the impacts of the George River Caribou Herd hunting ban on northern Labrador Inuit: an integrated resource management perspective
- Victoria Gallagher: Social Justice and the Trans Mountain Expansion Through the Lens of Political Ecology
- Roshayne Mendis
- Kirsten Miller
Completed:
- Elizabeth Belanzeran: An Exploration of the Current Status of Stakeholder Engagement inWildlife Management in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Ukachi Okpara: Importance of Fostering Social Capital in Asset Based Community Development: A Case Study of Fogo Island
- Amalie Romero: Bringing Locally Significant Attributes to Municipal Planning