Jackie Bauman

Jackie-Ray Bauman is a current graduate student at the Environmental Policy Institute of Grenfell Campus, Memorial University. Prior to this, she graduated with a BA in Environmental Governance from the University of Guelph, the place where she was born and raised. Growing up on a farm made her recognize how much we are influenced by our environmental conditions. Her travels abroad to work and study in the Caribbean, South America, and Australia have allowed her to appreciate the different ways that people depend on their environment and how important community structures are for connecting us with nature. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she developed her interest in resource dependant communities, sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. After travelling to the East coast of Canada on a quest to visit as many national parks as she could, she knew where her heart was when she put her feet in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. While spotting a number of different whale and marine bird species, her passion grew for marine conservation. She is inspired by stewardship that occurs at the local level and how this can strengthen the community structure while contributing to a larger purpose for conservation. Her research interests at Grenfell have centered around coastal communities in Newfoundland that have taken an active role in governing marine resources and conserving the health of marine ecosystems. Specifically, she is investigating local initiatives along the Western coast that may contribute to the establishment of formal marine protection. Her research will be mobilized by the Coastal Routes network, which seeks to share knowledge between coastal communities that are innovating to become more resilient in the face of environmental changes. In between her studies, you may catch her out for a run, hike, bike ride, or you might find her volunteering in the community!