Project Overview: Urban biodiversity and conservation are an important aspect of addressing the global biodiversity crisis. Over the past 5 years, the number of urban tree planting programs have accelerated, with the goal of supporting biodiversity conservation. However, our understanding of how urban tree plantings impact biodiversity, human health, and ecosystem services is not well understood.

We are seeking a MSc. student to join a team of scientists at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa to study the impacts of urban tree planting on Lepidopterans and birds in Ottawa, Ontario. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) contribute to ecosystem function and are an important food source for birds. As indicator species, butterflies and moths can reflect environmental health and may be used to evaluate the outcomes of habitat interventions. Working with a team of graduate students and research scientists, the student will measure the diversity of Lepidoptera and bird predation across tree planting sites in the city. The results of this research will contribute to an understanding of how urban tree plantings benefit birds and Lepidoptera and support a long-term monitoring effort exploring associations between tree plantings, biodiversity, and human health in cities.

The position start date is September 2026. The student will be cosupervised by Dr. Rachel Buxton and Dr. Heather Kharouba. The candidate will receive two years of funding for this position through a Research Assistantship.

Essential Skills & Qualifications:

• BSc. degree in Biology, Conservation Science, Data Science, Geography, Applied Statistics, or a related field;

• Completion of an Honour’s thesis (or equivalent level research project);

• Strong research, leadership, and communication skills;

• Enthusiasm and kindness;

• Experience managing and analyzing biological data;

• Valid Driver’s License.

• The candidate must be a Canadian citizen.

Desirable Skills & Qualifications:

• Comfortability with the R coding language;

• Experience with insect identification;

• Experience conducting biological field research.

Accommodations & Accessibility

Should you require a copy of this posting in an alternate format, please contact us as soon as possible and we would be happy to get one to you in a timely manner. We believe in the importance of supporting on the job success for the incumbent and are pleased to discuss and/or provide specific tools, resources, or other requirements for day-to-day work requirements, as needed.

Application Details

Applicants should send the following to Christopher Dennison (ChristopherDennison@cmail.carleton.ca) with Rachel Buxton (Rachel.Buxton@carleton.ca) and Heather Kharouba (Heather.Kharouba@uottawa.ca) CC’d by January 16th, 2026, with the subject line: MSc. Urban Tree Planting and Lepidoptera:

1) Letter of interest summarizing your experience

2) Curriculum vitae or resume

3) Contact information for 3 references

4) University transcripts (unofficial transcripts are sufficient).

MSc. Position: Lepidopteran Diversity at Urban Tree Planting Sites

Project Overview: Effective monitoring of Boreal Forest birds is needed to protect imperiled species in this rapidly changing ecoregion. Indigenous-led monitoring and land caring is fundamental to transformative change needed to achieve biodiversity conservation and supporting self-determination.

We are looking for a PhD student to join our dynamic team of collaborators across Carleton University, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Boreal Avian Modelling Centre, KO Chiefs, and the community of Fort Severn. The student will undertake a study co-developed with the community of Fort Severn, analyzing hundreds of sites of acoustic data collected from 2009-2014 from northern Ontario as part of the Far North Biodiversity Project. The project will involve managing, interpreting, and spatial modelling of acoustic data, with potential for statistical integration with other existing datasets in the region. Results will be developed and interpreted alongside the community of Fort Severn to ensure outputs contribute to land use planning. All project components will adhere to First Nations principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP).

The position start date is September 2026 (with some flexibility). The student will be supervised by Dr. Rachel Buxton (https://www.biodiversityconservationsolutions.com/) in collaboration with Christopher Koostachin, Nathan Wilson, Dr. Elly Knight, and Dr. Josie Hughes.

Essential Skills and Qualifications:

• MSc degree in ecology, conservation science, data science, geography, applied statistics, or a related field;

• Some experience with passive acoustic monitoring and bird identification;

• Strong research, leadership, and communication skills;

• Enthusiasm and kindness;

• Respect for other ways of knowing

• Note that existing funding is only sufficient to cover Canadian citizens.

Desirable Skills:

• Interweaving/braiding different ways of knowing;

• OCAP principles;

• Spatial modelling

Application details: Applicants should send the following to Christopher Dennison (ChristopherDennison@cmail.carleton.ca) with Rachel Buxton (Rachel.Buxton@carleton.ca) CC’d by February 15, 2026, with the subject line: PhD Boreal Bird Bioacoustics:

1) Letter of interest summarizing your experience;

2) Curriculum Vitae;

3) Contact details for three references; and

4) University transcripts (unofficial are fine).

PhD Position: Boreal Forest Birds in the Far North of Ontario