Bio
Born and raised in rural Alberta, Samuel now maintains permanent residence status at his family’s ranch in southeastern Saskatchewan and has grown up with a connection to both natural and commercial food production systems. Samuel attended the University of Guelph, in Guelph Ontario, where he received a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences majoring in Natural Resource Management with an Economics and Policy area of emphasis. As part of Guelph’s co-op program Samuel completed three work terms, the first with Environment Canada’s Soil Toxicology Laboratory in Ottawa, attempting to establish standardized soil testing methods using predatory mites. The second, working on waste management plans and environmental assessments for mining operations in northern Canada with Knight Piésold Consulting Ltd. in North Bay, Ontario. The third with Up2Us Inc. based near Fleming, Saskatchewan completing soil and water testing, the formulation of an environmental farm plan and establishment of artificial wetlands for wastewater remediation. Spending three months on the southwest coast of Madagascar in 2010 increased Samuel’s awareness and interest in the interaction between human populations and marine ecosystems, as well as the similarities in issues facing marine and terrestrial agri-food systems. Having started his M.Sc. in Renewable Resources under Dr. Kosoy at McGill in January 2011 Samuel has returned to complete one field season in Madagascar and presented preliminary findings at the 2011 World Conference on Marine Biodiversity in Aberdeen, Scotland; the 50th Estuarine and Coastal Science Association Conference in Venice, Italy; and at the 5th McGill Global Food Security Conference in Montreal, Canada.
Research Interests
Samuel’s current research interests focus around his M.Sc. thesis that looks at the role of mangrove ecosystem services in maintaining human well-being in coastal communities. This project focuses on the linkages between diets, livelihoods and natural systems with overall levels of resource use that occur under different market systems and levels of development. In a broader context, Samuel is interested in investigating the ways in which natural systems both quantitatively and qualitatively provide the foundation on which society and economic systems depend. He finds questions relating biodiversity and local ecology to food security and economic activity on varying scales as intriguing directions for future research.
Degrees Received
BSc.Env. in Environmental Sciences (Honours, Co-op), Major: Natural Resource Management, Area of Emphasis: Economics and Policy (2010) University of Guelph
Presentations
_
Blyth
S..
2012. Poster - Mangrove
ecosystem services in formal and hybrid economies: implications for the maintenance of human well-being. McGill Global Food Security Conference. Montreal,
Canada.
Blyth S.. 2012. Marine and coastal ecosystem services in formal and informal economies: implications for the maintenance of human well-being. 50th ECSA Conference. Venice, Italy.
Blyth S.. 2011. Provision and valuation of ecosystem services through informal markets. CPPS – UNEP Workshop. Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Blyth S.. 2011. Labour and material contributions of marine and coastal ecosystem services to human well-being. World Conference on Marine Biodiversity. Aberdeen, Scotland.
Blyth S.. 2012. Marine and coastal ecosystem services in formal and informal economies: implications for the maintenance of human well-being. 50th ECSA Conference. Venice, Italy.
Blyth S.. 2011. Provision and valuation of ecosystem services through informal markets. CPPS – UNEP Workshop. Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Blyth S.. 2011. Labour and material contributions of marine and coastal ecosystem services to human well-being. World Conference on Marine Biodiversity. Aberdeen, Scotland.
Contact
_samuel dot blyth at mail dot mcgill dot ca