A graduate student in the Transdisciplinary Sustainability program at Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook has been travelling door to door seeking responses to a survey for his doctorate thesis.

Lucas Garcia spent a week visiting communities on the Great Northern Peninsula in August. He visited Hawke’s Bay, Port Saunders, Port au Choix, Roddickton, Bide Arm, and St. Anthony.

The Transdisciplinary Sustainability is the first PhD program to be offered at Grenfell. The program focuses on sustainability and collaboration on societal issues along with the transition to renewable resources.

For the next phase of his study, Garcia will travel door to door in Corner Brook and start doing interviews with key players in forestry and broader society in Canada and other parts of the world.

Forestry remains a significant contributor to the socio-economic status of both the Great Northern Peninsula and Corner Brook. As the world shifts towards an economy that relies more on renewable resources and less on fossil fuels, the potential for the forestry industry to play an even bigger role increases. However, strategically addressing the industry’s workforce issues is crucial to realizing this potential. Garcia and his supervisors see this as a unique opportunity to diversify the predominantly male sector, address worker shortages, and further improve the industry’s resilience.

Garcia is still looking for participants to participate in the survey. Interested individuals can contact him via email at [email protected].