Round-the-clock cable news coverage of weather disasters, floods and forest fires doesn't make Anastacia Chartrand feel depressed or helpless.
Instead, these events inspire the ecology recovery researcher, working alongside her accomplished colleagues at Laurentian University, to look for solutions to climate change.
"You have to stay informed about what is happening, but you have to have an optimistic lens,” she said. “So rather than being worried about it, I am ready to take action with others who are creating change."
The disturbance in daily lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced Chartrand, an advertising and marketing specialist, to re-evaluate her priorities and goals.
When she was laid off from her job in 2020, she took advantage of the opportunity to make a career change.
"That's when I decided to study environmental studies at Laurentian," she said.
The young mother had begun to worry about the health of the planet and what kind of world her two young daughters would inherit.
"I realized I wanted to make an impact in society … and the environment is a concern to me. I wanted to do more," she said.
Later this month, Chartrand will receive a master degree in Science Communications. She completed a bachelor degree in Environmental Studies in 2022, graduating magna cum laude.
She accomplished her academic goals while juggling family life and extracurricular activities.
She served as chair of the university's Environmental Sustainability Committee and was vice-president of advocacy for the Graduate Student Association. She also worked as a graduate research assistant, and volunteered for community groups that focused on water and land conservation.
"At Laurentian, I learned about playing an advocacy role and I met like-minded students who had similar concerns, and it went from there," she said.
She has had numerous opportunities while attending Laurentian that she could not have imagined just a few years ago.
In April 2022, Chartrand was the head organizer of the Earth Day march at Laurentian which attracted more than 100 young people.
Last December, she was one of the Laurentian students who attended the United Nations Biodiversity Convention (COP15) in Montreal with John Gunn, director of the Vale Living With Lakes Centre.
The group shared Sudbury's environmental success story with international audiences.
"We prepared videos. We prepared speaking notes. We delivered a message of hope," she said.
At the time, Chartrand told the media, "It was an honour to represent a student body that values biodiversity and recognizes the need to protect it.
"Sharing the success of Sudbury's landscape restoration on the final day of the COP15 conference was an inspiring message of hope for delegates as they headed home to implement strategies of their own.”
In April, Chartrand was named Laurentian's Nature Positive University Student co-ordinator. She had pushed for Laurentian to join the Nature Positive Universities Alliance, a network of universities throughout the world that pledge to work toward restoring ecosystems harmed by their activities.
This past May, Chartrand met primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, who was in the city for the launch of the new IMAX film "Jane Goodall - Reasons for Hope."
She had a short conversation with the 90-year-old role model about the Green Leaf of Hope campaign, one of Environmental Sustainability Committee's project.
Graduating students are asked to pledge their commitment to the environment and wear commemorative pins.
"Jane Goodall was the first person I gave a pin to, and she wore it when she was in the United States promoting her film … which was wonderful," said Chartrand.
"More than 900 students took the pledge to the commit to working on a relationship with nature. It was a huge statement about how much students are interested in making sure we learn about and protect the environment.".
When Chartrand graduates Oct .28, she will pin a Green Leaf of Hope to her graduation gown.
Her daughters, Margo and Eloise, and her husband, Mathieu, will be there to applaud her accomplishments and to encourage her future research to maintain a livable climate and greener planet.
Vicki Gilhula is a freelance journalist. Helpers is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
