Welcome!
I’m Larissa, a freelance spatial ecologist and science communicator.
My research passion is to understand how the habitats of our most vulnerable species and ecosystems may be impacted by climate change. Understanding this will help us to better ensure their survival. My goal with science communication is to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the public, particularly about the ways that climate change is affecting our world and the power we have in changing that.
For as long as I can remember I’ve loved to be outside. I grew up in a tiny town in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada. My siblings and I had ten acres of farmland to ourselves – we quite literally spent our summer days running wild and barefoot until the dinner bell rang. And our weekends were spent hiking, horseback riding, or camping in the many beautiful areas within the valley.
It was no wonder I was enthralled by natural sciences in grade school, and floored when I started to learn about anthropogenic disturbances on our environment. Naturally, I eventually found my way to conservation and wildlife research.
Education
2022
Master of Science | Department of Biological Sciences (Ecology) | University of Alberta
Thesis publication: Space use of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Davis Strait in relation to sea ice and harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus)
2017
Bachelor of Arts | Department of Geography (Natural Resource Management) | Vancouver Island University
Thesis publication: The potential effects of climate change on the habitat range of the Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis)
Larissa Thelin 