In this first episode of season 5, we are speaking with Dr. Sarah Finkelstein, professor and Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Toronto. Sarah’s research group seeks to better understand climates of the past and the drivers of climate and ecological change over the past 12,000 years. Studying paleoclimate involves collecting and analyzing geologic records and Sarah’s group specializes in analyzing the composition of lake and wetland sediment records from locations across the world, including the high Arctic, the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Panama and Southern Africa.

We spoke to Sarah about her academic journey thus far, which has spanned several disciplines and a number of different geographical and environmental contexts. We talked about the controversy surrounding the designation of the so-called anthropocene epoch, which has not been accepted by the International Union of Geological Sciences. We also explored Sarah’s work on the connection between biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration in Ontario’s north and how those topics intersect with Indigenous rights and appropriate engagement with Indigenous communities. Sarah is a research powerhouse and her passion for her work is contagious. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did! 

Sarah's website: https://utpaleolab.wordpress.com/dr-sarah-finkelstein/