I am a Professor in the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria, and from 2002 to 2010 served as Director of the School. My research combines ecological and philosophical methods and insights to understand how we intervene responsibly in ecosystems experiencing rapid change. The change is not just environmental and ecological; it is cultural, too. For 18 years, I have operated the Mountain Legacy Project, a long-term study of changing Canadian mountain landscapes using the world's largest systematic collection of historical survey photographs.

My teaching encompasses courses in restoration, changing natures, nature and technology and core courses in the graduate program. I encourage applications from exceptional students interested in working on interdisciplinary questions concerning restoration, historical ecology in mountain ecosystems, and novel ecosystems.

My writing spans several fields, is interdisciplinary and often collaborative. My books include Novel Ecosystems (Wiley; co-edited with Richard Hobbs and Carol Hall), Mapper of Mountains (University of Alberta Press; with Ian MacLaren and Gabrielle Zezulka-Mailloux), Nature By Design (MIT Press), and Technology and the Good Life (University of Chicago Press; co-edited with Andrew Light and David Strong).

My previous long-term appointment was at the University of Alberta (1990-2001), and I have held visiting and short-term appointments at the University of Western Australia, University of Waterloo, Oberlin College, MIT, and the University of British Columbia. From 2001-2003 I was Chair of the Society for Ecological Restoration.