Environment and Agriculture team

Mat is a terrestrial ecosystem ecologist with an interest in biogeochemical cycling, plant ecology, ecophysiology, microbial ecology, and global change ecology. After spending years working on climate change, it was a natural transition to move onto his role at NSCC. Working across different scales of observation, Mat links resource acquisition at the level of the individual, to community dynamics, and overall ecosystem function.

With a strong understanding of ecological patterns and processes, Mat’s research combines studies of basic ecological questions with applied research, to overcome real-world environmental problems. Mat holds a Ph.D in Biology from the University of Western Ontario.

Rachel Kendall is a research associate with the Applied Environment and Agriculture Technology Research Lab (EATLab) and joined the team in December 2021. After receiving a diploma in Environmental Engineering Technology from NSCC, she pursued an undergraduate degree at Saint Mary’s University and a Master’s degree at McGill University, where she worked on research projects of soil and peat. This began an interest in soil processes and environmental science. Rachel grew up in rural Nova Scotia and is very interested in applying her knowledge to projects that support sustainability of Nova Scotia industries.

Rachel brings over four years of experience working on a variety of environmental projects including greenhouse gas emissions, soil science, coastal restoration and waste management. Rachel has an in-depth understanding of natural vegetation in Nova Scotia and enjoys learning new things from others about plants.

Ariana Forand is a research associate with the Applied Environment and Agriculture Technology Research Lab (EATLab) and joined the team in April 2022. After receiving her undergraduate degree in biology from Queen’s University, Ariana moved to Saskatoon, SK, to pursue a MSc in Plant Sciences from the University of Saskatchewan. As a plant physiologist, her masters research focused on the role of the cell wall, and plant nutrition, in providing defense against abiotic and biotic stress. Growing up Ariana spent a large amount of time on the family farm in Quebec, where she gained an appreciation for various elements of agriculture. Ariana looks forward to applying her knowledge in plant sciences and passion for agriculture to projects that further the success of the agriculture industry. 
 
Ariana brings a breadth of experience and knowledge in plant physiology, plant nutrition, plant biochemistry, research related to abiotic and biotics stresses and growing plants in controlled settings to the team in the EATLab.