About
People
Projects
Contact

About
People
Projects
Contact

About
People
Projects
Contact

Welcome to Esoterra Labs

We Support Nature-Based Solutions And Community-Engaged Regenerative Systems, With A Focus On Built And Natural Water.

About

We are a heart and spirit-led multidisciplinary research group at the University of Victoria; a mix of social, natural and applied scientists interested in long-term and decolonial approaches to building an ecological civilization.

We research and advise on the following:

Engagement and allyship with First Nations on water (pollution and hydrological) and environment (planning, nature-based solutions)
Nature-based solutions planning and engagement
Regenerative system planning, modeling, and financing
Cumulative impact assessment
Layering theories and models such as hydrological, infrastructure, climate, and industrial ecology
Ecotechnology for water security
Place-based community engagement

People

Kristian Lukas Dubrawski

Kristian Lukas Dubrawski

Hi! I lead Esoterra Labs, where hearts and minds attempt to come together in learning and service. My background and training are in water quality and technology, intersecting with community and ecological health. My Ph.D. was at UBC in Chemical/Biological engineering with RES’EAU WaterNet on drinking water in rural and Indigenous communities, where I was part of the interdisciplinary BRIDGE program and worked on environmental health in communities impacted by resource extraction. At UBC, I was a Liu Institute Scholar and the Director of Volunteers for Engineers Without Borders. I then started my own water consulting company for small water systems, Ecological Water, as well as working with Indigenous Services Canada and other government agencies. I then worked as a consultant for Natural Resources Canada and Environment Canada, where I learned some of the nuances of sustainability policy. I was a visiting scholar at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with their “Arsenic-free Bangladesh” project, as well as a visiting associate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Sustainability Science Program. My post-doc was at Stanford, on small-system wastewater energy, nutrient, and carbon resource recovery. At UVic, I hold the Canada Research Chair in Water Sustainability for Indigenous and Rural Communities. My lifelong passion is in working together to find just, sustainable and meaningful solutions in maintaining ecological health while achieving societal needs. As a non-Indigenous scholar committed to reconciliation, I have additional responsibility for training students in respectful, reciprocal, and just methodologies.

Maleea Acker

Maleea Acker is the author of four books of creative works: Hesitating Once to Feel Glory (Nightwood Editions, 2022, poetry), Air-Proof Green and The Reflecting Pool (Pedlar Press, 2009 & 2013, poetry), and Gardens Aflame: Garry Oak Meadows of BC’s South Coast (New Star Books, 2012, non-fiction). She is also co-editor of a trilogy of academic monographs on anarchist political ecology: Undoing Human Supremacy, Energies Beyond the State, and Inhabiting the Earth. Her academic journal publications focus on geopoetics and place. Her writing has also been published in periodicals such as Orion, GeoHumanities, Other Poetry, Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, Prism International, Descant, Event, Ascent and the anthologies Refugium, Best Canadian Poetry in English, 2008, Rocksalt, Poetry from Planet Earth, Force Field, Make It True, and I Found it at the Movies. She writes a monthly environmental column for Focus Magazine. Maleea holds a PhD in Geography as well as an MA in Literature, and a BFA and MFA in Writing. She has been a funded arts fellow in Canada, the USA, Latin America and Europe. Maleea serves on the editorial board of the Malahat Review (non-fiction) and as a Director for Suddenly Dance Victoria. She has taught English and Creative Writing sessionally at Camosun College. She currently lectures at the University of Victoria and serves as faculty at Thompson Rivers University. She lives in the unceded territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ and Lək̓ʷəŋən Territories. Maleea leads Esoterra Lab’s Engage with Nature-based Solutions work (www.engagewithnbs.ca)

Amanda Ketch

I am an alumni of Esoterra Labs, and graduated from the University of Victoria in Spring 2022 with a BSc in Earth Science and Physical Geography. My research focused on a qualitative analysis, using interviews and literature, to explore how relationships to place influence local watershed stewardship. Since graduating, I have worked in diverse roles across nonprofit, academic, and federal government sectors. I am passionate about working together to care for and sustain our environment.

Paul Cabling

Paul is a PhD candidate in Civil Engineering at Esoterra Labs, University of Victoria, where he explores nature-based solutions and community-innovation for water challenges. Paul holds a B.Sc. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and M.Sc. in Civil Engineering, both from the University of Alberta. Passionate in research and science communication, he is committed to serving his community as the Communications Officer for the Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ/ACQE), Journal Editor for Eureka Undergraduate Science Journal, and as Communication Director for IWA-YWP Canada.

Isaac Dekker

Isaac Dekker is a Ph.D. Candidate in Physical Geography at Esoterra Labs at the University of Victoria, where he focuses on integrating Indigenous and Western hydrologic modelling for the management of the Goat River watershed. He earned his Master of Engineering in Industrial Ecology in 2021, and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physical Geography and Earth and Ocean Sciences in 2020, both from the University of Victoria. Isaac's work experience includes serving as the Watershed Sustainability Coordinator for the Lower Kootenay Band, where he is responsible for eco-hydrologic modelling, wetland monitoring, and cultural resource management within the forest sector. Isaac is an Indigenous scholar and community member of the Lower Kootenay Band through his father's side. He also worked as a Policy Analyst with the Climate Action Secretariat of the BC Government, and as an Earth System Modeller for Environment and Climate Change Canada. His current research interests include hydrological modelling, climate change impacts, and Indigenous science/policy. Isaac is a board member of the International Joint Commission Kootenay Lake Board of Control and the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP). He is a Geoscientist in Training (GIT) with Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Isaac has received several awards, including the NSERC PGS-D and BC Graduate Scholarship.

Shabnam Sharifyazd

Shabnam Sharifyazd

I am currently pursuing my PhD in Civil Engineering, where my research focuses on applying nature-based solutions for water reuse. Specifically, my work investigates the use of plant-microbial batteries to treat wastewater in wetlands, with an emphasis on understanding the impact of various parameters on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the wastewater. I hold a second MSc from the University of Manitoba, where I gained extensive experience in modeling the production of bioplastics. My interdisciplinary background bridges environmental engineering, biotechnology, and sustainable design, equipping me with a unique perspective for addressing complex environmental challenges. Outside of my academic pursuits, I enjoy practicing yoga, which helps me maintain focus and balance, fueling creativity and resilience in my research.

Gregg Brill

Gregg is a Senior Researcher with the Pacific Institute and Technical Lead for the United Nations Global Compact CEO Water Mandate. His current work focuses on developing and scaling awareness and investment of nature-based solutions (NBS) by the private sector. This work includes the development and implementation of a standardized method, guide and tool to demonstrate stacked water, carbon, biodiversity and socio-economic benefits associated with NBS for watersheds around the world. His technical support stretches across water resilience, net positive water impact, and science-based target setting. Gregg has 15 years of experience in corporate sustainability, ecological infrastructure/nature-based solutions, conservation, economic water resilience, and stakeholder engagement. He has worked in the public and private sectors, for NGOs and in academia. Gregg has a PhD in Environmental and Geographical Science from the University of Cape Town, where his research focussed on the uses, values, impacts and management of water-related ecosystem services in urban protected areas. Gregg has partnered with the IISAAK OLAM Foundation and the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership to explore relational values of sociocultural and biophysical ecosystem services in Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas.

Maren Tyc

Maren (she/her) is of white settler background of Czech descent and has spent the past three years living, studying, and working on Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ lands in Victoria, BC. She recently completed her Civil Engineering degree at the University of Victoria, where she worked on a directed studies research project in collaboration with Esoterra Labs. In this project, Maren conducted a feasibility study for a local First Nation who are seeking to construct a community smokehouse and food processing space. Her work involved relationship building, consulting with community members and leadership, researching smokehouse and other food preservation technologies, and exploring the regulatory frameworks surrounding food spaces. The project resulted in two conceptual design options, aiming to offer viable and culturally relevant designs for the community's needs while incorporating both traditional knowledges and modern engineering practices. Maren is endlessly grateful for this opportunity and for the trust and care of the community members involved.

Pearce Jones

Pearce Jones

As a child, Pearce’s parents moved him to various countries around the world, ultimately completing his high school in Singapore. He moved to Montreal/Tiohtià:ke in 2014 to pursue an engineering degree from McGill University specializing in materials engineering. This engineering training afforded him the opportunity to work in various R&D labs in California. However, amidst wild fires and a growing awareness of the human predicament, he moved to Victoria/lək̓ʷəŋən territory to study industrial ecology at the University of Victoria. After receiving his MEng, he continued into a PhD with Dr. Kristian Dubrawski, studying regenerative responses to the metacrisis. Following an action research approach, he currently supports conservation financing efforts for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs).

Sydney Derksen

Sydney graduated from UVIC in 2024 with her B.Sc. in Earth Science and Physical Geography. In 2022 she received an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) to conduct a research project with Esoterra Labs for 8 months, conducting a spatial analysis for suitable locations to build green stormwater infrastructure- rain gardens- within the urbanized watershed of Bowker Creek.

Saman Samadi

As a PhD student in the Civil Engineering, I focus on innovative approaches to environmental challenges with a strong foundation from my Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering. My current work is dedicated to exploring natural methods for removing the tire-wear compound 6PPD-quinone from natural waters, aiming to develop sustainable and effective solutions for environmental protection. Driven by a passion for both chemical and civil engineering, I am committed to advancing knowledge and finding practical applications that promote a healthier and more sustainable world.

Annabel Howard

Annabel Howard is originally from East Anglia, UK, and currently lives in Tiohtià:ke.(Montréal). She is a writer of creative nonfiction and a second year PhD candidate in the Department of Geography, where her critical and creative work investigates the role of narrative and language in conceptions of place and belonging. She believes that stories have the power to change behaviour and inspire new ways of thinking. Through her critical-creative work, she uses narrative to push at the edges of how we know and exist in place—both the literal place of landscape and the psychological/conceptual spaces of home, belonging, and community. Annabel has published three books of non-fiction as well as essays in journals across Canada and Britain (including Best Canadian Essays, The White Review, The Malahat Review, and The Puritan). You can read more about her work at annabelhoward.com

Tawab Balakarzai

Abdul Tawab Balakarzai is a PhD candidate in Esoterra Labs in the Department of Geography and is co-supervised by Michele-Lee Moore at Stockholm Resilience Centre. His research interests encompass water governance, nature-based solutions, and higher education for sustainable development in low-resource contexts. Prior to commencing his PhD studies, Balakarzai held various academic leadership roles, including Head of the Civil Engineering Department, Founder and Head of the Water and Environmental Engineering Department, Dean of the Engineering Faculty, and Vice Chancellor at Kandahar University (2010-2017). Subsequently, he served as Acting Minister/Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education (2017-2021). During his tenure at the ministry, Balakarzai spearheaded national policy reforms to enhance higher education, established over 130 new programs and founded the Afghanistan National Water and Environmental Research Center. He also developed and revised over 60 regulations, initiated e-governance initiatives, and launched an equity, diversity, and inclusion program to increase access for underserved populations, particularly women. In addition to leading various academic committees and councils in higher education in Afghanistan, he has served on several national platforms, including the Supreme Councils of Water, Land, and Urban Development; Academic, Cultural, and Human Resources Development; Standards; the Medical High Council; the High Commission for Legal Aid; and the National Academy of Science Reform Committee. He led Afghanistan’s ratification of the Tokyo Convention 2011 (Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education) with UNESCO. Internationally, he has co-chaired the Education Confidence Building Measures in the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process, participated in the SAARC Ministers of Education/Higher Education Committee, and served on the governing board of South Asian University. He taught hydrology, water supply and environmental engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at Kandahar University (2006-2017) and the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at Kabul University (2018-2021). He holds a B.Eng. in Civil Engineering and a Master’s in Water Engineering and Management.

Projects

Learning from past collaborative experiences: setting a pathway for natural sciences and engineering researchers to support Indigenous-driven aims

How does collaboration happen in a good way between indigenous communities and technical fields?

https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0165

Estimating Non-Stationary Extreme-Value Probability Distribution Shifts

How can we model non-stationary low-flow hydrological extremes with the potential to simultaneously understand time-variant shape, scale, location, and probability distribution shifts under climate change?

https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/11/9/154

Spontaneous generation of exogenous hydrogen peroxide by plants

Spontaneous generation of exogenous hydrogen peroxide by plants

How do plants contribute to atmospheric cleansing?

https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-2635805/v1_covered.pdf?c=1678357029

Harnessing Community Science to Support Implementation and Success of Nature-Based Solutions

What is the relationship between community science and NbS adoption and success?

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/23/10415

Engage with NBS

How can community stewardship groups become informed and engaged with the concept of NbS and what are the synergies in networks of NbS?

https://engagewithnbs.ca/