Caitlyn Lyons (she/her)

About me

I was born/grew up in: Kingston, Ontario.

I now live in: Waterloo, Ontario.

I completed my training/education at: I have a BSc in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, MSc in Biology from the University of Western Ontario. I am currently working on a PhD in Biological and Chemical Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University.

What I do at work

I spend my summers in the Northwest Territories. I work with other students, and we spend our days in the forests looking at plants and soil. In the evening, we camp and sleep in tents. We are studying how climate change is affecting these forests. Climate change is increasing wildfire activity, and the forests I work in have previously been burned by wildfire. While in the forests I count all the young trees that are growing after the fire. I also identify all the different tree species that are there.

I also measure permafrost thaw. Permafrost is permanently frozen soil. Climate change is causing permafrost to thaw. I measure the distance from the soil surface to the permafrost layer using a metal probe. As permafrost thaws, the distance between the soil surface and the permafrost gets deeper. For my PhD I am trying to understand how wildfire and permafrost thaw are affecting trees in the Northwest Territories. For example, one of the scientific questions I am trying to answer is: Will more wildfire activity and permafrost thaw change which tree species grow back after a fire?

During the winter I spend my time at Wilfrid Laurier University working in the lab and on my computer. This is when I get to analyze the samples I collected during the summer. I look at the roots found within the soil. I use magnifying glasses to do this as the roots are very small. I also look at the data I collected and try to find answers to my scientific questions. I use computers to make graphs so I can show the data to other people. The science I am doing for my PhD will help us to understand how climate change is impacting forests in the Northwest Territories.

My career path is

When I was in high school, I was passionate about climate change and sustainability. I loved camping with my family and spending time in forests. I was hopeful that one day I could help preserve our forests. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph in Environmental Science. While I was there, I took a lot of different courses. I also worked at many different co-op jobs that exposed me to different areas of science.

Throughout this experience, I found that I enjoyed doing field work and I became more interested in ecology. This interest led me to complete my Master of Science at Western University. I focused on understanding how climate change affects plants in peatlands. In high school I never imagined that one day I would be working on my PhD. I have focused on spending each day following my interests and doing something that I enjoy. For me, that is what led me to where I am today and the work that I get to do.

I am motivated by

Scientific research is a long and fulfilling journey. It starts with curiosity, and having questions about the world around you. Then it’s a lot of learning and reading the literature to learn what other scientists have already discovered. It’s also important to incorporate other types of knowledge besides scientific knowledge. This includes Indigenous knowledge.

After you have learned what we already know, you can develop your research questions and design a study or experiment to answer these questions. This part is really fun as you get to learn how to use new scientific instruments or techniques! After you have designed your study it’s time to go to the field and collect your samples or data. I really enjoy this part as well. I love spending time outdoors in nature. After you have collected samples and data, it’s time to return to the lab to analyze those samples and data. I enjoy this part as this is when you discover the answers to your scientific questions.

The final part is communicating your results to the public and the scientific community. We do this by writing papers, talking to news outlets, sharing your results with all the relevant people. This includes the communities that will be impacted by your discoveries. As you can see, being a scientist requires many different skills and is a dynamic job. Every day is a little bit different, and I am constantly learning.

How I affect peoples’ lives

Climate change is threatening our natural spaces. The science I am doing for my PhD will help us to understand how wildfire and permafrost thaw will affect northern forests.

Outside of work I

I like to stay busy! In my spare time I play hockey. I am a marathon runner and I enjoy camping whenever I get the chance. I have also been a member of Girl Guides of Canada since I was a kid, and I am an active Guider in my community in Waterloo.

My advice to others

Reach out to people that have careers that are interesting to you. I am often shy and feel as though people may be too busy, but this is not true. People are generous with their time especially for people that share similar interests.