Jennifer Baltzer (she/her)

About me

I was born/grew up in: Clementsvale, Nova Scotia.

I now live in: Kitchener, Ontario.

I completed my training/education at: 

BSc in Biology at Acadia University; PhD in Forestry at University of Toronto; Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Smithsonian Institute's Centre for Tropical Forest Science at Harvard University.

What I do at work

I work in a biology department with colleagues studying many different topics. We train people on how to be biologists. My background is in forestry. Now I lead a team of students and other scientists studying climate change impacts on northern forests.

Climate warming is causing wildfires and permafrost thaw in Canada’s north. My team is working to understand how these disturbances are impacting forests in many remote places.      

We ask questions that look at the issue from the leaf to the landscape scale. We measure carbon uptake in plants using specialized instruments. We determine tree growth, birth and death processes using forest plots or tree ring measurements. We also study large-scale patterns of forest change using images taken from airplanes or satellites. We link this information with measurements of changes in the environment, like soils and climate. Then we use this data to better understand and forecast how and why these forests are changing.

In the spring and summer, we spend a lot of time in forests. We hike around beautiful places to collect data and samples. During the fall and winter, we analyze these samples or work at our computers with the data we collected, making exciting discoveries! We work with governments and northern communities to support decision-making in the face of climate change.

My career path is

I loved spending time in nature as a kid and teenager. I knew early on that biology was the direction I wanted to go. So, I suppose this has always been my path.

During my BSc at Acadia, I had an incredible mentor. He hired me in my first year to work in his lab. I spent every summer from then on, conducting research with him. This helped me decide on my career direction. He helped identify good supervisors for graduate work. I went on to do my PhD at the University of Toronto in the Faculty of Forestry.

The twists and turns in my career have more to do with the system I am working in than the career itself. In my BSc, I studied salt marsh plant ecology. During my PhD and Postdoctoral work, I studied tropical forests in Southeast Asia. When I took my first faculty position, I focused my efforts on temperate forests on Canada’s east coast. In my current position, my focus is on the subarctic and arctic regions of Canada.

I am motivated by

I love adventure! I think the thing that gets me most excited at work is having the opportunity to explore and study beautiful, amazing places around the world. I have worked in forests from the tropics to the arctic tree line. I feel so lucky to have had these opportunities.

On a day-to-day basis, I get very excited about new problems or questions. I love identifying the ways that we can help to solve or answer these questions. Equally exciting is the data analysis phase, where you actually uncover the answer!      

I love the fact that I get to do so many different things in my career. Sometimes, there is physically demanding field work. There are times of quiet reading to understand a new topic. I give presentations to communities, governments, or other scientists. I do lab work and data analysis. I also consult with the people who will use the products of our research. And I’m involved in the training of young students about this amazing field.

This diversity of responsibilities keeps me engaged, excited and loving my career. The most rewarding part of my career is seeing my trainees succeed. Whether they publish a great paper, secure the perfect job, or give an outstanding presentation at a conference; supporting these young people in their successes is very rewarding.

How I affect peoples’ lives

Northern regions are warming three to four times faster than the Earth as a whole. Ecosystems are responding to this very quickly. Our work helps northern governments and communities understand these changes. This allows them to better prepare for and respond to future conditions. Northern ecosystems contain about twice as much carbon as is in the atmosphere. So, changes in these places impact all of us through their contributions to global warming. Our work helps advance our understanding and prediction of these processes.

Outside of work I

Outside of work, I try to stay very physically active. I love running, swimming, and skiing. I spend a lot of time on walks with my dogs and kids. I love gardening and making food for my family from what we grow. I volunteer with science education initiatives, working with schools and youth to share my love of science.

My advice to others

Take opportunities to explore research very early on. Jump on opportunities that are presented to you. Seek out information on research opportunities during your studies. There are usually more opportunities than you know. This is so important in any next steps in academia. It will help you figure out what you are passionate about.