Ira Sutherland

Background

About Ira Sutherland

I am a systems thinker and aspire to apply my knowledge and skills that are centered around forest landscapes and social-ecological systems to help understand and navigate complex environmental tradeoffs. I embrace complexity and strive to support processes that are good for both people and the environment. This intention underlies my commitment to careful listening, learning, and reflecting; thinking across scales; collaborating across disciplines, cultures and worldviews; and, ultimately, building a more integrated understanding of landscapes. I have diverse experience as a traveler (40+ countries), adventurer (>125 mountains km of bicycle travel) public spokesperson, and leader in climate action and moving forward dialogue on old-growth forest stewarship. I am a Registered Professional Forester and have published peer-reviewed articles and reports centered on ecosystem services, historical ecology, forestry, and transdisciplinarity. My Dissertation at UBC analyzed the historical and systemic roots of forest management challenges in BC and advances a dynamic perspective of how landscapes, ecosystem services, and society are co-evolving through time.