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Director's Page

Deborah Henderson

Deborah Henderson
Director
Institute for Sustainable Horticulture
deborah.henderson@kwantlen.ca

Welcome to our website!

The past four years since the establishment of the Institute have been eventful. Early in 2005, we received a major investment of equipment from Western Economic Diversification which has enabled us to begin many of the projects listed on our page. This investment will continue to enable our research programs into the future.

Kwantlen's Office of Research and Scholarship and the Institute (under the acting Directorship of Dr. Jim Matteoni) submitted a successful Letter of Intent to the BC Leading Edge Endowment Fund (LEEF) chair program in 2005. This was followed up by submission of a full application and the hiring of a permanent Director on a halftime basis in September 2005. Fund raising is now complete to match the LEEF Foundation $1.25 Million and the Endowed Chair will be a reality in the near future. See our News page for a list of donors.

In February of 2006, we submitted proposals to the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), and the BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF) to build research labs and a greenhouse to enable development of three research programs:

The research lab is now complete and the geothermal greenhouse is under construction. A grand opening for the research facility is planned for October 16, 2009.

In January 2007 we welcomed Dr. Kent Mulllinix to our Institute to oversee development of a province-wide Ecological and Integrated Pest Management Accreditation program (PlantHealth BC) and support IPM education programming for urban landscapes professionals. Kent came from to us from Washington State University and Wenachi College where he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture (WSU) as well as the Director of the Institute for Rural Innovation and Stewardship.

Since 2007 we have become more involved in urban agriculture initatives and projects. With the dual challenges of climate change and peak oil, our society and others will face increasing food security challenges. New bio-intense cropping systems suitable for small land base, urban and peri-urban agriculture is one way to help address future food needs and we see the increasing importance of the urban landscape in supporting food as well as aesthetic functions.

In spring 2009, Dr Arthur Fallick joined the Institute to further develop our food security focus in the context of community sustainability and build our municipal connections. Arthur joined us from Kwantlen's Research Office where he co-developed the Creating Our Future strategic planning process. Prior to coming to Kwantlen, Arthur had been Associate VP Academic at The Technical University of B.C.

Very recently we welcomed Lisa Wegener to our team to provide co-ordination of our new laboratory and research program. Lisa has worked in British Columbia's agricultural sector since 2001. She completed a MSc from Simon Fraser University in 2006 in Plant Virology, and has worked extensively with the blueberry industry, as well as in the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands Plant Diagnostic Lab and the Pest Diagnostic Clinic at the University of Guelph. In her new position with the Institute, she will manage the research program in the ISH laboratory facility as well as develop her own research projects.

Through the significant investments in the Institute and expanding community and industry partnerships, it is clear that the founding concepts for this institute were ideas whose time had come. The public, industry and governments are ready to address environmental and sustainability concerns through investing in sustainable horticulture spanning production at the industry level (e.g. food, ornamental, silviculture) to the urban landscape and city gardens. The possibilities are exciting!

Sincerely yours,

Deborah Henderson