Digging into sustainability: Creating healthier dog parks

Pet owners, have you ever wondered how your furry friends impact the soil and vegetation in your community?

Rebecca Innes explored this question through her Sustainability Scholars placement with the City of Edmonton where she researched best practices for ensuring Edmonton’s public dog parks are resilient and healthy.

The Sustainability Scholars Program offers graduate students at the University of Alberta a unique opportunity to work with a host organization on an applied research project with a sustainability focus. Scholars contribute innovative ideas under the mentorship of industry professionals, expanding their research skills, project management abilities and professional network. The four month placements are paid with a commitment of approximately 25-35 hours a week and give the Scholars the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in their field of study. 

Sustainability Scholar spotlight: Rebecca Innes

Rebecca is a Master of Biological Sciences student with a focus in plant ecology at the University of Alberta. Her research delves into how the living part of the soil affects plant growth. She completed the Sustainability Scholars program in Summer 2024.

“When I saw the Sustainability Scholars job posting I was like, that’s right up my alley,” Rebecca said of her placement at the City of Edmonton. It was a chance to take her plant and soil identification knowledge and skills and put them to use outside of the classroom.

Sustainability Scholars placement with the City of Edmonton

While the Sustainability Scholars Program partners the students up with a dedicated supervisor for guidance, one of the true benefits for the student is they get to lead a project from start to finish. “My supervisor at the City was really awesome, her background was also in soil science. She gave me the independence to manage the project, which strengthened my confidence and trust in my knowledge and ability to execute this project successfully," said Rebecca when asked about her experience managing the project. 

With practical project management skills boosting her confidence, Rebecca said the most rewarding aspect of her placement was the connections she built along the way. “The City of Edmonton had multiple Scholars, and they were really good at grouping us together so we could connect, collaborate and just chat about our projects and how they’re going.” While working at the dog parks, she engaged with passionate community members who were happy to hear about her project and the City’s investments to ensure the parks thrive and provide a healthy environment for their dogs to play. She also highlighted the City of Edmonton potluck at the end as a key moment, as it gave her an opportunity to deeply engage with other City employees who “were all really passionate about improving the City.” 

When asked about one piece of advice she would give those who are considering applying to the program, Rebecca says to “Do it—it is an excellent opportunity. You get to meet people in your industry, build connections and improve your resume. There are just so many benefits.” 

Findings on soil health at dog parks

After exploring the dog park’s soil texture, pH and moisture levels among other indicators of soil health, Rebecca ultimately determined that these factors are most likely not causing the damage to the turf conditions seen in some fenced dog parks in Edmonton. Rebecca is working toward finishing her Master’s degree this year and sees the Sustainability Scholars program as a valuable experience that will shape her career. To learn more about Rebecca’s exciting research on Edmonton’s dog parks, view her full report here.

Apply to be a scholar

If you are a current graduate student at the University of Alberta in any program and are returning to school in Fall 2025 or graduating this spring, we encourage you to apply! New this year is the Academic Stream, which aims to connect students with well matched organizations to continue building upon their graduate research within the host organization. Applications are now open for the Summer 2025 term.