Nicole Klenk

Nicole Klenk is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, leading the Environmental Science in Society Lab. Her research bridges environmental science with social theory, focusing on knowledge politics in climate governance.

• Fields of Study: Environment & Climate Policy & Planning, Rural Social & Political Geography, Urban
• Lab: Environmental Science in Society Meshwork

With a background in botany and forest ecology (McGill University), her PhD thesis (University of British Columbia, 2008) examined ethical frameworks in Canadian forest management. She critiques the 'knowledge integration imperative' in transdisciplinary environmental science, highlighting epistemic injustices in integrating Indigenous/local knowledges with Western science. Her recent work explores storytelling as an alternative epistemology in environmental governance.

The lab employs a SAIL approach (Sensory, Affective, Imaginative, Land-Based) for experiential pedagogy, combining natural science expertise (forestry, invasive species, climate adaptation) with social science perspectives (political ecology, Indigenous/settler studies). Her research spans fieldwork locations from Colombia to the Canadian Arctic, interrogating power dynamics in knowledge authorization processes.