Tara McGee | University of Alberta (original) (raw)

Tara McGee

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Research paper thumbnail of Potential responses by on-campus university students to a university emergency alert

University campuses across Canada and elsewhere are developing and implementing emergency alert s... more University campuses across Canada and elsewhere are developing and implementing emergency alert systems to warn campus community members about a variety of threats. In this study, focus group discussions were used to examine how undergraduate students living on campus may respond to an emergency alert. A focus group activity used tornado, fire and threatening message alert messages to provide a

Research paper thumbnail of Socio-Economic Impacts of the Nanisivik and Polaris Mines, Nunavut, Canada

Mining, Society, and a Sustainable World, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Trust: A Planning Guide for Wildfire Agencies and Practitioners—An International Collaboration Drawing on Research and Management Experience in Australia, Canada, and the United States

Research paper thumbnail of Wildfire: a Canadian perspective. 2015. McGee, T.; McFarlane, B; Tymstra, C

Research paper thumbnail of Factors affecting the communication and understanding of health risks in northern aboriginal Communities in Canada

Research paper thumbnail of How historic and current wildfire experiences in an Aboriginal community influence mitigation preferences

Peavine Métis Settlement is located in the boreal forest in Northern Alberta, Canada. The objecti... more Peavine Métis Settlement is located in the boreal forest in Northern Alberta, Canada. The objective of this paper was to explore how different wildfire experiences in an Aboriginal community influence wildfire mitigation preferences at the residential and community levels. Residents of Peavine had varying experiences with wildfire over an extended period of time including traditional burning, firefighting employment and bystanders. Despite these different experiences, participants still implemented or supported wildfire mitigation activities, although for differing reasons depending on experience type. Participants were found to have implemented or supported wildfire mitigation activities on the settlement, including their own properties and public land. Experience type influenced why wildfire mitigation had been implemented or supported: primarily wildfire risk reduction (firefighters), primarily aesthetic benefits (bystanders) and for both aesthetic benefits and wildfire risk reduction (historic traditional burners). The extensive fire experiences of residents at Peavine Métis Settlement have provided insights into how experience influences mitigation preferences. The results show it is important to consider predominant wildfire experience types in a community before developing a wildfire mitigation program. The findings of this study may have relevance for other Aboriginal communities that have experience with wildfires.

Research paper thumbnail of Community support for wildfire mitigation at Peavine Métis Settlement, Alberta, Canada

This paper presents the findings of a study that explored public support for wildfire mitigation ... more This paper presents the findings of a study that explored public support for wildfire mitigation programmes implemented in Peavine Métis Settlement, an Indigenous community located in Alberta, Canada. Data were collected in a community-based study using interviews, focus groups and participant observation over a 4-year period. Results showed that support for the wildfire mitigation programme was influenced by local leadership,

Research paper thumbnail of An exploration of how people value Wilsons Promontory National Park

Research paper thumbnail of Building a trust framework for communities at risk of wildfire

Research paper thumbnail of Shades of Grey: Community Responses to Chronic Environmental Lead Contamination in Broken Hill, New South Wales

Research paper thumbnail of Values and knowledge of wildlife among members of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria

Research paper thumbnail of Wildfire Risk Management by Municipal Governments in Alberta, Canada

Research paper thumbnail of An exploration of wildfire risk reduction within communities directly affected by the Lost Creek fire in 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Wildfire Risk Reduction in the Communities Affected by the 2003 Lost Creek Fire

Research paper thumbnail of Public perceptions of wildland fire management in the Foothills Model Forest: a summary of findings

Research paper thumbnail of Shades of grey: Community responses to chronic environmental lead contamination in Broken Hill

Research paper thumbnail of An exploration of residents’ intended wildfire evacuation responses in Mt. Lorne, Yukon, Canada

ABSTRACT Wildfire evacuations disrupt people's lives, create an additional hazard for eme... more ABSTRACT Wildfire evacuations disrupt people's lives, create an additional hazard for emergency responders and residents, and are expensive to execute. Alternatives to evacuation are used in Australia and a few jurisdictions in the United States. Numerous studies have examined the "stay and defend" option during a wildfire in Australia, and evacuation alternatives have also been examined in the US. However, evacuation alternatives have not yet received scholarly attention in Canada. This study focused on the community of Mt. Lorne, Yukon, and explored residents' perceptions of alternatives to evacuation due to wildfires, their evacuation intentions, and factors that influenced their intentions. Focus group participants planned to stay on their property despite a wildfire evacuation order because of the perceived safety of their property, and concerns about evacuating including leaving their property unprotected, losing harvested meat or other food stocks due to spoiling, and not knowing what to do with sled dog teams or livestock. However, some of these residents lacked the knowledge about how to stay on their property safely.

Research paper thumbnail of The Influence of Culture on Wildfire Mitigation at Peavine Métis Settlement, Alberta, Canada

ABSTRACT This article presents findings of a study that explored how culture influenced support f... more ABSTRACT This article presents findings of a study that explored how culture influenced support for wildfire mitigation in Peavine Métis Settlement, an Aboriginal community located in Alberta, Canada. Community-based research was completed using interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. The results show that cultural factors appeared to influence wildfire mitigation preferences. Participants indicated the current state of the forest was not natural, and that mitigation activities would likely improve forest health. Participants supported Settlement Council-led wildfire mitigation activities at both the residential and community level due to a preference for communal action and collective problem solving. Participants also were found to distrust “outsiders” and preferred programs developed by members of their own community. The results of this study show that wildfire mitigation programs based on local culture can be well supported in an Aboriginal community.

Research paper thumbnail of Warning response on a university campus: Anticipating message confirmation behavior among undergraduate students

Journal of Emergency Management, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Potential responses by on-campus university students to a university emergency alert

University campuses across Canada and elsewhere are developing and implementing emergency alert s... more University campuses across Canada and elsewhere are developing and implementing emergency alert systems to warn campus community members about a variety of threats. In this study, focus group discussions were used to examine how undergraduate students living on campus may respond to an emergency alert. A focus group activity used tornado, fire and threatening message alert messages to provide a

Research paper thumbnail of Potential responses by on-campus university students to a university emergency alert

University campuses across Canada and elsewhere are developing and implementing emergency alert s... more University campuses across Canada and elsewhere are developing and implementing emergency alert systems to warn campus community members about a variety of threats. In this study, focus group discussions were used to examine how undergraduate students living on campus may respond to an emergency alert. A focus group activity used tornado, fire and threatening message alert messages to provide a

Research paper thumbnail of Socio-Economic Impacts of the Nanisivik and Polaris Mines, Nunavut, Canada

Mining, Society, and a Sustainable World, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Trust: A Planning Guide for Wildfire Agencies and Practitioners—An International Collaboration Drawing on Research and Management Experience in Australia, Canada, and the United States

Research paper thumbnail of Wildfire: a Canadian perspective. 2015. McGee, T.; McFarlane, B; Tymstra, C

Research paper thumbnail of Factors affecting the communication and understanding of health risks in northern aboriginal Communities in Canada

Research paper thumbnail of How historic and current wildfire experiences in an Aboriginal community influence mitigation preferences

Peavine Métis Settlement is located in the boreal forest in Northern Alberta, Canada. The objecti... more Peavine Métis Settlement is located in the boreal forest in Northern Alberta, Canada. The objective of this paper was to explore how different wildfire experiences in an Aboriginal community influence wildfire mitigation preferences at the residential and community levels. Residents of Peavine had varying experiences with wildfire over an extended period of time including traditional burning, firefighting employment and bystanders. Despite these different experiences, participants still implemented or supported wildfire mitigation activities, although for differing reasons depending on experience type. Participants were found to have implemented or supported wildfire mitigation activities on the settlement, including their own properties and public land. Experience type influenced why wildfire mitigation had been implemented or supported: primarily wildfire risk reduction (firefighters), primarily aesthetic benefits (bystanders) and for both aesthetic benefits and wildfire risk reduction (historic traditional burners). The extensive fire experiences of residents at Peavine Métis Settlement have provided insights into how experience influences mitigation preferences. The results show it is important to consider predominant wildfire experience types in a community before developing a wildfire mitigation program. The findings of this study may have relevance for other Aboriginal communities that have experience with wildfires.

Research paper thumbnail of Community support for wildfire mitigation at Peavine Métis Settlement, Alberta, Canada

This paper presents the findings of a study that explored public support for wildfire mitigation ... more This paper presents the findings of a study that explored public support for wildfire mitigation programmes implemented in Peavine Métis Settlement, an Indigenous community located in Alberta, Canada. Data were collected in a community-based study using interviews, focus groups and participant observation over a 4-year period. Results showed that support for the wildfire mitigation programme was influenced by local leadership,

Research paper thumbnail of An exploration of how people value Wilsons Promontory National Park

Research paper thumbnail of Building a trust framework for communities at risk of wildfire

Research paper thumbnail of Shades of Grey: Community Responses to Chronic Environmental Lead Contamination in Broken Hill, New South Wales

Research paper thumbnail of Values and knowledge of wildlife among members of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria

Research paper thumbnail of Wildfire Risk Management by Municipal Governments in Alberta, Canada

Research paper thumbnail of An exploration of wildfire risk reduction within communities directly affected by the Lost Creek fire in 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Wildfire Risk Reduction in the Communities Affected by the 2003 Lost Creek Fire

Research paper thumbnail of Public perceptions of wildland fire management in the Foothills Model Forest: a summary of findings

Research paper thumbnail of Shades of grey: Community responses to chronic environmental lead contamination in Broken Hill

Research paper thumbnail of An exploration of residents’ intended wildfire evacuation responses in Mt. Lorne, Yukon, Canada

ABSTRACT Wildfire evacuations disrupt people's lives, create an additional hazard for eme... more ABSTRACT Wildfire evacuations disrupt people's lives, create an additional hazard for emergency responders and residents, and are expensive to execute. Alternatives to evacuation are used in Australia and a few jurisdictions in the United States. Numerous studies have examined the "stay and defend" option during a wildfire in Australia, and evacuation alternatives have also been examined in the US. However, evacuation alternatives have not yet received scholarly attention in Canada. This study focused on the community of Mt. Lorne, Yukon, and explored residents' perceptions of alternatives to evacuation due to wildfires, their evacuation intentions, and factors that influenced their intentions. Focus group participants planned to stay on their property despite a wildfire evacuation order because of the perceived safety of their property, and concerns about evacuating including leaving their property unprotected, losing harvested meat or other food stocks due to spoiling, and not knowing what to do with sled dog teams or livestock. However, some of these residents lacked the knowledge about how to stay on their property safely.

Research paper thumbnail of The Influence of Culture on Wildfire Mitigation at Peavine Métis Settlement, Alberta, Canada

ABSTRACT This article presents findings of a study that explored how culture influenced support f... more ABSTRACT This article presents findings of a study that explored how culture influenced support for wildfire mitigation in Peavine Métis Settlement, an Aboriginal community located in Alberta, Canada. Community-based research was completed using interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. The results show that cultural factors appeared to influence wildfire mitigation preferences. Participants indicated the current state of the forest was not natural, and that mitigation activities would likely improve forest health. Participants supported Settlement Council-led wildfire mitigation activities at both the residential and community level due to a preference for communal action and collective problem solving. Participants also were found to distrust “outsiders” and preferred programs developed by members of their own community. The results of this study show that wildfire mitigation programs based on local culture can be well supported in an Aboriginal community.

Research paper thumbnail of Warning response on a university campus: Anticipating message confirmation behavior among undergraduate students

Journal of Emergency Management, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Potential responses by on-campus university students to a university emergency alert

University campuses across Canada and elsewhere are developing and implementing emergency alert s... more University campuses across Canada and elsewhere are developing and implementing emergency alert systems to warn campus community members about a variety of threats. In this study, focus group discussions were used to examine how undergraduate students living on campus may respond to an emergency alert. A focus group activity used tornado, fire and threatening message alert messages to provide a

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