Carley-Jane Stanton – originally from Edmonton, Alberta – is a doctoral candidate in Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford. Prior to beginning these studies, she completed the competitive Master of Philosophy programme in Environmental Change and Management at the University of Oxford, for which she was awarded a distinction. This post-graduate work followed her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (again with distinction), with a focus on Agriculture and Resource Economics, from the University of Alberta. In 2016, Carley-Jane was a recipient of the coveted Rhodes scholarship, representing the Canadian Prairies Region.
Carley-Jane’s doctoral research examines post-disaster response and recovery in wildfire-affected areas of Western Canada. As an entry point to the study of the ambivalences of post-disaster processes of political and social change, she is specifically examining morel mushroom harvesting that occurs after wildfires. Carley-Jane’s research is rooted in observations of morel foragers and land managers across three harvesting events following the May 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire and the 2018 Shovel Creek wildfire on Nadleh, Stellat’en and Nak’azdli Whut’en territories in British Columbia.
Morel mushrooms are an edible and lucrative wild fungi that undergo mass fruiting in the first spring following wildfires. Both hobby and commercial foragers participate in the harvesting, such that the morel seasons can offer opportunities for economic gain as well as psycho-social recovery following disasters. The morel seasons are equally an opportunity to assert Indigenous sovereignty over land and resources, as the harvesting often takes place on unceded territories and none of Canada’s provincial, territorial, or federal governments regulate the morel mushroom industry.
Carley-Jane’s research is timely as wildfires and other climatic events are increasing in frequently, as well as in their severity of social and environmental impact. Her research offers an opportunity to explore processes of change following disaster, where the interventions have real impact on lands with other claims, including First Nations land claims. In the case of the morel mushroom industry, governance is changing with climate change and Carley-Jane is exploring this change by looking at the effects of Indigenous-led environmental governance, including through First Nations’ implementation of morel permitting schemes.
Carley-Jane maintains strong ties with Canada and is interested in leveraging her research to support Indigenous governance initiatives, community-based disaster recovery efforts, and climate-aware natural resource policy development in Canada.
