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Mucklow was among 10 Canadian MES students who participated in an exchange program at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) to work on three different environmental assessment projects. Paired with students from UPLB and Dal, her group’s project explored a flood control structure that would relieve flooding in some areas but cause other parts of land to be flooded.

Taking a boat trip down a river that was to be flooded due to the construction of a dike was “a powerful experience that has stayed with me to this day,” says Mucklow. “Seeing the houses on stilts at the edge of the river, kids playing in the water, men fishing, and women harvesting lettuce and beans that were grown on the water, it was immediately obvious how important this river was to the local people and how devasting the impacts of the development would be.”

The MES students on the exchange spent five weeks at the UPLB, with many staying longer to travel and experience the country’s culture. “The UPLB students and staff were very focused on showing us the beauty of their local environment around Los Baños and making sure we were well taken care of,” remembers Mucklow. “Filipinos have a great sense of family and community and a simpler, slower pace of life that was interesting to experience. Livelihoods are very much tied to the land and environmental impacts can be devastating.”  

Reunited after 30 years

In fall 2025, Mucklow and seven former classmates met up for an informal reunion in Ottawa 30 years since their graduation. “We have all been working in the environmental field since graduation and have all had such different career paths,” she says. “In our discussions over the weekend, it was clear that the multi-disciplinary nature of the SRES program set us up well for the diverse skill sets needed to work in this field and gave us the knowledge and experience to understand and work effectively with people from different backgrounds and with varying viewpoints.

“The Philippines experience added more dimension to that by giving us some experience working collaboratively in an international and cross-cultural context.”

Seeking a similar experience for SRES students

SRES and UPLB collaborated very closely back in the 1990s, supported by Canadian International Development Agency funding, and have started to rekindle that connection. SRES director Dr. Kate Sherren hopes any renewal of the relationship has similarly lasting benefits for graduate students. “Our interdisciplinary units have had a parallel trajectory over the years and offer similar graduate program,” Dr. Sherren says. “It’s a no-brainer to try to reconnect our teaching and research.”