Daniel Silver Email & Phone Number

EC-04/05 - Energy and Environment Policy Division (Nov 2022 - present):In my current role at NRCan, I work on federal energy and climate change policy. In particular, our team provides strategic analysis to support the implementation of Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, which is designed to help Canada reach its Paris Agreement target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40-45% below 2005-levels by 2030. EC-03 - Impact Assessment Division (Nov 2021-22): In my first role at NRCan, I coordinated scientific input into federal assessments of major development proposals, including mines, power plants, and infrastructure projects. NRCan provides expertise on topics such as acid rock drainage, metal leaching, geology and natural hazards, groundwater, project economics, and biodiversity conservation. In addition, I contributed to emerging policy and scientific research focused on managing the cumulative environmental and socioeconomic effects of natural resource development.

Rochester, New York Area

During my time at Stantec, I provided environmental consulting services to energy, transportation, industrial, and public sector clients. In particular, much of my work serviced renewable energy developers in upstate New York. I was the primary author on over 25 major, technical reports that were submitted to either clients or regulatory agencies. Such documents included phase I environmental site assessments (Phase I ESA), biological reports, and various types of environmental impact assessments (EIA). I often worked in the field -- both in a team and independently -- to provide services such as wetland delineations, soil sampling (i.e. Phase II ESA), wildlife monitoring, visual impact analyses, and "site visits" as required for Phase I ESAs. Much of my time at the office was spent in GIS performing spatial analyses or developing maps for reports. I also frequently conducted project-specific desktop research on environmental regulations to help discern their application to given projects.

Barrier Lake Field Station, Alberta

I spent Summer 2019 supporting three major plant biology research projects run by the Hargreaves lab (McGill Department of Biology). For this position, I was located in Kananaskis, Alberta, which is near Banff National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. My work primarily involved ecological data collection at remote, alpine field sites. This entailed planning and executing complex fieldwork, considering logistics such as long drives, multi-day camping excursions, hikes, and safety measures for weather, extreme heights, and potential bear encounters. When not in the field, I conducted laboratory analyses and helped manage data (primarily in Microsoft Excel). My salary for this position was funded through awards provided by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science (QCBS), and the Fonds de recherche Nature et Technologies.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

For my undergraduate honours thesis at McGill, I conducted environmental research in rural Ontario, focusing on the controversies of managing light pollution in the municipalities surrounding the world's first dark sky park.Key methodologies for the project included: 1.) Stakeholder interviews with key government officials, legislators, environmental activists, indigenous people, and business leaders;2.) A survey, which received 129 responses from the community; 3.) And, a review of popular news articles, legal documents, and scientific papers.The project generally demonstrated a high degree of public support for dark sky preservation, while also identifying some key policy challenges regarding light pollution management. I presented these results at a local community stakeholder meeting, as well as at the McGill Honours Symposium. I also published this work, along with my supervising professor, in the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management.

Olkiramatian Group Ranch, Kenya

As a research assistant for the Institutional Canopy of Conservation (I-CAN) project, I lived and worked in the Olkiramatian/Shompole communities in Southern Kenya, in the heart of Maasailand. My internship involved ongoing work for an Indigenous-led conservation NGO called the South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO). Some of my duties included writing blog posts about the NGO's work; creating website content; helping to host student groups; assisting research initiatives; designing promotional materials such as brochures and posters; and developing and operating a weekly computer training course for SORALO staff.As part of my I-CAN/McGill research duties, I helped conduct interviews with Indigenous Maasai people, investigating topics such as human-wildlife coexistence, Kenyan conservation policy, and community-based conservation. I co-authored a report on the Oldonyo-Nyokie Group Ranch with other I-CAN colleagues. I also independently authored a research paper under the supervision of I-CAN's principal investigator, focusing on human-wildlife coexistence in Maasailand. The latter paper was published in "Branches", McGill's environment journal.This position was funded by an Arts Internship Award (McGill Faculty of Arts).

Master Of Environmental Science (Menvsc), 4.0 Gpa

Selected Courses: - Environmental Law - Environmental Project Management - Conservation Policy - Environmental Planning - Quantitative.

Honours Bachelor Of Arts And Science, Environmental Science, 3.84 Gpa

Selected Courses: -Assessing Environmental Impact -Economics of Climate Change -Environmental Hydrology -Biology of Invasive Species.