Kimberly Coleman, a woman is standing in front of trees Dr. Kimberly Coleman joins VIU as the 2025 Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Studies.
As an avid mountain biker, Dr. Kimberly Coleman is well aware of the many benefits outdoor recreation can provide.
She’s delving into how communities can work together to manage outdoor recreation – specifically mountain bike trails – in a way that respects Indigenous lands. Coleman is doing this work as Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) 2025 Fulbright Canada Visiting Research Chair in Indigenous Studies. “Spending time in the woods has benefits that range from physical to mental health and well-being, social connectedness and connection to the land,” she said. “For Indigenous youth, it’s a way to reconnect with the land.” Questions remain about the impacts of mountain biking, particularly for Indigenous communities. It’s important that these activities are managed in a way that respects Indigenous rights and brings real benefits to local communities, she said.
Coleman is an Associate Professor in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. Her doctoral research focused on wildfire management and preparedness in the American West and Southeast. Her work examined how different groups, including federal agencies, private landowners and Indigenous communities, can collaborate to manage wildfires that threaten their homes and lands. Kimberly Coleman is riding a mountain bike on a trail in the woods In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Coleman shifted her research focus to outdoor recreation, specifically mountain biking, which surged […]
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