Janina Kowalski

Research and Professional Interests

Janina Kowalski (she/her) is currently a PhD Candidate in Human Geography at the University Toronto. Her thesis research focuses on the governance, accessibility, and human-nature interactions of urban food trees. She is passionate about urban nature and ways to make cities more resilient and equitable. Combining research and practice, Janina has been honing her fruit tree tending skills while volunteering at a community orchard in Toronto since 2017. 

Honours and Awards

• 2019 Jack Kimmel Grant, Canadian Tree Fund
• 2018 Griffith Taylor Scholarship in Geography, University of Toronto, Department of Geography

Presentations

• Kowalski, Janina. (2022 June 23) “The Route to Fruit: An Exploration of Urban Food Trees in Canada.” [Presentation] Ontario Urban Forest Council, online  
• Kowalski, Janina. (2022 June 3) “Sample When Ripe: Examining Public Urban Food Tree Accessibility.” [Presentation] Canadian Association of Geographers AGM, online.   
• Kowalski, Janina. (2022 February 25) “Fruit Stealing, sharing and wasting: Perspectives on the Accessibility of Public Urban Food Trees” [Presentation] American Association of Geographers AMG, online.  
• Kowalski, Janina. (2021 November 15) “Branching Out: Urban Food Tree Governance.” [Guest Lecture], University of British Columbia, online.  
• Kowalski, Janina (2021 April 10) “Life, Death, and Weeding: The Co-Creation of Urban Food Tree Ecologies.” [Presentation] American Association of Geographers AGM, online.  
• Kowalski, Janina (2020 November 12) “Roots and (Off)Shoots: The Development of Urban Food Trees in Canada.” [Guest Lecture] Ursinus College, online.  
• Kowalski, Janina. (2020 April 7) “Where the Fruit Falls: The Governance of Urban Food Trees.” [Presentation] American Association of Geographers AGM, online.  
• Kowalski, Janina. (2019 May 24) “Community Engagement at Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard.” [Presentation] Green Infrastructure Symposium, University of Toronto Mississauga.  
• Kowalski, Janina. (2019 April 3) “Urban Food Trees in Toronto: Benefits, Challenges and Distribution.” [Presentation] American Association of Geographers AGM, Washington, DC.  
• Kowalski, Janina. (2018 October 2) “An Apple a Day Keeps the Community Engaged: Preliminary Results of Field Work in Toronto.” [Presentation] International Urban Forestry Congress, Vancouver.  
• Kowalski, Janina and Tenley Conway. (2018 April 10) “Food (Forests) for thought: The Policy and Management of Urban Food Forests in Canada.” [Presentation] American  Association of Geographers General Meeting, New Orleans.  
• Kowalski, Janina and Tenley Conway. (2017 May 30) “Urban Food Forests in Canada: Policy and Implementation” [Presentation]. Canadian Association of Geographers Annual General Meeting, York University.