Communications team and Kara's travel companions – from left to right Agree Dube (MCC Zimbabwe), Gamuchirai Bidi (MCC Zimbabwe), Kara LeBlanc, Emilia Makunike (MCC Zimbabwe), Annalee Giesbrecht (MCC Canada), and Darryl Neustaedter Barg.

Digging into Climate Adaptation Research through LINCZ

Written by Kara LeBlanc

Over the past year I have been creating a podcast series to share the research being carried out by faculty at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) as part of the LINCZ project. Before sharing what I learned with listeners, I first had to understand the work myself. I recently graduated from CMU where I studied communications and media. Although my courses were diverse and covered many areas, the discovery that fields like psychology or peacebuilding relate deeply to climate change didn't come until this year. Meeting with the seven CMU faculty researchers gave me an understanding of their roles in the LINCZ project and what their research looks like in practice.

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Concert poster from the 2025 Bulawayo Arts Festival Tshibilika Concert. Photo from the Bulawayo Arts Festival Facebook page

More than methodology: reflections on qualitative field research

Introduction

In June 2025, as I walked along Leopold Takawira Avenue to the Bulawayo City Hall parking lot, I did not expect that I would end up dancing on stage with a celebrity emcee. What's more, I never could have imagined the social media footprint of the video of this encounter would exceed 90,000 views and 3,000 likes and counting. Ultimately, I came to a deeper understanding of what shapes me as a qualitative researcher.

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A gully area in Gwanda district. Photo by Natalia Wiederkehr.

Unleashing the Power of GPS for Community-Driven Sustainability

By Bulisani Mlotshwa and Ntuthuko Ngwenya, MCC Zimbabwe

At the heart of the LINCZ project is the integration of scientifically backed, nature-based solutions with the knowledge of local communities. Dr. Natalia Wiederkehr's recent research visit to Zimbabwe demonstrates how technologies such as GPS (Global Positioning System) and satellite images can be tailored to support sustainable practices in smaller communities. Join us in exploring how this approach can lead to meaningful change.

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The Ndetani sublocation landscape restoration site after restoration in Kenya.

LINCZ and Nature+: Highlights from MCC Zimbabwe's visit to Kenya

What Does Climate Change Adaptation Look Like in Real Life, Beyond Workshops and Reports?

In September, a team from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Zimbabwe had the opportunity to participate in an exchange visit to Kenya for the Nature Positive Food Systems for Climate Adaptation (Nature+) project, led by Canadian Foodgrains Bank in partnership with Global Affairs Canada. The purpose of our visit was to learn from MCC Kenya and to share our own experiences as related to the LINCZ project.

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Janet Olanrewaju speaking with LINCZ partners in Mwenezi District, Zimbabwe. Photo by Natalia Wiederkehr, 2025.

Handing Over the Pen: What Community-led Conservation Taught Me in Rural Zimbabwe

When I arrived in the dusty, sun-drenched Mwenezi district of southern Zimbabwe my task was clear: pilot a tool I developed to assess the conservation of medicinal plants at the grassroots level. It seemed straightforward on paper—I was eager to see how communities engage with biodiversity, not just as a concept in global conservation systems, but through lived experience. What unfolded during our few days of piloting felt far more personal, layered, and instructive than I could have imagined.

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