Kumary Chiquinquira Ponnambalam, B.S.F, M.Sc.F
Street Artist and Researcher
kumarycp@gmail.com
Insta: tropic.north
kumacp.com
Waterloo, ON
Education
2025 SMART training platform’s implementation Design Lab course, University of Guelph
2012-2014 - Master of Forest Economics (Thesis: The fifth pathway to forest transition in the Andes: Modeling factors that influence small-holder tree-planting in Mocoties, Venezuela), University of Toronto, St. George Campus.
2006-2011 - Bachelor of Forest Resources Management with Honors, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
2010- Exchange year in International Land Management, Agroforestry and Soils, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Research
2024- 2025- Paper for Engsoft, Waterloo, on irrigation systems in transitional
suburban neighbourhoods using local knowledge, accepted for ICWRER2025
conference in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
2024- Paper in process on the value of urban communities, decentralized street
trade, and the experience of living as a marginalized, queer, BIPOC, undefinable low
carbon millennial livelihood without proper legal support - Food Anarchism
reflections (submission for resilience.org)
2024- Article in process on urban communities and coffee, reflections on
regenerative landscapes (planned submission to Briarpatch Magazine)
2024- Published, “Finding my Ancestors through drumming on the streets of
Toronto”, Monsoon Journal-Tamil News, June Edition
2023- Regenerative economics and streetscapes, talk given at Math for ComplexClimate Challenges Workshop, Fields Institute, Toronto and WICI, University ofWaterloo; simultaneously displaying art connected to urbanization, climate, andcommunity issues 2014 – An analysis of Tree Planting programs on coffee farms in the Venezuelan Andes and willingness to plant trees, M.Sc.F, University of Toronto and Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela (presented two conference papers using factor analysis and basic socio economic modeling of 150 small farming families)
2011- Business Development for Corporate Biodiversity and Carbon Credits, and
Honey (Verified Carbon Standard), Tesso Nilo National Park, Indonesia
2011 - Medicinal plants research with HIV/AIDS communities in Malawi, AFRICAD,
UBC, Vancouver
2010 - Tribunal de las Aguas presentations on the Effectiveness Urban Home
Garden Irrigation Tribunals from ancient times, Wageningen University, Valencia,
Spain
2010- GIS model of soil erosion in a watershed in Hadocha, Ethiopia for
International Land Use course, Wageningen, University
2009- Soil Megalith Restoration, Soils Lab Intern, Land and Food Systems, UBC
2007 - Volunteer Conservation Researcher, Operation Wallacea, Iquitos, Peru
Exhibitions
2025- Ribbon Zine, Kitchener Artist in Residence Project with KW Gallery
2025- Exhibition “We all have issues” at Grand River Hospital, Kitchener, ON
2024- ArtHUB Art Fair, Toronto, ON
2024- KWZinetopia, Kitchener, ON
2023- Duality, Button Arts Factory, Waterloo, ON
2023-Art Reception at Math for Complex Climate Challenges Workshop, Fields
Institute, Toronto and WICI, University of Waterloo
2022- Expedition of the Rain, Show and Tell Gallery, Queens St.,Toronto, ON
Performances
2014- Alfai, Maracatu MarAberto Panamerican Games, Toronto,ON
2014-Alfai, Maracatu MarAberto, Promise Party New Years, Toronto, ON
2012-2014- Agbe, Maracatu Mar Aberto, Pedestrian Sundays, Toronto, ON
2016-Alfai, Gonge, Baque de Bamba, Dike March, PRIDE Toronto, Toronto, ON
Regenerative Business Experience
2014-2025 Preparing research proposals in Place-making, food security and
building regenerative, trauma-Informed, decolonized Superblocks with a focus on
using dj nomadism to heal collective (most likely in Montreal, specializing in Jean
Talon’s humanism, latin and afrofuturism)
2024- Business Proposal for neighborhood walks and coffee day parties in
Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, Montreal centered on regenerative trade, connection
and walking
2023-2024- Homebanx building BIPOC housing in Kitchener-Waterloo2015 - Project Development for Unilever Smallholder farmers project with Digital Green, Karnataka, IN
2015 - Farmer’s Market Assistant, Backwoods Farms, Salt Spring Island, BC
2015 - Customer Service, Leslieville Cheese Shop, Leslieville, Toronto,ON
2014 - Mining and Land UX Product Assistant, Ulula, Toronto, ON
2013 - Program Development Officer, MQED(smallholder pickle distributor),
Toronto, ON
2012 - Customer Service, Zara, Queen St. West, Toronto, ON
2012 - Planning Committee, Harvest Noon Cafe of T, Toronto, ON
2011- Sustainable Forestry Curriculum, Evanslake Forest Education Society,
Vancouver, BC
2011- Sustainability Coordinator, International Student Orientation, UBC,
Vancouver, BC 2010- Sprouts, Store Front Manager, UBC, Vancouver, BC
Professional development
2025- Specialty Coffee Collective Conference Montreal and coffee mapping Plateau,
St Laurent and Jean Talon
2025- Comic Illustration, Centre des Arts Visuals
2025- Painting with Tristan Tandino, Centre des Art Visual
2025- Post colonial feminist dj with DJtal, Jena Talon, Montreal
2025- Festival de Assie dj class with Fly Lady Di, Cote de Neige
2024- Roasting 101, KW Coffee Collective
2024- Black to School, Waterloo leadership conference for at risk, systemically
discriminated youth
2024- Uganda coffee tasting with Mountain Coffee, KW Coffee Collective, Kitchener, ON
2024- Producer, Femme Folks Fest, Waterloo Region, ON
2024- Performance Bootcamp, MT Space Multicultural Theatre Company, Waterloo,
ON
2023- Emergence Symposium, Neighborhood Arts Network, Toronto, ON
2021 - Neighborhood Mentorship Program with “PUFF Paddy”, Paddy Leung,
Toronto, ON
2019 - Beginner Adobe Photoshop, Toronto Art School, Toronto ON
2019- Experimental Drawing, Toronto Art School
2020 - Urban Dance, City Dance Corps, Toronto, ON
2019 - Gallery Guide skills, Gallery Guide, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON
2019 - Co-working and mentoring, Lokal, Toronto, ON
2019 - Customer service, Starving Artist,Toronto, ON
2016 - Women's self defense Kung Fu, Shaolin Quanfa Institute, Toronto, ON
2016 - Alfai (Northern Brazilian bass drum) and shakers, singing, Baque de Bamba,
Toronto, ON
2016 - Basic worship moves to Oshun, Oshun Dance development seminar, Samba
Jessica, Toronto. ON2014- Field trip to shade coffee in Kodogu, India with World Agroforestry
Conference, Delhi, IN
2013 - 2016 Alfai, drum formation, singing, and Portuguese folkloric music,
Maracatu Mar Aberto, Toronto, ON
2013 - Joint Development Consultants, Program Evaluator and Technical Writer,
Toronto, ON (Center for Social Innovation members)
2009- Housekeeping, UBC Housing and Conferences
Awards/Grants
2024- Pat the Dog Micro Grant for emerging artists, Kitchener-Waterloo
2022- Queens Street Gallery, one week show space, Toronto
2015- Helped write the successful Unilever Smallholder Support Grant ($350000) for
Digital Green, Toronto
2015 - Toronto Arts Council, Project Grants, Project “Groove on Up”, Mar Aberto
Maracatu, Toronto, ON($5000)
2012 - Masters Graduate Funding, Social Sciences Humanities Research Council
2012 - Michael Smith Foreign Research Supplement, Social Sciences Humanities
Research Council
2009 - Go Global Award
2008 - UBC Forestry Scholarship
2007 - Weldwood Scholarship
Leadership
2024- Volunteer Event Producer, Red Racoon Bike Rescue, Waterloo, ON
2024- Leader of Lakeshore Future Walks - towards a sustainable walk of Waterloo,
Jane Walks, Waterloo Region,ON
2024- Lakeshore Future Walks Presenter at Femme Folks Fest, Waterloo Region,
ON
2015 - Energy Yoga, Lauren Walker, Holly Hock, Cortes BC
2012 - Presenter, “Agroforestry”, Online Course, UBC
2010 - Senior Resident Advisor, Gage, UBC
2008 - Resident Advisor, Gage, UBC
2007, 2008 - Assistant, UBC Childcare, UBC
2007 - Marketing, Fairview Residence Council, UBC
2006 - Summer Internship, Geohidra Environmental Consultants, Caracas,
Venezuela
2005 - Brossard Summer Camp Leader, Summer Works, Government of Canada,
Brossard, Quebec, ON
Languages
Fluent- English, Spanish
In transition to political level-FrenchPractical- Dutch
Passions: Water worship (ancient drumming, energy healing, decolonized research),
Backpacking and camping, extreme stickering, gardening (tropical and temperate),
urban research, coffee exploration, climbing, dancing, international cooking, and
writing
References available on request but more open to calling an old research
friend together.