Biodiversity Festival
NEW DATE! Come celebrate the launch of McGill’s first Biodiversity Plan on Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Y-Intersection just north of the Roddick Gates on the Downtown Campus. Join McGill experts on guided nature walks, learn how to identify and document species to support their protection, and connect with McGill groups and local organizations working on environmental initiatives. As McGill embarks on a collective, coordinated effort to protect and improve biodiversity, come discover how the new Biodiversity Plan will guide university-wide actions through to 2030.
BioBlitz: Contribute to Biodiversity Monitoring on Campus
🌿 Get ready to explore the incredible biodiversity around us! Participate in McGill’s BioBlitz, happening during the Biodiversity Festival, from Sept. 18 to 26 at the Downtown Campus, Macdonald Campus, and Gault Nature Reserve. Whether on one of our guided nature walks or on your own, join us in discovering the rich tapestry of life that calls our campuses home. Learn more here.
Guided Walks and Workshops on Campus
|
Time |
Topic |
About |
Organization/Expert |
Details for Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
9 am – 12 pm |
Guided Bird Walk on Mount Royal |
The McGill Students’ Birding Club is offering a guided birdwatching walk on Mont-Royal. Fall migration is underway, and many migratory birds can be spotted moving through urban greenspaces on their way south! |
McGill Students' Birding Club (led by Anthony Zerafa) |
Meet at the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Monument, bordering Avenue du Parc on the east side of Parc du Mont-Royal for a departure at 9:00 am. The outing will end on the McGill Downtown Campus. Dress for the weather, bring a filled water bottle, SPF (if applicable), and binoculars (if you have). More details here. |
|
9:30 – 11 am |
Intro to Forest Bathing: Walk on Mount Royal |
Join apprentice guide, Jacky Farrell (McGill Science Outreach), for a Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing) walk on Mount Royal. Forest Bathing helps us slow down, open our senses, and follow our curiosities. |
Office of Science Outreach (led by Jacky Farrell) |
For McGill students. Meet on the front steps of the Education Building (3700 McTavish St.) at 9:20 am to check in. Space is limited. Registration required by Sept. 25th at noon. More details here. |
|
12 – 3 pm |
Collective Art Mural |
Come add to our collective mural to share your ideas on how we can protect biodiversity as part of the McGill Biodiversity Festival! Come visit Vitoria Glynn, PhD candidate in coral reef resilience from 1-2 pm, and Milton Riaño, former Artist in Residence from 2-3 pm, to chat about the connections between art and science and see some of their own artwork! |
Join us in the Redpath Dell (by the fountain) and tell us what you think!
There will be various art materials to choose from. |
|
|
12 – 1 pm |
Cyanotype Workshop #1 |
Join us in the sun for a botanical cyanotype workshop. Cyanotype, sometimes called sun-print, is a 19th century photographic process that creates a beautiful blueprint using special paper and bright sunshine. Participants will learn about cyanotype and have the chance to create a personalized print to take home. |
McGill Library, Rare Books & Special Collections (led by Jennifer Garland) |
Meet at the Pollinator Garden outside of Burnside Hall (next to the ramp leading to the Otto Maass courtyard). Space is limited. Registration required by Sept. 25th at noon. Paper, tools, and instructions will be provided. We will be working in the sun and in the shade; crouching in the garden; and washing our prints with a hose. Please dress appropriately. |
|
1 – 2 pm |
Guided Garden Walk |
Join us on a garden tour of the Burnside Hall pollinator patch, a certified Wildlife-Friendly Habitat since 2018. This garden features a biodiverse selection of native and introduced herbal and medicinal plants. We will identify and collect plants together. |
Led by Ingrid Birker and Prof. Vikram Bhatt |
Meet at the Biodiversity Festival booths just north of the Roddick Gates. We will supply food-safe collecting bags. Please bring your own snips and wear suitable clothing for harvesting. |
|
1:30 – 2:30 pm |
Beginners' Tree Identification Walk |
Want to develop skills to help you identify trees? Come join us for a beginner tree identification walk, to learn about several trees around campus and how you can recognize them. |
Office of Science Outreach (led by Megan Phillips) |
Meet at the Biodiversity Festival booths just north of the Roddick Gates. Please arrive 5 minutes in advance and come dressed for the weather (e.g., water bottle, sunscreen, hat, etc.). It is recommended (but not mandatory) to download iNaturalist before the walk, as we will be using it to help us ID trees. |
|
2 – 3 pm |
Cyanotype Workshop #2 |
Join us in the sun for a botanical cyanotype workshop. Cyanotype, sometimes called sun-print, is a 19th century photographic process that creates a beautiful blueprint using special paper and bright sunshine. Participants will learn about cyanotype and have the chance to create a personalized print to take home. |
McGill Library, Rare Books & Special Collections (led by Jennifer Garland) |
Meet at the Pollinator Garden outside of Burnside Hall (next to the ramp leading to the Otto Maass courtyard). Space is limited. Registration required by Sept. 25th at noon. Paper, tools, and instructions will be provided. We will be working in the sun and in the shade; crouching in the garden; and washing our prints with a hose. Please dress appropriately |
|
2 – 5 pm |
Guided wildlife observation walk |
The Montreal BiodĂ´me is offering a guided walk on Mount Royal. This will be an opportunity to discover the wildlife of the park and learn to recognize certain species with a focus on amphibians/reptiles and birds. |
Montréal Biodôme (Jean-Philippe Gagnon / Gheylen Daghfous) |
Meet at the Peel staircase (at the intersection of avenue des Pins and rue Peel). Departure at 2pm. Adapt your clothing to weather conditions. Bring a bottle of water, sunscreen, and binoculars (if you have). |
|
2:30 – 3:30 pm |
Guided Insect Walk |
Join Christopher Cloutier, teacher at Vanier College and co-developer of the Campus Biodiversity Network, for a casual stroll around the campus to discover some of our 6-legged friends who share this beautiful campus with us. |
Campus Biodiversity Network (led by Chris Cloutier) |
Meet at the Campus Biodiversity Network booth just north of the Roddick Gates. It is recommended (but not mandatory) to download iNaturalist before the walk, as we will be using it to help us ID insects. |
|
3:30 – 4:30 pm |
Garden Harvest Event |
The Redpath Museum Society is a group of students who connect through their love of museology, natural history, science, and discovery. We welcome you to our garden space to harvest herbs and learn about a variety of plants! |
Meet at the Pollinator Garden outside of Burnside Hall (next to the ramp leading to the Otto Maass courtyard). Please wear appropriate footwear in case of muddy grounds. We encourage you to bring personal bags and containers to collect herbs and scissors to cut stems. |
BoothsÂ
|
Organization |
Theme |
About |
|---|---|---|
|
Intro to Participatory Science |
The Gault Nature Reserve, owned by McGill University, is located at Mont-Saint-Hilaire and protects more than 1,000 hectares of natural forest. |
|
|
McGill's Biodiversity Plan |
McGill aims to monitor, protect, and enhance biodiversity through our research, teaching and operations, while raising awareness and engaging community members both on and beyond our campuses. |
|
|
Program and Careers |
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to conserve and inspire the conservation of Canada’s wildlife and habitats for the use and enjoyment of all. |
|
|
Program and Careers |
GUEPE is a non-profit organization offering educational and professional services to youth and the general public in the field of natural and environmental sciences, as well as in outdoor recreation. By making nature more accessible to our clientele, we increase awareness and encourage the respect of biodiversity. |
|
|
STEMM Diversity@McGill / Graduate Association of the Redpath Museum |
Program and Careers |
Come join biology graduate students from STEMM Diversity and the Graduate Association of the Redpath Museum (GARM) as they showcase the biodiversity in ecosystems they study, as well as right here on campus! |
|
Initiatives and Volunteer Opportunities |
Les Amis de la montagne is a non-profit organization that protects, improves and promotes the sustainability of Montréal’s Mount Royal through community involvement, environmental education and stewardship. Come and chat with members of their various teams to find out more about their conservation, advocacy and education initiatives! |
|
|
Initiatives and Volunteer Opportunities |
Mission Monarch is a community science program aiming at gathering data on monarch and milkweed distribution and abundance. This knowledge will allow researchers to identify the monarch’s breeding hotspots and implement efficient conservation actions. |
|
|
Program and Careers |
Started in Montréal, Québec, the Campus Biodiversity Network (CBN) is an international network of colleges and universities working to monitor and protect biodiversity on our campuses. |
|
|
Program and Research |
The Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science (QCBS) is a partnership between 14 academic institutions, a public institution, and a federal ministry that brings together more than 110 researchers and 400 students and postdocs. The QCBS's strategic mission is to increase Quebec's ability to monitor the state of its various ecosystems and their biodiversity, to make predictions about changes in biodiversity and to use this knowledge to support decision-making. |
|
|
Initiatives and Volunteer Opportunities |
Technoparc Oiseaux is a citizen group of nature and biodiversity lovers, defending one of Montreal's last unprotected wetlands and natural greenspaces. |
Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science Speaker Series
Explore the captivating world of biodiversity science through the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science's Speaker Series the week of the Sept 18 at the McGill Stewart Biology Building or online! Register here to join us and discover how science is driving conservation efforts and shaping a sustainable future for all.
Macdonald Campus
NEW DATE! Come celebrate at the Macdonald Campus, the launch of McGill’s first Biodiversity Plan on Tuesday, Sept 26 from 12 to 2pm at the Ceilidh. Join Mac students and groups on a bird walk, learn about biodiversity research and initiatives occurring here at Mac Campus, and test your biodiversity knowledge in a raffle for prizes. More details here.
Gault Nature Reserve
Join the Biodiversity Festival activities taking place at the Gault Nature Reserve in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, QC, on Saturday, Sept 23rd, between 11am and 4pm. Register here for a spot on the free shuttle that will leave the Downtown campus at 10:30am and return to campus around 3:30pm.
