Updated: Fri, 10/11/2024 - 12:00

Campus/building access, classes and work will return to usual conditions, as of Saturday, Oct. 12. See Campus Public Safety website for details.


Accès au campus et aux immeubles, cours et modalités de travail : retour à la normale à compter du samedi 12 octobre. Complément d’information : Direction de la protection et de la prévention.

Event

Biodiversity Festival

Tuesday, September 24, 2024
McGill Downtown Campus - Lower Field and Macdonald Campus, Montreal, CA

Come celebrate the one-year anniversary of McGill’s first Biodiversity Plan on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Roddick Gates on the Downtown Campus, or at Macdonald 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 celebrates its collective and coordinated efforts to protect and improve biodiversity, come discover how the Biodiversity Plan guides 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. 24 to Oct. 1 at the Downtown Campus, Macdonald Campus, and Gault Nature Reserve. Whether on one of our guided nature walks, following our scavenger hunts, or on your own, join us in discovering the rich tapestry of life that calls our campuses home.  Want to know more, click on the following link to BioBlitz .

Use the following scavenger hunts and bingo sheets to guide your biodiversity observations:

Downtown Campus: Booths (12 - 5pm)

Organization

Theme

About

Gault Nature Reserve

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 Office of Sustainability

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.

Canadian Wildlife Federation

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.

GUEPE

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!

Les amis de la montagne

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!

Mission Monarch - Montreal Insectarium

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.

Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science (QCBS)

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.

Technoparc Oiseaux

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.

Ecomuseum

 

The Ecomuseum Zoo is a non-profit organization whose mission revolves around three pillars: environmental education, conservation of wildlife in its natural environment, and animal well-being. The animals that reside at the zoo are indigenous to Quebec, fostering an appreciation of the natural world around us, and emphasizing that we can better protect what we understand. The Ecomuseum Zoo is also recognized by Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Société des musées du Québec as a museum institution with a scientific and technological vocation.

Urbanature

 

UrbaNature's goal is to connect people of all ages to nature in the city, through outdoor education and hands-on experience.

Bird Protection Quebec

 

Founded in Montreal in 1917, Bird Protection Quebec is the oldest bird conservation charity in Canada and among the oldest in North America. We envision a world in which people appreciate the intrinsic benefits of birds and act to protect our planet and its wildlife. Our mission is to protect birds and bird habitat while fostering an appreciation of them through conservation, observation, research, and education.

Ducks Unlimited Canada

 

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is Canada's leading wetland conservation organization. As a charitable organization, DUC's mission is to conserve wetlands and associated habitats for the benefit of North American waterfowl, and to promote a healthy environment for wildlife and people. Active in Quebec since 1976, DUC carries out habitat conservation, research, education and awareness activities to protect, restore and better manage wetlands.

Redpath Museum (12 – 2 pm)

 

Built in 1882, the Redpath Museum houses extensive collections of natural history and world culture. These 700,000 objects and specimens are historical, cultural, and natural relics that serve research and education. Come and discover the richness of our collections by visiting the Redpath Museum booth! Seize this opportunity to engage with our guides, see, touch and observe the biodiversity that surrounds us!

 

Nature Action Québec

 

Nature-Action Québec is a non-profit organization that has been dedicated to environmental stewardship for over 35 years. Driven by passion and professionalism, NAQ supports individuals, businesses, and municipalities in adopting better environmental practices to protect and conserve our natural environment.

Downtown Campus: Guided walks and activities

Time

Topic

About

Organization/Expert

Details for Participants

10 am – 12 pm

Guided Bird Walk on Mount Royal

As part of the September 24 Biodiversity Festival to celebrate the one-year anniversary of McGill’s first Biodiversity Plan, 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

We will meet at the Monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier just prior to 10:00am on Tuesday September 24. We will spend a couple of hours birdwatching through Parc du Mont-Royal and conclude at the Y-Intersection of the Downtown Campus at noon for the start of the festival proper.

No registration required, simply show up at the meeting place just prior to 10:00am.

Participants need to dress appropriately for the weather. If you have your own binoculars, please bring them—although these are not required for participation.

Visit the event link for more information.

9:30 – 11 am

Forest Bathing Walk on Mount Royal

Join 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. What a great way to take a nourishing break, recharge and celebrate McGill’s Biodiversity Festival!

Office of Science Outreach (led by Jacky Farrell)

For McGill students. Meet on the front steps of the Education Building (3700 McTavish St.) at 9:35 am to check in.

Space is limited. Registration required by September 22nd at noon. Please find further instructions on the registration link.

More details here.

1:30 pm – 2:30 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).

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.

Registration required by Sept. 20th at noon. Space is limited so please honour your commitment.

12:15 – 1:30 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.

No registration required

3 pm – 4 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).

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.


Registration required by Sept. 20th at noon. Space is limited so please honour your commitment.
 

12 – 1pm

Tour of the Blacker Wood Natural History Collection

From the earliest printed illustrations of animals in the Western world, to 19th century watercolours and botanical scrapbooks, the treasures of the Blacker Wood Natural History Collection in the Rare Books & Special Collections department span the histories of biology, ornithology, botany, and early scientific exploration. Join us for a rare chance to marvel at original artwork, field notebooks, and other highlights from one of the largest natural history collections in North America. This tour, organized as part of McGill’s Biodiversity Festival, will be given by Lauren Williams, curator and librarian for the Blacker Wood Natural History Collection.

McGill Library, Rare Books & Special Collections (led by Lauren Williams, curator and librarian for the Blacker Wood Natural History Collection)

Registration required. Maximum 20 people for in-person event.

Register for the tour here.

1 – 2 pm

Les amis de la montagne: conservation walk

Join biologists from the Conservation services on a guided hike through Les amis de la montagne's environmental stewardship program action sites. You'll discover the efforts made by our volunteers to control invasive exotic plant species and reforest certain areas in order to preserve the fragile richness of the park.

Les amis de la Montagne

Meet at the Peel staircase (at the intersection of avenue des Pins and rue Peel). Departure at 1 PM.

No registration required.

Approx. 3 km / 96 m ascent. Steep trails, closed walking shoes are recommended.

 

1:30 – 2:30 pm

Insect biodiversity walk with GUEPE

Join a GUEPE naturalist, for a stroll around the campus to discover some of our 6-legged friends who share this beautiful campus with us.

GUEPE

Meet at the MOOS kiosk.

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 insects.

No registration required.

2 – 4 pm

Guided walk with the Montreal BiodĂ´me

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.

 

Montreal BiodĂ´me

Meet at the MOOS kiosk.

Departure at 2:00 p.m. (duration 1h30-2h)

Adapt your clothing to weather conditions. Bring a bottle of water, sunscreen and binoculars (if you have them).

Register here.

4 – 5 pm

Guided Urban Agriculture Walk

Join Peter Garber, MOOS Sustainability Officer and SPF Administrator, and Éric Champagne, Downtown Campus’ Horticultural Supervisor, on a tour of McGill’s urban agriculture projects, biodiversity patches, and gardens. Learn more about these projects’ history and the student groups running them and find out about our campus’ landscape management secrets!

Peter Garber (SPF Manager)

Meet by the McGill Office of Sustainability Booth. Please be ready to leave at 4 pm. Adapt your clothing to weather conditions.

No registration required

7pm - 10pm

PGSS x MOOS Biodiversity Trivia Night

Calling all postgraduate students, come join in on some fun biodiversity-themed trivia! Bring your A-game and show off your eco-knowledge—prizes are up for grabs! Whether you're an experienced environmentalist or just looking for some fun, this night is for everyone!

Post-Graduate Student Society (PGSS)

The event will take place at Thompson House. For PGSS members only.

See event page for more information and to register (required)

Macdonald Campus: Activities and Booths

Time

Topic

About

Organization/Expert

Details for participants

9 - 10 am

Guided bird walk at Macdonald Campus

Join Dr. Kyle Elliott for a guided bird walk at Macdonald Campus. Fall migration is underway, and many migratory birds can be spotted moving through greenspaces on their way south!

Professor Kyle Elliott, Department of Natural Resource Sciences

Meeting point at 9:00 from shuttle bus pick up point, in front of the Centennial Centre.

Wear walking shoes and outdoor attire. Binoculars are optional.

No registration required.

10 – 11:30 am

Explore Mac Meadow!

The Mac Meadow is a patch of native wildflowers home to a rich diversity of pollinators.

You will be able to participate in a pollinator collection experiment used to assess the Biodiversity on Campus. If you would like to establish your own meadow at home, you will also be able to collect seeds of the most common Quebec wildflowers!

 

Mac Meadow group (led by Eléonore Villain)

Meeting point at 10:00 at the Centennial Centre Lobby to walk over there together. Dress appropriately for the weather.

No registration required.

1 - 3 pm

Learn more about McGill’s Biodiversity Plan

Come chat with us and learn more about McGill’s efforts 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.

Luisa Sarmiento (Biodiversity Expert at the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science

Booth set up from 1 to 3 pm in the CC Lobby.

12 – 2 pm

Environmental Biology major information booth

Learn more about our efforts to integrate applied biodiversity research in McGill’s course offering, namely though the Environmental Biology major.

Professor Kyle Elliott, Department of Natural Resource Sciences

Booth set up from 12 to 2 pm in the CC Lobby.

SEPTEMBER 25TH 2024 9:30 am -12:30 pm

Forest Bathing Walk at the Morgan Arboretum

Join guide Jacky Farrell (McGill Science Outreach), for a bilingual Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing) walk in the Morgan Arboretum. Forest Bathing helps us slow down, open our senses and follow our curiosities. What a great way to take a nourishing break, recharge and celebrate autumn during McGill's Biodiversity Festival!

Office of Science Outreach (led by Jacky Farrell)

For adults only (no dogs).

Meet outside the Conservation Center at 9:20 am to check in. We’ll be leaving at 9:30.

Space is limited and registration is required by September 20th at noon.

See registration link for more details.

2024 Biodiversity Festival Photo Contest

We are excited to announce the 2024 Biodiversity Photo Contest, a celebration of the beauty and diversity of all forms of life surrounding us. The contest is open to all members of the McGill community (students, staff, and faculty).

This year’s main theme is Biodiversity at McGill! Send us your best photos taken on our campuses, field stations, or during McGill-related activities. Prizes will be awarded to each category’s winners and runners-up!

Open Day at the Gault Nature Reserve

Join the Biodiversity activities taking place at the Gault Nature Reserve in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, QC, on Saturday, October 5th, 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.

Graduate Biodiversity Research Lightning Talks

New this year!

Join us and explore the captivating world of biodiversity science through the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science's Graduate Speaker Series on September 25 at the McGill Burnside Hall (room 426) or online!

Register here to join us and discover how science is driving conservation efforts and shaping a sustainable future for all.

Biodiversity Collage

In 2022, on the eve of COP15, McGill, along with ten other universities and two CEGEPs joined the "Nature Positive University" (NPU) alliance. On the eve of COP16, we are gathering again and organizing biodiversity collages (Fresques de la biodiversité) to raise awareness about biodiversity issues.

Join us on Monday, September 30th at 5:30pm to find out more about the systemic aspect of biodiversity erosion through a fun, collaborative workshop. Registration required here. Food will be provided.

 

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