Biodiversity Festival
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Come celebrate the one-year anniversary of McGill’s first Biodiversity Plan on Tuesday, Sept. 26 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.
Biodiversity Festival: Downtown Campus
Booths on Downtown Campus (12 – 5 pm)
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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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STEMM 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! |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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UrbaNature's goal is to connect people of all ages to nature in the city, through outdoor education and hands-on experience. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Redpath Museum (12 – 2 pm) |
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Built in 1882, the Redpath Museum houses extensive collections of natural history and world cultures. These 700,000 objects and specimens are historical, cultural, and natural witnesses 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! |
Biodiversity Festival: Macdonald Campus
Detailed Schedule TBA
Biodiversity Festival: 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
- 2024 Biodiversity Festival Photo Contest
- BioBlitz
- Biodiversity Trivia Night with PGSS
Graduate Biodiversity Research Lightning Talks
New this year! Organized by the Quebec Center for Biodiversty Science.
Details TBA
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!
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. Learn more here.
Biodiversity Trivia Night with PGSS
New this year! Details TBA