Before they have the wing span to actually permit them to fly, young guillemots (also known as murres) leap hundreds of metres off towering cliffs and flutter down towards the sea, guided by their fathers. Scientists have long wondered why these tiny chicks make this remarkable leap, hoping to avoid the rocks below them, in what seems an unlikely survival strategy for a species.
Published on: 9 Mar 2017
Congratulations to Professor Murray Humphries, Department of Natural Resource Sciences, who on Thursday, January 26, 2017, received the [University of Manitoba] Faculty of Science 2017 Honoured Alumni Award for exceptional achievement in Biological Sciences.
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Published on: 26 Jan 2017
Drone technology has been applied in support of bird science for more than a decade now. With the cost of this technology continuing to drop, the use of it is broadening across North America.
In the same way that retail, military, and hobby sectors have embraced drones, bird scientists have realized drones can be deployed to do some bird census work and gather data in remote or otherwise inaccessible locations.
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Published on: 26 Jan 2017
All of the participants in the inaugural Lister Family Engaged Science Initiative 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition are to be congratulated on a job well done! Finalists (left to right) include PhD candidate Salam Habib from the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition ( Second place; Supervisor: L.
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Published on: 18 Jan 2017
Despite ongoing global pollution, researchers Kyle Elliott (Natural Resource Sciences) and John Elliott (Environment Canada) have discovered that levels of mercury in seabirds off the coast of B.C. have remained relatively stable over the past 50 years. Surprisingly, mercury in seabirds is now actually slightly lower.
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Published on: 21 Dec 2016
Assessing the risks that toxic chemicals pose to natural ecosystems is a huge challenge, given the thousands of chemicals that require testing. But the task is expected soon to become less daunting, thanks to a new tool being developed by McGill University researchers.
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Published on: 8 Dec 2016
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society recently stunned many Canadians by choosing the grey jay over the common loon as the organization’s candidate to become Canada’s national bird. The announcement was made on Nov. 16, 2016, at the College of Fellows’ Annual Dinner in the Canadian War Museum. Op-ed by David M. Bird, Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology, Montreal Gazette.
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Published on: 28 Nov 2016
Marianne Falardeau-Côté, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences (Supervisor Elena Bennett), "is investigating how climate change is affecting Arctic marine food webs, ecosystem services and the well-being of Inuit communities. Through her research, Marianne hopes to provide knowledge that will help governments sustainably manage ecosystems. Her research was featured in the June 2016 issue of Canadian Geographic".
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Published on: 28 Oct 2016
Microbiologist Brian Driscoll took over the helm of the Department of Natural Resource Sciences (NRS) on September 1st.
Growing up in Dundas, ON, Driscoll discovered his love science and agriculture at a young age, thanks to the influence of two uncles - one an organic chemistry professor and the other an apple grower. Through stints as a lifeguard and swimming instructor, he discovered that teaching was something he excelled at and enjoyed.
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Published on: 4 Oct 2016
Margaret A. Gilliam Fellowship recipient June Po is a PhD candidate in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences; June works on food security, focusing on the relationships between food security and women’s access to land resources in dryland Kenya. In early 2015, she returned to the rural communities in Kenya to report her research findings to smallholder farmers. This effort has so far been extremely valuable, as she learned multiple ways of translating research into practice.
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Published on: 27 Sep 2016
Please join the Mac Community in congratulating Professor Jim Fyles on his new appointment as Macdonald's Associate Dean ( Students Affairs).
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Published on: 18 Aug 2016
Please join the Mac Community in congratulating Professor Chris Buddle on his new appointment as Dean of Students, McGill University.
Since 2014, Professor Buddle has served the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences as Associate Dean of Student Affairs. In this role, he oversaw recruitment activities for the Faculty, promoted academic integrity, was a champion of student rights, and worked extensively on supporting the overall wellbeing of the Macdonald Campus community.
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Published on: 14 Jul 2016
Shorebirds breeding in Alaska are being exposed to mercury at levels that could put their populations at risk, according to new research from The Condor: Ornithological Applications.
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Published on: 13 Jul 2016
With peak biting season for mosquitoes just around the corner, many of us might be tempted to wonder why don't we just get rid of the darn things altogether.Mosquitoes, after all, are attracted to many of the same things that attract humans during the summer months. "If you're outside having a barbecue with a bunch of friends, that's just a welcome sign for mosquitoes," said Chris Cloutier, a naturalist at the Morgan Aboretum.
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Published on: 7 Jun 2016
Excitement was in the air last May at a glitzy Toronto reception for “rockstar” professionals not accustomed to glitz: research scientists from six Canadian universities... At McGill University, insect scientist Chris Buddle submitted one study to a journal in “more of a casual, non-jargony language, (trying) to write it in a way that’s a bit more engaging, and not the typical dry scientific writing.”
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Published on: 18 Apr 2016
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