Almost 75% of participants in our Barriers to Outdoor Participation Survey cited a lack of awareness about opportunities for fieldwork and outdoor learning as one of the reasons they did not participate in these kinds of activities. For that reason, we wanted to compile them in one, easy-to-find place to increase awareness about fieldwork opportunities, both at Queen’s and beyond. If there are any opportunities we have missed, please contact us and let us know!
Courses with fieldwork components
BIOL 212 Scientific Methods in Biology: 1 day field trip to QUBS or Elbow Lake. Provides an introduction to basic field skills and is designed for those with limited/no experience working outdoors. *Note: due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the field trip has been replaced with an asynchronous self-guided outdoor activity
BIOL 300 Ecology: 1 day field trip to QUBS where students collect data, learn sampling techniques and work with birds, insects and fish. *Note: due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the field trip has been replaced with an asynchronous activity surveying local plant diversity
BIOL 416 Terrestrial Ecosystems: Includes several field trips, including visits to QUBS and local farms. See the course website for more information
Other opportunities
Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology: Attend any field course offered by one of the 16 participating universities in Ontario. Field courses can range from the Queen’s University Biological Station (QUBS) to the deserts of the southwestern US to the tropical rainforests of South America. See their website for current field course offerings and find information on how to apply here.
Queen’s Summer Work Experience Positions: There are a variety of SWEP jobs in biology you can apply for through MyCareer. Talk to your TAs and professors about their research to learn about the kind of fieldwork you could be doing! More information about the SWEP program can be found here