Langwieder: Boating around James Bay to collect polar bear hair
Researcher Alexandra Langwieder (PhD candidate NRS/Humphries) spent her summer boating over 1200 kilometres around James Bay, setting up hair snares and camera stations to keep an eye on a unique population of polar bears. Listen to the story on the season opener of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks.CFI invests $3.9 M in º«¹úÂãÎè research
Prof. Daiva Nielson (SHN) has received funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (CFI JELF) to establish the Sensometric Lab to investigate what influences human eating behaviour, for example, genetic predispositions, the role of price promotions and advertising, as well as other sensory stimuli, like smell.
Spiders caught in a web of Internet lies
It’s no secret that the internet and social media fuel rampant spread of misinformation in many areas of life. A collective of researchers, including Catherine Scott, Postdoctoral Fellow in º«¹úÂãÎè’s Lyman Lab, have explored this phenomenon as it applies to news about spiders. The verdict?
Killer Whales invading the Arctic – unlocking secrets from their blubber
Killer whale populations are invading the Arctic, creating major disruptions to an ecosystem already severely impacted by climate change.
A blueprint for life on MARS
Lost Hammer Spring, in Nunavut in Canada’s High Arctic, is one of the coldest and saltiest terrestrial springs discovered to date. The water which travels up through 600 metres of permafrost to the surface is extremely salty (~24% salinity), perennially at sub-zero temperatures (~−5 °C) and contains almost no oxygen (
Spring 2022 Convocation wraps up at Macdonald Campus
º«¹úÂãÎè’s Spring 2022 Convocation began on an overcast day on May 26th, with graduating Health Sciences students accepting their degrees under the Convocation Tent downtown. The 2022 festivities came to a close June 3rd, a glorious sunny day, at the Centennial Centre on Macdonald Campus with two ceremonies for students graduating from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
These were º«¹úÂãÎè’s first in-person Spring Convocation ceremonies since 2019.
For the love of family… and farming
On Friday, June 3rd, Joe Harrel accepted his Farm Management and Technology (FMT) diploma during Spring 2022 Convocation ceremonies for the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Unlike many members of the Class of 2022, however, Harrel will not be seeking employment upon graduation. Truth of the matter is, he is already gainfully employed.
200 years of º«¹úÂãÎè’s Botanical history inspires Montreal artists
Two-hundred years ago, a young man frequented swamps, stream banks and thickets, collecting wild plants across what would become the urban core of the city of Montreal. He had recently returned home from Edinburgh, where he had gone to be receive medical training, learning there also techniques of drying and preserving plant specimens, botany and medicine then being sister-subjects.
Changing of the guard at Mac Campus Hort Centre
Although it may seem obvious that teaching and learning are at the core of the º«¹úÂãÎè experience, it’s worth noting that these activities aren’t strictly happening in classrooms and labs, nor are they reserved for faculty and students. Rather, º«¹úÂãÎè staff can also be counted among this group of teachers and learners, many of whom have spent their careers acquiring knowledge, honing skills, and eventually imparting what they’ve learned on to those who will succeed them.
The Keeler Family and Macdonald through Five Generations
Lachlan, FMT‘22, Ross, FMT’23 and Gavin McDonald, FMT’24, have a long family history with Macdonald. The brothers grew up on Kerrydale Farms established by their ancestor Donald º«¹úÂãÎèis, an immigrant from the Scottish Highlands, who arrived by canoe on the banks of the Raisin River in Williamstown, Ontario in 1784.
Mac Campus welcomes new Director of Development
Celeste Longhurst joined the Macdonald University Advancement Team early in the new year. In this position, she leads the AES fundraising campaign and manages the Faculty’s University Advancement team whose activities also include alumni relations.  Celeste hails from Toronto and has worked in philanthropy throughout her career, with a focus on fundraising for environmental organizations.
Rethinking the world, one small farm at a time
How can we help societies achieve more resilient agriculture in the face of geopolitical disturbances and climate change? Why do we continue to propose agricultural systems based on globalized commodity markets as the only way to feed ourselves? Why continue to subsidize models that destroy soil fertility, ecosystems and put our health at risk?Â
Conversations with valedictorians: Chloe Garzon
"Arriving at Mac Campus I was astounded by the green space and proximity to nature. The sense of community is unparalleled... Coming to Mac was like finding a home away from home."Cestari: research offers hope in treating more than COVID-19
Until two years ago, mRNA vaccines had never been approved. Now, Faster to produce than conventional vaccines, the potential applications of synthetic mRNA to prevent illness and treat diseases seem nearly limitless.
º«¹úÂãÎè’s botanical history inspires Montreal artists
Two public art projects launching in Montreal this summer take inspiration from the botanical collection of Dr. Andrew Holmes, one of the founders of º«¹úÂãÎè's Faculty of Medicine.