Have you ever wanted to catch fish with your bare hands? Hear the beastly call of a barred owl? Or skip school to hang out in nature? If you answered yes to any of those questions, I would highly recommend that you visit the Queen’s University Biological Station (also known as QUBS)!
A few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to do some research at QUBS for one of my biology courses. The goal of the trip was to learn more about the different animal species that live around QUBS. We spent the morning inspecting insect traps spread across the area, then hiked back to the main building where we warmed up with some coffee and analyzed our data. In the afternoon, we collected fish. Armed with some waterproof overall thingies, we waded into the lake and used both our hands and a massive net to catch as many fish as we could (side note: fish are very fast). After recording our findings, we went bird watching. We saw two HUGE barred owls and heard their very nasty-sounding calls. Overall, the day was an absolute blast!
As I mentioned, I went to QUBS as a third-year biology student, but it is open to all! If you are (or are planning to be) a Queen’s student, I would also recommend applying to work there over the summer through the Queen’s Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP)… I know I plan on doing that!
Best,
Bella Johnston
Third Year Biology Student at Queen's University Student