Campus Biodiversity

Native Bee Habitats

This joint project with McGill’s MacDonald campus saw the installation of three native bee habitats, completed with support from WWF Canada and McGill’s Sustainability Projects Fund. Native bees nest in the ground, in dead wood and in old plant stems. Most are solitary species, with one mother bee making a nest for her brood. Bumble bees make small colonies. Our nests at John Abbott are 3 x 3 ft boxes where the soil has been mixed with sand to provide adequate drainage. Native or pollinator friendly plants have been planted in a border around the square in order to provide pollen and nectar for the bees. Dried logs with small holes drilled in them are placed around the squares to provide additional habitats.

Rooftop Beehives

Two beehives sit on the roof of the Casgrain Building and are home to approximately 30 000 bees.  The hives are taken care of by Alveole’s beekeepers, who upkeep them throughout the Spring and Summer, and insulate them during the winter. In the Fall, the honey is extracted and sold to raise money for the Student Assistance Fund.

Pollinator Garden

Planted in Spring 2022, the pollinator garden is a project spearheaded by students, with support from WWF Canada. Native, pollinator friendly species were planted in order to attract and sustain bees, moths and birds.

Re-wilding Area

An initiative from our Visual Arts department, this project was created when a corner patch of lawn between our Casgrain and Penfield buildings were left unmown during the pandemic. The forgotten patch turned in to a haven for flora and fauna, and the “wild area” was born. Now left intentionally unmown, the area is a space for the campus community to observe and learn about how plants grow without human intervention.

Campus Biodiversity Project

Spearheaded by Vanier College, the Campus Biodiversity Network aims to promote campus greenspace observation and protection. John Abbott is one of 11 colleges participating in this joint project. Using iNaturalist, students, staff, and faculty at educational institutions in Montreal and beyond are encouraged to champion their institutions’ greenspaces and connect with others through citizen-science observation. Click here for more information about the Campus Biodiversity Network project.

Birdfeeder

Four bird feeders were installed in late 2022 as part of an ECQ grant titled “Campus Biodiversity Network: Nature Walk as a Pedagogical Tool.” The project is a collaboration being led by Vanier College and includes John Abbott College, as well as Champlain College’s two campuses.

The goal of the project is to create a walking trail that highlights the biodiversity found on campus. The John Abbott trail will have 15 sites to visit, including the bird feeder station, and QR codes will guide participants through some of the species that are regularly seen at that specific location. Participants will also be encouraged to record their sightings using iNaturalist, a social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe. Students will also be invited to participate in Project FeederWatch, which is run by Birds Canada throughout winter and spring.

Out of interest, the first species to visit the bird feeders was a Black-capped Chickadee, closely followed by an American Goldfinch.