Field work on two continents offers students huge rewards A
Queen’s-led exchange program gives students from China and
Canada hands-on field experience and the opportunity to learn
about biodiversity and environmental issues on two continents.
“I thought it would be really interesting to see the differences
in biodiversity here and in China and see first-hand how each
country deals with environmental issues,” says Queen’s biology
student Basia Gwardjan (ArtSci ’13). “Not only do you get to go
to China, but you also get to be with the Chinese students here
and in their country, and hear about all the issues from their
perspective.” The program aims to teach students key
conservation and environmental issues related to freshwater and
marine environments, and the impacts of human development on two
of the world’s greatest river systems – the St. Lawrence and the
Yangtze. “They’ve seen it on a PowerPoint slide – now they get
to feel it, smell it, touch it, taste it,” says professor
Stephen Lougheed (Biology), of