Environmental Lab (ESC A202)

The ERS Program runs a laboratory facility for undergraduate and graduate teaching, in the Environmental Science Centre. Most of the labs in our courses are held in this facility.

This lab sports work benches, fume hoods, and analytical equipment used in performing various lab activities.

Trent's Campus Is Your Lab

With over 1,400 acres of land situated on the banks of Otonabee River and over 30 kilometres of nature trails, Trent boasts one of the most picturesque University campuses in the country. The combination of lush forest, drumlins, streams and open fields provides a unique learning and recreational environment that is used by Trent students, faculty and staff as well as by members of the Peterborough and surrounding communities.

Several ERS Program courses have a field component, where students learn first hand about various topics. Students learn how to sample various environments, observing and learn how to assess an environment, and benefit from instructor expertise on site.

Students observe and assess the Trent University environment, both the urban setting around the buildings, and the natural settings in the Trent Nature Areas and James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre.

James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre

The James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre, located about 50 minutes north of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, was donated by Marjorie Oliver to Trent University in October 1998. It is located on a beautiful property on Pigeon Lake, 45 minutes north of Trent's main campus. The property serves as an Ecological Field Station for both undergraduate and graduate student use. The 270-acre waterfront property consists of lake shoreline, pastures, old fields, a marsh and forest habitat. The large beautiful shoreline overlooks a relatively undeveloped section of Pigeon Lake.

Field activities in some ERS Program courses take advantage of this facility to explore various aspects of environmental issues.

Trent Nature Areas

The Trent Nature Areas consist of hectares of natural habitats, and are used for recreation, education, and research.

Several ERS Program courses make use of the Trent Nature Areas to conduct field work. For instance, in the course Management of Forest Ecosystems students use equipment to characterize one of several forest types in the nature areas.

GIS Computer Lab (SC 207)

The GIS computer lab consists of several computers dedicated to the education of and research in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Trent University owns a site license for the software ArcGIS, and the GIS computer lab is home for the lab sections in GIS course.

Institute for Watershed Science (IWS)

Formerly known as the Watershed Science Centre, the Institute for Watershed Science is a partnership between Trent University, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Sir Sandford Fleming College.

The Institute aims to further the understanding of physical and ecological processes governing watershed function and to transfer this knowledge to support resource management decision-making.

Water Quality Centre (WQC)

The Water Quality Centre is an analytical chemistry facility dedicated to the development and application of innovative new techniques for the analysis of organic and inorganic contaminants at the isotopic, elemental and molecular scale.

DNA Building (Grad Studies)

The DNA Building is home to several facilities used by various Trent Departments and Programs, including the Trent University Wildlife Forensic DNA Laboratory. Several courses are taught in this facility alongside ongoing research.