A group of sisters at Mount St. Joseph spent an afternoon with Trent experts on Wednesday, January 13, learning all about the University’s James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre, a residential field station for teaching and long-term ecological research.

Dr. Eric Sager, manager of the Oliver Centre, introduced the sisters to the history of the remarkable research centre, which was created in 1998 after Marjorie Oliver generously donated a 270 acre waterfront property on Pigeon Lake to Trent University. The property contains a number of diverse habitats, including: 94 acres of hardwood forest; old agricultural fields; shoreline habitats; and large wetlands. These varied environments are habitats for a diverse collection of birds, animals, insects, vegetation, and other organisms, and offer a variety of opportunities for study for Trent faculty and students.

Following Dr. Sager’s presentation, Eleanor Proctor, a master’s student in the Environmental & Life Sciences graduate program at Trent, gave the sisters an introduction to the Northern Saw-whet Owl Banding Program that takes place at the Oliver Centre. Ms. Proctor discussed the purpose of the bird banding project, how the small owls are caught, tagged and recaptured, and the relevance of the program to research on this species of owl, which earn their name by their call – a soft whistle that sounds like a saw sharpening on a wet stone. In 11 years of banding at the Oliver Centre, over 1,100 owls have been banded and 35 have been recaptured – a rate that is among the highest at all owl banding stations across the country.

The lecture at Mount St. Joseph was part of the Inside Trent lecture series, which brings Trent experts into the community to share their innovative and exciting research. It was the third event organized for the sisters since 2008.

To learn more about the James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre, including the Northern Saw-whet Owl Banding Program, visit the website.