Growing up in the GTA, Nicole Murphy (Champlain College) would often hear people talking about their fears and disdain for coyotes.  

As she learned more about urban wildlife, she says she realized these perceptions of the coyote were often inaccurate and became inspired to spread awareness of the misconceptions of these animals. 

Nicole enrolled in the Environmental Science/Studies program at Trent University to foster her passion for sustainability and love of the outdoors. Now in her fourth year, she is researching how people’s ideas of urban coyotes are shaped through media, specifically focusing on analyzing media, public representations of coyotes on campus, and survey results. 

Working with Trent professor Dr. Stephanie Rutherford, she will also collect trail cam footage from areas around Trent to “reveal a side of coyote life that is often underrepresented in the media,” and “address sensational ideas about coyotes being dangerous and present an alternative view of coyotes, especially with the trail camera data.” 

For her commitment to environmentalism, Nicole was recently named one of two winners of the national Fur-Bearers Arts & Science Scholarship for 2023. 

As a Canadian wildlife protection charity, the Fur-Bearers' goal for their scholarship is to “support projects designed to promote coexistence through the use of art or through science-based projects.” 

With support from the scholarship, Nicole has purchased multiple trail cameras and will soon be setting them up in the trail systems around campus to support her research.