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Celebrating Earth Day with a Bee Hotel Installation to Support Local Pollinators

Celebrating Earth Day with a Bee Hotel Installation to Support Local Pollinators

Students Help Biodiversity Take Flight with “Air Bee and Bee”

(April 17, 2025) – This Earth Day, Laurentian University will buzz with excitement as local high school students help launch the “Air Bee and Bee” project, a unique environmental initiative aimed at protecting native pollinators and enhancing biodiversity on campus.

Led by Laurentian’s Dr. Mateus Pepinelli, Assistant Professor of Entomology, School of Natural Sciences, and the Nature Positive Universities (NPU) team, students from Lockerby Composite School’s Science and Technology Education Program (STEP) will install custom-built bee hotels along the University’s greenspace (Loach’s trail). These hotels are the product of hands-on workshops hosted by Laurentian’s NPU team, that engaged over one hundred grade nine students; the next generation of environmental stewards.

“It's been so inspiring to engage with the students at Lockerby,” said Laurentian NPU team member, Anastacia Chartrand. “Building partnerships like this is supporting Laurentian's commitment to climate action, meaningful outreach within the community, and environmental solutions." 

“With climate change shifting the balance of plant and insect life, monitoring these changes has never been more important, or more challenging,” explained Pepinelli. “This project uses bee hotels to provide nesting habitats for solitary bees, aiming to support and study native pollinator populations and their interactions.”

The “Air Bee and Bee” project addresses major environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental inequity, while promoting hands-on environmental education and community engagement. It is supported by funding from the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada’s A.P.E. Fund and the Voyageurs Innovation Challenge*.

“Lockerby Composite’s STEP students have been participating in un-bee-lieveable learning opportunities with Laurentian University and Voyageur students and staff this school year; and we are so fortunate to have this collaborative environmental science partnership,” said Lockerby Composite School Principal, Ryan Lafraniere. “The Bee Hotel project has provided our students an opportunity to develop their understanding and knowledge of best environmental practices to make changes within their school community and the Sudbury community as well. Through this project, students have engaged in investigating local ecological concerns and have been empowered to support environmental Earth Day initiatives.”

Earth Day celebrations begin buzzing on campus on April 22nd at 8:45 a.m. outside the Ben Avery building. Members of the community are encouraged to join in on the fun. Educational signage will help inform visitors about the “Air Bee and Bee” project, and the pollinators' role in maintaining biodiversity and building climate resilience. 

*The Voyageurs Innovation Challenge, a Research Week event, showcased student-driven entrepreneurship and research under faculty mentorship. Laurentian’s NPU team earned second place at this year’s competition with their project “eDNA Enhanced Bee Hotels.”

Those interested in learning more about the Restoration Story of Greater Sudbury are invited to watch the following video that celebrates decades of world-class research led by Dr. John Gunn, Canada Research Chair (2003-2024), Founding Director of the Vale Living with the Lakes Centre, and Professor Emeritus. Earlier this year, Gunn was awarded the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal, an honour that acknowledges his research in environmental science, leadership in mentoring future sustainability leaders, and stewardship of Sudbury’s environmental restoration story on the global stage. 

Preserving Anishinaabemowin Through Land Engagement

Preserving Anishinaabemowin Through Land Engagement

Laurentian students launch Biodiversity Reclamation Trail featuring Anishinaabemowin plant names.

(November 9, 2023) - As Laurentian University’s campus was artfully transformed by autumn, a trail on campus was also transformed in an effort to preserve Anishinaabemowin and plant knowledge. The Laurentian Environmental Sustainability Committee has dedicated efforts to enhance a walking trail behind the Vale Living with Lakes Centre. 

With funding from the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, the team developed over 25 plant identification signs displaying the Anishinaabemowin names of native plants found along the Biodiversity Reclamation Trail. Elder Sandra Corbiere and youth member Jade Corbiere of Wahnapitae First Nation worked in collaboration with the Environmental Sustainability Committee to provide the Anishinaabemowin plant names and record the proper pronunciation of each for the QR codes on signage along the trail.

The Laurentian Environmental Sustainability Committee, housed at the Vale Living with Lakes Centre, is a student-led group spearheading the university’s efforts towards fulfilling the Nature Positive Pledge. By making the Nature Positive Pledge, Laurentian is committed to being part of an important journey towards a liveable, biodiverse planet. The goal of the Nature Positive Universities, a global joint initiative of the UN Environmental Programme and the University of Oxford, is to restore nature at higher education institutions by reducing their environmental footprint.

The project focused on local Indigenous community consultation and learning in preparation for the event. Visitors have a space to learn some Anishinaabe language and plant names in an interactive way on campus, highlighting the importance of Indigenous language preservation. 

An event was hosted on October 26th, 2023 for community members to celebrate and explore the Biodiversity Reclamation Trail. Elder Linda Toulouse (Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation) led and guided the community trail walk. Dominic Beaudry, Associate Vice-President of Academic and Indigenous Programs at Laurentian, spoke at the event about the importance of Anishinaabemowin language preservation.

“Over the years to come, we hope this space will become a well-used resource for learning and deepening connections with nature. Our goal is for the trail to serve as a place of education where people can come together to learn, reflect, and engage with the land,” said Anastacia Chartrand, chair of the Laurentian Environmental Sustainability Committee.

After all her hard work and dedication toward the Laurentian community, Anastacia graduated on October 28th, 2023 from the Masters of Science Communication program. She plans to remain active within the Environmental Sustainability Committee team throughout this year as Avery Morin and Benoit Lalande take the reins with new leadership roles.

“Community collaboration is an integral part of projects like these, so it was amazing to see people from so many communities and organizations come together for this event, ”said Taylor Nicholls, Laurentian’s Environmental Sustainability Committee Indigenous Relations Liaison, Masters of Biology candidate, and member of Wahnapitae First Nation.

The Environmental Sustainability Committee at Laurentian hopes to continue making positive contributions to further respect and connect to the land. Ongoing efforts from the committee include biodiversity assessments, creating a model forest, water quality assessments, developing a student community garden, and increasing student involvement.

For more information regarding the Laurentian Environmental Sustainability Committee, visit their Facebook page, instagram or email environment@laurentian.ca.

Laurentian University joining Nature Positive Universities Alliance

Laurentian University joining Nature Positive Universities Alliance

LU to support the prioritization of nature restoration

(April 20, 2023) - Laurentian University is celebrating this year’s Earth Day (April 22, 2023) by announcing a commitment to join the Nature Positive University Alliance (NPUA), to support the prioritization of nature restoration within the higher education sector. The NPUA was formed by the University of Oxford and the United Nations Environmental Programme and launched in December 2022 during the COP15 Biodiversity Conference. The alliance counts 128 universities worldwide, including four in Ontario.

“The Nature Positive University Alliance is an initiative that will form a major contribution to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It will also allow us to uphold Laurentian’s existing environmental legacy and make even greater contributions to ecosystem restoration,” said Anastacia Chartrand, Chair of the Laurentian University Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC).

A first step of joining the alliance is to perform a baseline study of the biodiversity on campus. To be “Nature Positive”, Laurentian University will need a measured biodiversity baseline, clear actions, and transparent reporting.

“We are pleased to make this pledge, this is a significant step towards environmental stewardship of the university’s biodiversity,” said Dr. Sheila Embleton, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University.

“As we prepare for Laurentian University’s strategic planning process, we will work closely with our stakeholders and position ourselves to contribute to the larger goal of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. In addition, we wish to meet our responsibility for sustaining clean drainage water for Ramsey Lake, and are seeking to participate in the Mayor’s challenge to protect 30% of lands and waters within the municipal boundary by 2030,” added Dr. Embleton.

The ESC was formed in 2019, is focused on promoting environmental awareness, and is made up of current students and alumni.

Laurentian students and professor share Sudbury’s re-greening story at COP15

Laurentian students and professor share Sudbury’s re-greening story at COP15

Biodiversity a focus of international UN conference.

(December 21, 2022) - Greater Sudbury’s regreening story is one that has captivated people from across the globe. Especially in the last three decades, Sudbury’s environmental landscape has drastically changed, demonstrating to the world how a community can achieve incredible feats in ecological recovery. 

On December 19, 2022, Laurentian University student delegates, Avery Morin (Students General Association President) and Anastacia Chartrand (Environmental Sustainability Committee Chair), attended the United Nations Biodiversity Convention, COP15, with Vale Living With Lakes Director and Canada Research Chair, Dr. John Gunn. They shared the Sudbury environmental success story with international audiences who gathered in Montreal to help global communities benefit from the valuable environmental knowledge gained through our history and ongoing research.

“It was important for us to share the Sudbury story of hope at COP15,” said Dr. John Gunn. “The world is in desperate need for at least a few such positive examples of where severe environmental damage has been reversed.”

Added Morin about this experience, “I’m so proud to be a global advocate for the Laurentian community and my hometown of Greater Sudbury. The regreening story of Sudbury is an important story of hope and I am confident that our work this week can help other communities address their environmental challenges. 

According to Chartrand, “It was an honour to represent a student body that values biodiversity and recognizes the need to protect it. Sharing the success of Sudbury’s landscape restoration on the final day of the COP15 conference was an inspiring message of hope for delegates as they headed home to implement strategies of their own.” 

The Sudbury community-led project won the Local Honours Award from the UN when the Convention on Biological Diversity was first established and signed by 150 nations at the 1992 Earth Summit. Now and thirty years later, Sudbury was invited to share updates on the project to inspire other communities worldwide to learn and benefit from Sudbury's history and ongoing research.

 

About COP15:

Delegates from around the world gathered at the conference of parties to the convention on biological diversity. A wide range of stakeholders from over 190 governments gathered, including business and finance communities, academics, Indigenous People, local communities, and youth representatives, with the goal of developing strategies for the management, conservation, and protection of ecosystems and biodiversity.

 

About the Environmental Sustainability Committee:

The ESC is committed to assisting in the education, awareness and promotion of a campus-wide culture of sustainability. The committee is working towards carbon neutrality and restoration of Laurentian University’s campus and its lakes by 2030 in response to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. We want to help Canada, Sudbury, and Laurentian University restore our land and water in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.

 

Graduate Students’ Association elect 2022-2023 leadership

Graduate Students’ Association elect 2022-2023 leadership

Meghan McCue is eager to support students in her role as GSA President.

(November 3, 2022) - Recently, Laurentian University’s Graduate Students Association (GSA) held its annual elections for 2022-2023 leadership. Meghan McCue, Ph.D. candidate in the Biomolecular Sciences program is the newly elected GSA President. McCue is a Sudburian who graduated from Lockerby Composite Secondary School (2013). She and other elected student leaders, will serve the GSA for one-year terms. Other elected GSA leaders include: 

The GSA advocates for graduate students at Laurentian University. They depend on the voluntary work of elected graduate student leaders who have a passion for increasing student-involvement and positively impacting the graduate student experience. 

“My goal for the next year is to make sure that graduate students have a say in their graduate school experience,” said McCue. “Helping students finish their degree on time, and ensuring they have access to funding and networking opportunities are goals of mine. I want to work alongside students to make sure they have the best experience possible.” 

McCue first came to Laurentian in 2013 to obtain her B.Sc. in Kinesiology (2017). Her Masters in Applied Sport and Exercise Medicine was earned at the University of Nottingham (2019). 

Speaking more generally about the values of graduate student leadership, McCue explained: “I will work with the GSA to make sure that students have their needs met and voices heard at all levels of administration. I want all grad students to feel like they aren’t alone in their academic journey. Our graduate students deserve to be happy and healthy, and feel both supported and valued by the university community.” 

For more information about the GSA-AÉÉS, visit their Facebook or Twitter. 

To learn more about graduate programs at Laurentian, visit the graduate program webpage.
 

Gifts that Grow

Gifts that Grow

Spring convocation graduates at Laurentian helping tackle climate change.

(June 9, 2022) - Graduates at Laurentian University’s Spring convocation were thrilled to receive a pine tree seedling to mark their place in the world and create a memory of their special day. Laurentian’s Environmental Sustainability committee distributed the beautiful trees donated by Vale, as well as packages of wildflower seeds and QR code links to access selected videos produced by Laurentian describing the University’s globally-recognized research. There were smiles all around!

The trees that graduates took home to plant will serve as a lasting reminder of their momentous day, which they will be able to share with loved ones for the next 70 years (lifespan of the tree). Although the trees at convocation have a sentimental purpose, they also serve as critical tools in tackling climate change. Each tree planted will capture carbon, reduce soil erosion, and help in the reduction of stormwater runoff, resulting in cleaner and healthier water. These efforts represent the University's ongoing commitment to ecosystem restoration, led by students and faculty members. 

Laurentian University alumni are proud to be a part of a globally known regreening story and the UN Decade of Restoration's global initiatives. These efforts have resulted in significant land reclamation, better air quality, and cleaner water. Upcoming UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration initiatives include the development of a carbon-offset interpretive forest next to the Fraser Auditorium that will provide future graduates, family, and friends with an area to experience Laurentian’s environmental science stories.