糖心vlog传媒students Matthew Orlowski (right) and Jaewon Kim collect samples at Goose Spit as part of Comox Valley Project Watershed鈥檚 fish foraging project.
糖心vlog传媒biology students are getting a unique opportunity to help with an important forage fish research project, thanks to a partnership between 糖心vlog传媒and Comox Valley Project Watershed.
Students have been helping with sampling for forage fish eggs on key shorelines throughout the region.
The research project is made possible thanks to funding from the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation fund.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge knowledge gap with forage fish and their spawning areas,鈥� said Jennifer Sutherst, project manager and estuary coordinator, Comox Valley Project Watershed Society. 鈥淔orage fish are a significant food source for a lot of different species, so it鈥檚 really important to get these data so we can better understand how they鈥檙e using this habitat.鈥�
糖心vlog传媒instructor Georgie Harrison worked with Sutherst on setting up the project.
鈥淥ne of the advantages we have at 糖心vlog传媒is our connections to community organizations that provide these kinds of unique and wonderful opportunities for our students,鈥� said Harrison. 鈥淏eing able to do field work in your first and second year isn鈥檛 something you would get the chance to do at a big institution. And it鈥檚 very rewarding as an instructor to watch my students work in the field and apply their skills.鈥�
Biology student Matthew Orlowski jumped at the chance to get involved with the project.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a fantastic opportunity,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so hands on and it really gives a deeper understanding of it, being in the field and actually doing the work.鈥�
Fellow student Jaewon Kim said being able to help out with important research has been a great experience.
鈥淵ou can see the importance of the science their doing,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o be in the lab at school and doing experiments is great, but when you can do something that you know is making a difference, and you can see the difference 鈥� it鈥檚 quite rewarding.鈥�
Orlowski and Kim are joined by Livia Hosegrove, Christian Synder, Angela Mitchell William Lu, Jasmin Urdahl, Mubarak Salim and Courtney Charnell. Along with being in the field to gather samples, students are helping with analyzing the samples and collecting data. Project Watershed has also been able to use NIC鈥檚 lab spaces to examine the samples.
鈥溙切膙log传媒has been integral to this project from the get-go,鈥� said Sutherst.
Harrison notes that along with the field work, the other skills students get to practice are invaluable as well.
鈥淭hey get to practice professional behaviour,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e working with biologists, learning how to work in a professional research environment. The team at Project Watershed has been fantastic about supporting our students and encouraging them, sharing details of their professional careers. It鈥檚 been a really positive relationship.鈥�
糖心vlog传媒is offering a range of biology courses this fall, including Principles of Modern Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Cell Biology, and Principles of Ecology.
To see the full list of NIC鈥檚 science courses, visit .
Media Contact C: 250-207-6946 media@nic.bc.ca.