My name is Chris Kingdon and I’m a fourth year student at the University of Guelph where I study wildlife biology and conservation. I’ve always been an adventurer. A traveller. A wanderer. Whether I’m hiking through the local woods or off in another country, I often find myself wishing I could bring others along. Like many of us here at the University of Guelph, I care deeply about the natural world and honestly believe that if more people had the opportunity to see its glory, they might be more motivated to help protect it. While it may not be practical to bring everyone on the planet to a remote part of the jungle, I hope my photos can bring the jungle to them.
As we head into the new semester, I’m suddenly very aware that this is my last semester here. The past four years have been an amazing whirlwind of experiences. Sure, there were plenty of dreary days, bogged down by an overload of assignments and exams where I wondered if it was really all worth it. Days of labs and exams, we’ve all been there. But if you fight it out, U of G also has some of the most amazing things to offer. Here are some of my favourite memories from the last four years.
Residence. Cramming hundreds of people from across the country (and beyond!) who have never met each other before into one building for a year is definitely the recipe for a memorable experience! I remember touring the campus as a high school student and laughing when our tour guide told us the people you live with in residence often become some of your closest friends. Four years later I still live with the same people I did in first year, and we couldn’t be better friends, so I guess she was right!
Taken with Canon EOS 400D 34mm f/4.5 1/160 ISO100
The Arboretum. My first experience in The Arboretum was with a bunch of friends at 2 a.m. in first year. Now I actually work at The Arboretum and am constantly amazed by how many students have never been! It’s a stunning piece of nature right next to campus with all kinds of different secrets to discover. I’ve seen owls, deer, snakes, ambush bugs, and so many more! Some fun non-wildlife things to look for: the giant tree see-saw, the trees that smell like cotton candy, and the old abandoned animal enclosure that is rumoured to have once held polar bears!
Taken with Canon EOS 400D 18mm f/7.1 1/125 ISO100
Squirrels. Every university swears there is something different and special about their squirrels — but Guelph squirrels really are unique! I’ve honestly never seen a squirrel with so much sass! Those crazy little guys think they own the place and have the pizza to prove it!
Taken with Canon EOS 400D 150mm f/6.3 1/500 ISO100
Ecuador. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Wait a minute, that’s not Guelph!” This photo was taken during my time spent in Ecuador for a field course. For anyone who doesn’t know, field courses generally run for a two- to three-week period during the summer. During this time, you travel somewhere (they go to other provinces, countries, or even just other places in Ontario), and complete an independent research project on some aspect of the ecosystem there. I’ve had the pleasure of taking two of these courses, and both times were absolutely amazing! During my time there we explored the cloud forest in the Andes and the Amazon lowlands, where we canoed down a tributary of the Amazon River to live and study alongside the Waoroni people, a native Amazonian tribe.
Taken with Canon EOS 400D 100mm f/9 1/160 ISO200
Fostering. Most people have probably seen the service dogs in training walking around campus. Another way to get animals into your life while at university is to foster for the Guelph Humane Society. As a foster parent, the humane society provides you with all the supplies you’ll need (food, beds, toys, bowls, etc.) and you get to constantly have a house full of furry friends! My housemates and I have been fostering for the last two years, and so far have cared for 15 kittens, three cats, three dogs, two rabbits, and a pregnant rat! Of course, it’s always hard when you have to say goodbye, but it’s awesome seeing them go to their new forever families.
Taken with Canon EOS 400D 31mm f/8 1/125 ISO400
Ornithology. There are lots of great on-campus classes. One of my favourites was the fourth year ornithology lab. While the occasional 5 a.m. call time wasn’t exactly my best friend, getting to learn bird songs, go to Point Pelee National Park, and do bird banding in the Arboretum for a university credit was awesome. For those of you who aren’t birders, there are also herpetology and mammalogy labs, which I am taking this semester.
Taken with Canon EOS 400D 100mm f/7.1 1/160 ISO800
Apiculture. Another great class! The apiculture class run by Gard Otis was truly legendary. From visiting the U of G honey bee lab and holding handfuls of bees, to the bee-themed songs Otis played each morning, there’s a reason this course always had a waiting list of people trying to register. The year I took this course was actually his last year teaching, but I’ve heard the course is as great as ever!
Taken with Canon EOS 400D 75mm f/8 1/125 ISO200
The Sonoran Desert. Some field courses are more remote than others. During my time in the Sonoran Desert we lived out of two white vans as we drove along the Mexican border, pitching tents each night under a sea of stars. I spent my time studying the thermoregulatory behaviours of several species of desert lizard.
Taken with Canon EOS 400D 75mm f/8 1/400 ISO100