What better way to learn about planetary and environmental stewardship than to see and experience firsthand the interrelationships of plant and marine communities in their natural habitats?
TWU students on the Salt Spring Island biology travel study recently spent four weeks on B.C.’s Gulf Islands archipelago, home to some of the most diverse terrestrial and marine life in the world.
During their month-long travel study, students gained a renewed appreciation and deeper understanding of plant and marine ecosystems.
“This travel study has deepened my passion for environmental stewardship in beautiful ways. ...There is truly so much life in nature that I would normally overlook if it wasn’t for this travel study.”
Rea Klar, a biology major, joined the travel study for the hands-on experiential learning. She returned with a greater passion for her field of study.
“The Salt Spring Island travel study has completely redirected my perspective on marine biology,” Rea comments. “Taking this course has made me completely fall in love with marine life and it has been an indescribable outlet to connect with God.”
The academic courses that students take as part of the travel study expanded their knowledge, as Rea notes, “Plant ecology has been an exciting way to learn about simple plants that I see every day and learn about how they actually hold very important medicinal uses.”
“Plant ecology has been an exciting way to learn about simple plants that I see every day and learn about how they actually hold very important medicinal uses.”
From Langley campus to TWU’s Crow’s Nest Ecological Research Area
Students spent one week on TWU’s Langley campus preparing for the trip before traveling to Salt Spring Island for their month-long study excursion. During the travel study, Professor Karen Steensma, Dr. David Clements, and biology lab manager Darcy Kehler led the students on day trips throughout Salt Spring Island and Vancouver Island, where students investigated marine and plant life on many different beaches and trails.
Those taking the Plant Ecology course also visited TWU’s Crow’s Nest Ecological Research Area, where they observed a Garry oak meadow community—one of the most threatened ecosystems in Canada.
The success of the travel study involved the efforts of many TWU team members. Anna Ogden coordinated the logistics, which involved details from managing the course budget to baking cookies to keep the students energized. Field course assistants, Aidan Anderson and Alexis Graves, both veterans of two previous travel studies, also played pivotal roles keeping everyone, including the professors, on track.
“Being immersed within Salt Spring Island’s ecosystem every day and engaging with plant and marine identification and ecological significance reinforced my passion in environmental stewardship.”
Learning about environmental stewardship and sustainable food production
Coming back from the study, Rea reflects, “This travel study has deepened my passion for environmental stewardship in beautiful ways. Going on different field excursions almost every day has allowed me to directly study the handiwork of God. There is truly so much life in nature that I would normally overlook if it wasn’t for this travel study.”
What's more, the students' accommodations were at a local organic farm. Living on a farm, students could see and experience their role as part of the natural ecosystem. As biology major Jaylene Braithwaite observes, “Living within agriculture was an encouraging reminder of the importance of local and sustainable food production.”
“...When we connect with nature and the beautiful fragments of diversity around us, it becomes much clearer that we are a part of the ecosystem and need to work alongside it.”
Indeed, the experience of living on Salt Spring Island and the hands-on learning shifted many students’ perspectives. As Jaylene describes, “Being immersed within Salt Spring Island’s ecosystem every day and engaging with plant and marine identification and ecological significance reinforced my passion in environmental stewardship.”
Jaylene, who has a special interest in ecology, has increased her motivation towards sustainable environmental practices, adding, “It can be easy to assume humans are outside of the ecosystem, resulting in us trying inefficiently to control it. But when we connect with nature and the beautiful fragments of diversity around us, it becomes much clearer that we are a part of the ecosystem and need to work alongside it.”
Now that she has completed her second TWU travel study, Jaylene reflects on the positive outcomes, “It is an amazing opportunity not only to connect with your professors but also experience learning. You can see, hear, and touch what would normally just be in a textbook.”
Thinking of the Salt Spring Island study, she comments, “It also a great chance to see the varieties and interactions of environmental ecology outside of mainland B.C.”
“You get to connect and relate to people who also love science and have similar interests. ...Since it’s so immersive, studying did not really feel like studying.”
Another benefit of a travel study is the community experience, which Jaylene also appreciated. “You get to connect and relate to people who also love science and have similar interests. It’s not just straight studying as one might expect with one month and two courses. Since it’s so immersive, studying did not really feel like studying.”
Outside of academics, students on the travel study spent time pursing leisure activities such as sports, games, and preparing food together, as Jaylene concludes, “It was a great experience to make friends and grow in my faith.”
See also: TWU Australia travel study students explore sports and human kinetics
See also: Dr. David Clements writes about the Salt Spring Island travel study in the Aldergrove Star
About the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences at TWU
The Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences offers exceptional and rigorous educational experiences, both in the classroom and the lab. As a TWU student, your science education will be delivered by capable, committed Christian educators who are not only experts in their fields but scholars who continually advance their disciplines through research. Mentorship is helped by our small class sizes—whether you choose to study biology, biotechnology, chemistry, computer science, geography and the environment, geology, mathematics, or physics. Learn more at the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences at TWU.
About TWU Travel Studies
Travel studies allow students to be immersed in a different culture. TWU professors lead the courses, joined by guest speakers who provide a local perspective. For many students, participating in a travel study is one of the most memorable experiences of their entire major, if not a life-changing one. Learn more about Travel Studies at TWU.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four locations in Canada: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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