Ecology Field Lab at TRU: What Is It Like?

It’s my second year of science at TRU, which to me means that I will start to have more interactive labs. For fall 2019 I took Ecology. Ecology is the study of the interactions of the organisms with their environment, this means that to fully comprehend ecology and learn fully it’s better to go outside. Thankfully, TRU has you covered, TRU counts with many classes with interactive labs, and not only for science.

In this post, I’ll talk to you about the ecology field lab to Shumway Lake. The preparation for this kind of lab starts even before the day of the lab; usually, your lab will have a class before the actual field trip that will prepare you for the trip. In this session, you will learn how to use the material that will be used, as well as go over all the activities that will be done on the trip. It is still always recommended to go over your lab manual (which has specific instructions of what will be happening) so that when you are in the field lab you feel confident of what you’re doing and do it in an efficient manner.

So it’s the day of the field lab! You probably have classes before and/or after your lab, but you have to remember to dress appropriately, in our case, we were told to dress for the cold as well as a wet environment. It’s important to listen to this advice because it can truly be a lifesaver!

It’s recommended to arrive at least 10 minutes before the bus arrives at the meeting point which was outside of the Ken Lepin building (AKA science building).

When there you should find your instructor and make sure they mark your attendance when everybody is there it’s time to get on the bus! Shumway lake isn’t too far so it was only a 30-minute ride, this goes by fast though when talking to your classmates and teachers!

Once you arrive all the fun starts! You take in the view and start to feel excited about what is to come. You gather all your stuff and join you before made groups! You’ll see the amazing teachers taking out all of the material needed and then they’ll start to give instructions.

Depending on what kind of lab or class it is there will be different things needed, so suit up!

It’s such a fun time to interact with your classmates and make connections with people who are also interested in what you are interested in! it’s a great opportunity to make friends in your field and just have a great time learning!

Don’t forget to pay attention to your professor, usually, this is the time when you can truly see their passion and knowledge for their field! And you get a lot of real-world information that you wouldn’t get in a normal class!

After all that it’s time to get going and do the lab! Remember to read thoroughly the lab manual, it’s necessary to follow instructions so that you can be as precise as you can!