Help create experiences that change students' lives by investing in the Gault Research Awards and the summer work experience. The research award's goal is to support students who want to pursue scientific research at the Gault Nature Reserve.
A necessary complement to the classroom
Field learning is an enriching experience within the university path. It allows students to take charge of their learning outside of the classroom. Research stimulates their curiosity, enables them to gain new knowledge, and favours a better understanding of nature.
At the Service of Nature
With your support, we can put scientific research done at Gault at the service of conservation, the environment, and biodiversity. By conducting research and increasing their knowledge, students will help develop sustainable solutions to society's challenges.
A concrete impact on a student's life
The Gault Research Awards gives financial support to students to broaden their theoretical and methodological knowledge under the supervision of a university professor. The awards support research activities by funding, among other things, the purchasing of scientific equipment, lodging, and travelling.
A natural love story
The Gault Nature Reserve of Mont Saint-Hilaire is a precious piece of ancestral forest. This ancient forest, which has never been cut since colonization, makes it a privileged place for research and teaching activities.
Continuing to preserve
Brigadier Andrew Hamilton Gault, a McGill alumni, acquired his property on Mont Saint-Hilaire in 1913. Facing rapid development in the region, he had to fight repeatedly to maintain the ecological integrity of his property. In 1958, he bequeathed the entire property to McGill University, knowing that a great educational institution could preserve its integrity for future generations.
A renowned forest
Famous scientists have travelled through the vast forests of Mont Saint-Hilaire, now world-renowned for the diversity of its minerals, its fauna and its flora. The first scientific studies dating back to 1859!
Quantifying the form and function of aquatic plants in Southern Quebec
Lindsay Trottier, Ph.D.
Supervisors: Prof. Lars Iversen
Affiliation: McGill University
Start date: 2023
Research area: Lake Hertel (Gault Nature Reserve) and Lake Memphrémagog (Wilder and Helen Penfield Nature Conservancy)
Projects funded by the Gault Research Awards
Adaptation to Multiple Simultaneous Stressors in Freshwater Bacterioplankton
Akhil Sanjay Kholwadwala, Ph.D.
Supervisors: Prof. Rowan Barrett and Prof. Jesse Shapiro
Affiliation: McGill University
Start date: 2023
Research area: Large Experimental Array of Ponds
A Case Study on Ticks and Lyme Disease: Exploring the Impacts of Humans on Wildlife, Ecosystem Health and Disease Risk.
Kari Hollett, M.Sc.
Supervisor: Prof. Virginie Millien
Affiliation: McGill University
Start date: 2021
Research area: Gault Nature Reserve
Monitoring the Effects of Herbicides on Bacterioplankton
Emma Derrick, M.Sc.
Supervisor: Prof. Jesse Shapiro
Affiliation: McGill University
Start date: 2022
Research area: LEAP
Using Drones and Thermal Imagery to Estimate White-Tailed Deer Overpopulation on Mont Saint-Hilaire
Savannah Bissegger O'Connor, B.Sc.
Supervisors: Dr. Tim Elrick and Prof. Jeffrey Cardille
Affiliation: McGill University
Start date: 2021
Research area: Gault Nature Reserve
Assessing the Impact of Surrounding Microbial Community Interactions on Rhizobium Following Herbicide Stress
Maxime Guglielmetti, B.Sc.
Supervisor: Prof. Rowan Barrett
Affiliation: McGill University
Start date: 2022
Research area: LEAP
The Effect of Contaminants on Mercury Buildup in Aquatic Food Webs
Maude Lachapelle, Ph.D.
Supervisors: Prof. Irene Gregory-Eaves et Dr. Zofia Taranu
Affiliation: McGill University and Environment and Climate Change Canada
Start date: 2021
Research area: Lac Hertel
Finding Common Ground: How Hikers Influence White-Tailed Deer Space-Use Patterns in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Frédérique Truchon, M.Sc.
Supervisors: Prof. Virginie Millien and Prof. Martin-Hugues Saint-Laurent
Affiliation: McGill University and Université du Québec à Rimouski
Start date: 2018
Research area: Gault Nature Reserve