
On a sunny, beautiful October Saturday, the Gault Nature Reserve’s Open House drew more than 1,000 people to explore the reserve’s forests and discover how academics and the public can work together to promote sustainability and research.
Free shuttle buses and entry for the McGill community allowed students convenient access to Reserve, located in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, more than 40 kilometres from McGill’s Downtown Campus. The bilingual event was part of a University-wide Biodiversity Festival.
“This is my first time at Gault,” said Eve, an undergraduate student in Biology. “We were able to see a lot of wildlife here – something new for me! Since transportation was easy, it was the push I needed to do it.”
Engaging in dialogue with community members

Research in the natural sciences has long been a cornerstone of McGill’s mission at Gault. The Open House highlighted another important aspect: community engagement. The event was not limited to McGill students and faculty; many from the broader community also attended.
At 10 booths set up along the hiking trails, representatives of McGill research projects and organizations were available to answer questions, address concerns and engage in dialogue. Conversations ranged from the negative impact of goldfish in urban ponds to the water cycle at Mont Saint-Hilaire.
Micah, one of Gault’s student researchers, emphasized the Reserve’s role in involving the community.
“People are curious, and the Reserve has done a great job of getting them engaged,” he said. “Today has been an awesome experience sharing my research – and practising my French!”
Several volunteers and researchers underscored how valuable it was to interact with the community.
“In the lab, we get so used to seeing the same results, we know exactly what instrument does what,” said Olivier, another student researcher. “Having to explain it to people who are not aware of what we do in the lab … really makes us think differently of our own research, and you truly learn how to convey science.”
One of the key ways that McGill is enhancing its connection with the local community is through citizen science initiatives. At the McGill Office of Sustainability (MOOS) booth, participants were encouraged to contribute to research and conservation efforts by downloading and using the mobile app iNaturalist. The app allows users to share photos of organisms and observations about them, which helps researchers get a better idea of a habitat’s biodiversity.
Conservation and the future of Gault
The Reserve comprises 1,000 hectares of natural forest. Research and building public engagement are both vital to biodiversity conservation.
“Mont Saint-Hilaire holds a special place in the hearts of all who know it. By fostering a space where visitors, local communities and scientists actively engage in its preservation, we create opportunities to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world action,” said Frédérique Truchon, a Communications Associate at Gault and one of the organizers of the event.
“Through this shared responsibility, we not only protect a natural treasure, but inspire a deeper connection with the environment, empowering individuals to become stewards of both local and global ecosystems.”
Affiliated with the Faculty of Science at McGill University, the Gault Nature Reserve team offers support for natural science research and teaching while providing a wide range of services to the university community and the general public. To learn more about Gault and its mission, visit https://gault.mcgill.ca/en/
