Queen's University Biological Station


Queen's University Biological Station is the largest inland field station in Canada. For 70 years, researchers and students have gathered at the Queen's University Biological Station to conduct research and participate in courses spanning ecology, evolution, conservation and environmental biology. In 2002, it became part of the United Nations recognized Thousand Islands – Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve. The mandate at QUBS consists of education, research, and conservation.

Description and history

The Queen's University Biological Station is located on the shores of Lake Opinicon, one of the lakes of the Rideau Canal, some 50 km north of Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
QUBS began operations in 1944. In 1945, the station consisted of 34 hectares of land. A series of real estate purchases and gifts to Queen's have expanded the facility to more than 3400 hectares, including nine small lakes and extensive shoreline on Lake Opinicon and Hart Lake, and terrestrial habitats ranging from abandoned farmland to mature second-growth forest.
Astride the Frontenac Axis, QUBS provides access to a wide variety of habitats. Lakes of various types and sizes are close by. So, too, are landscapes with a range of human influence and alteration, a varied topography, specialized environments, and high biodiversity. The area offers a juxtaposition of northern and southern flora and fauna.
The first land for the biology station was purchased in 1945. The principal of Queen's University at the time was Robert Wallace, an earth scientist and figure in the conservation movement. When asked by Wallace what the department was not doing that it ought to be doing, Head of Biology, E. O. Earl, identified field biology as an area for improvement, and suggested that biology education at the university could be greatly improved with the construction of a field station. Wallace encouraged plans for the field station and assisted in obtaining funds from the Ontario government. Within the department of biology, Wes Curran was another supporter and became the station's first director. In 1945 Queen's was able to purchase 65 acres of farmland from a Mr. Acton of South Crosby Township. This land forms the current QUBS Point.
Life at the Biology Station in the early days was very basic. The first facilities were completed in 1947 and included a central lodge; the two story boathouse; eleven small, two bunk cabins; a three bedroom cottage for the director; and a full service laboratory with a walk-in incubator and walk-in refrigerator. While the laboratory contained all the latest equipment, the human accommodations lacked hot water and plumbing, and all cooking had to be done on a wood-fuelled stove.
From the beginning, the station supported the dual mandates of teaching and research. Early areas of focus included fisheries studies, forestry and soil studies, entomology, forest pathology, botanical studies, limnology, and terrestrial ecology. Classes were held at the station for the first few years but ceased by 1949. The classroom above the boathouse was converted into a lab and the teaching and research aspects of station life began to meld. Professors began to employ students as summer research assistants, a mutually beneficial arrangement. Professors received help with their projects and students received a small stipend, a first hand education in field techniques, and data that could be used in an Honours thesis. Classes at the station have since resumed, and the practice of employing students as research assistants has continued to this day.

Growth and expansion

The first property to be added to the station was Sheep Island, an island off QUBS Point which was purchased in 1950. The first purchase of land away from the point was made in 1975 and officially became Queen's property in 1976. This 1000 acre property, now called the Hughson Tract, was located at the southern end of Lake Opinicon and in its first year hosted classes in plant ecology, avian ecology, and the ecology of small mammals. Research projects focused on red-winged blackbirds, cowbirds, tree swallows, plant succession, insect-goldenrod interaction, and bats. The land was purchased with donations from friends and alumni of Queen's. Many of these donations were the result of a fund raising campaign with the theme “buy an acre”, inspired by the cost of one acre of land, seventy dollars.
The 1970s was also notable as the decade of the “Opinicon Disaster”. On August 16, 1978 a tornado tore through QUBS Point, crushing the bat lab, flattening cabin 11, damaging three other cabins, and ripping the roof off the library and flinging it into the lake. No one was hurt. With field courses scheduled to start in ten days and the station looking like a disaster area, the station was repaired. By the time the first field course arrived the station was functional. The damage also provided the opportunity for substantial improvements to be made upon rebuilding.
The 1980s saw a period of rapid expansion at QUBS, not only in land holdings, but in programming as well. In 1983, the QUBS Point landholdings were expanded with the purchase of five hectares from Robert Curtis. This new land provided the station with control over the entire Cow Island Marsh area. The 1980s also saw the addition of two more properties; Bonwill Tract and the Cape-Sauriol Environmental Studies Area. The Bonwill Tract was purchased from Allan and Ellen Bonwill in 1986 and provided researchers with accessible yet relatively undisturbed habitats on which to work. In December 1989, a 315 hectare tract of land was purchased from Opinicon Properties Ltd. The property was renamed the Cape-Sauriol Environmental Studies Area in 1990 in honour of Brigadier General John M. Cape, who made a generous donation towards the acquisition of the land, and Charles Sauriol, who played a crucial role in the fund raising efforts. Other additions that occurred during the 1980s included the Brown lab and the aquarium building. 1982 also saw the initiation of the “visiting field scientist” program, a precursor to the summer seminar series.

Recent history

In the 1990s QUBS expanded with the purchase of three additional properties. The first of these properties was the Pangman Conservation Reserve in 1994. The Pangman tract is 1500 acres, and comprises many forests, wetlands, six lakes, the Lindsay Lake Road nature trail and prime breeding habitat for the endangered Cerulean Warbler. The property would have to be purchased from the Rock Lake Association for $540,000, so the station began a fundraising initiative. Mrs. Hilda Pangman, knowing the value this property would have for teaching, research and conservation, as well as in honour of her nature loving husband, made a generous donation of the full purchase price of the property. With the addition of Pangman tract, the QUBS landholdings increased by 50%.
More land was donated in 1994. This property, encompassing 500 acres, was donated by George and Margaret Bracken in memory of George's parents. This tract is located near Newboro and has extensive frontage on Newboro Lake. The majority of the Bracken tract is composed of open old field, with the rest of the tract being covered in moderately old forest dominated by maple, ironwood, basswood and ash trees. The tract also contains wet woodlands and swampy areas boarding the lake as well as several small islands that once were home to an old iron mine. With the remains of this old mine, this tract also helped foster connections among different departments at Queen's, especially that of Geological Sciences and Biology.
The final addition occurred in 1996. This tract of land was donated by Frank and Beth Moores and comprises three zones: an old field section, a lakefront/inlet zone fronting on Benson Lake, and interior mixed hardwood bush/hills.
Throughout the 1990s, while the land holdings were expanding, substantial improvements were being made to the existing properties. In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, QUBS adopted a composting program in 1991. Though the initial infrastructure lacked certain necessities required to keep out various animals, the intention to create a more sustainable biological station was there. In June of the same year, Hewlett-Packard made a donation of computer equipment to the station, forming the heart of a computerized environmental data network. This was expanded on in 1993, with the acquisition of two IBM computers for GIS made possible by Dr. Rollie Tinline, and in 1997 with funds from the Faculty of Arts and Science. The GIS capabilities of QUBS also expanded during this time, with QUBS receiving an NSERC equipment grant in 1995, securing $15,000 for the purchase of a Trimble Excel GPS receiver with real-time correction via radio beacon. This receiver enabled high accuracy and came with the basic mapping software of Pathfinder.
The 1990s also saw the introduction of new cabins, a water purification system, and bathymetry equipment. It also marked the last days of the original lodge. In 1999, after 12 years of planning and fundraising, the old lodge was demolished and construction of the new Operations Centre started in the fall. The old lodge served the station well for more than 50 years, however the usage demands of the station outgrew the abilities of the old building.
In 2000, the new operations center opened, providing research space, conference rooms, computer networks, office space, and year-round kitchen and dining facilities. The following year saw the donation of a parcel of property along the Massassauga Road. A second parcel of land was donated in 2002. Combined, these landholdings totalled 193 hectares and were named the Massasauga Tract.
In 2003, the United Nations Environmental, Scientific, and Cultural Organization designated the area between Westport, Brockville, and Gananoque the Thousand Islands-Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve. QUBS falls within this area, as does Charleston Lake Provincial Park and St. Lawrence Islands National Park. In 2004, QUBS received another donation of property, this time from Ralph and Elizabeth Boston. The property, named the Boston Wildlands, consists of 153 acres. More changes to both the buildings and personal took place in the 2000s, including the appointment of a new director, Dr. Bruce Tufts, who took over from longtime director Dr. Raleigh J. Robertson in 2005. Dr. Tufts was replaced by current director, Dr. Stephen Lougheed, in 2010.

Education

Education is an important focus at the biology station. In the early years, students served as research assistants, and received training in field biology while working for various professors on established studies. This type of training continues today, although. But as often as not, students now work on their own projects. They do field work as part of the requirements for an advanced degree—an Honours BSc, Master's, or Doctorate.
Field courses offered at QUBS are a great way for university students to get hands-on experience in field biology.
Course topics include:
The education mandate has expanded beyond university students to include members of the community, friends and family, public schools, and other interest groups. This improved public outreach and education initiative is aimed at demonstrating the wonder of local biodiversity and provide simple solutions for protecting it. It includes weekly nature walks to explore local ecosystems and discover the flora and fauna. Public seminars are given every week on various topics of public interest. Every year, QUBS hosts an open house to inform the public about research at the station. Workshops are also offered on subjects ranging from nature photography to wetland ecology. Some workshops are one-day long and others, weekend retreats.

Research

QUBS is the base of operations for research scientists to study species found in the area. Research conducted at QUBS has resulted in over 800 scientific publications in many different areas of biology.
Part of the success of QUBS is the admixture of researchers from a variety of institutions. On a regular basis, the field station hosts researchers from Queen's, Carleton University, University of Toronto, Illinois Natural History Survey, Ithaca College, University of Western Ontario, University of Windsor, and others. In addition, international researchers make use of QUBS.

Conservation

The large and diverse landholdings at QUBS provide opportunities to protect and study species whose worldwide populations have been in decline. In the face of continuing development, these additions have provided long-term security for study sites. Long term data sets collected at QUBS also help us to understand the impacts of environmental disturbances such as climate change and zebra mussel invasions.
Research is conducted to study species of conservation concern. Current research focuses on the threatened black rat snake, snapping turtle and map turtles and declining populations of cerulean warblers.

Facilities

Main facility

The main facility consists of 32 buildings, including the operations centre, a library, conference rooms, 12 laboratory areas, a workshop, an aquarium house and a variety of accommodation, ranging from one-person sleeping cabins to large cottages and dormitory space. The operations centre includes year round kitchen and dining room, washrooms, conference room/classroom, administrative offices, computer rooms, a technical lab, storage areas, laundry and an interpretive area. Although several of the station's buildings are original, dating back to the late 1940s, others have been added to provide accommodations for up to 80 people. The station now boasts a fleet of boats, reference collections, audiovisual equipment, computer rooms, and optical and electronic equipment, including an automated weather station.

Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre

The Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre is a new addition to QUBS properties, and is home to the new Eco-Adventure Camps. The facility consists of several sleeping cabins with kitchenettes, a large main lodge with full kitchen, bathrooms, and classroom, a recreation lodge and a small converted museum area. There is also extensive lake frontage with a large dock off the recreation centre.

Other properties

QUBS has ownership of eight other properties located in the surrounding region