2024 CSEE conference

In May of 2024, the NorthSTAR group, composed of Kelvin, and Nelson McIntyre students,  as well as U of M undergrads and accompanying teachers and professor, went to Vancouver, BC for the CSEE (Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution) conference. We went to present our poster: A comparison of three different non-invasive methods for assessing body condition of free-ranging polar bears. It was the culmination of the 2023-24 research.

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Day 1: May 25th

The plan: be there at 4:30. The reality: we were all there at 5. It’s fine, we didn’t miss the flight! After a snack of pre-flight Tim Hortons, most of us decided to settle down (try) and do homework (except the IB’s who had already finished their school year, unfair). We arrived pretty late and quickly divided into taxis to check-in to the university dorms. As we went from the airport to the UBC campus, the terrain was really cool. The plants were very different and there were way more hills than that found in Manitoba. Our taxi group also saw a coyote running across the road while we were driving. When we got to the campus, we got assigned our dorm rooms, then made plans to meet up the next morning to set out for the day. After a long day of travel, everyone went to take a well deserved (cold) shower, and go to sleep.

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Day 2: May 26th

            The next morning, everyone woke up, and we headed to one of the dorm complexes to have breakfast. There was toast, and oatmeal, as well as some fruits. After eating, we went downstairs and met up with the teachers, who were staying in another dorm building. Today's itinerary: go to the aquarium, tidepooling and the conference meet and greet banquet.

First, the Vancouver aquarium, where we saw jellyfish, touched starfish and saw the tropical area (frogs and snakes and little dudes galore!). There was also a fossil exhibit and a cool outdoor area where they often rehabilitate marine animals, like sea lions and fur seals, for release back into the wild.

Unfortunately, rain made itself known (as it often does in Vancouver) and we all went down the beach, soaking wet to check out tidepools. But, to most of the group, the rain was far too heavy and much too cold to properly enjoy the experience, so all but three students and two teachers returned to the dorms to relax. The remaining group went down and saw many amazing sights, like bright orange sea cucumbers and red aquatic worms. We got to hold starfish and crabs! We also (tried) identifying the different species of marine plants that were present. Professor Harley (UBC) introduced the group to so many cool things. It was an amazing experience, even if our shoes were completely soaked through and took two days to dry!

            When we got back to the hotel, after some struggles to find transportation (how the heck does uber work?), and dried off, it was already time to head to the Nest, (the Student center) to attend the introductory meeting for the symposium. Professor Harley did the plenary talk, showing us his research on starfish and clams in the greater Vancouver/Victoria area. Afterwards, the conference was holding a meet-and-mingle dinner as a greeting to the symposium. There, we got tote bags, along with our name tags for the conference. The dinner consisted of delicious sandwiches and a huge assortment of sweet treats. We all laughed and talked, excited to experience the conference proper.

And with that we concluded our first full day in Vancouver!

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Day 3: May 27th

            When we woke up this morning, we once again headed to the dorm where we would eat breakfast. This morning, alongside yesterday's breakfast, we had leftovers from the meet and mingle dinner we had smuggled back to the dorm! After eating, we headed to the Nest, where the conference itself was being held. There were many different rooms where presentations were being held by different university students. There were some on marine animals, on scientific techniques, the effect of urbanisation and so much more! Sadly we weren't able to see all the talks, but because there were so many of us we divided and conquered. We spent the whole morning learning a lot. At lunch, the teachers gave each of us $20 to get whatever food we wanted. Lunch was an interesting time to discuss the talks we’d attended. The UBC campus is huge and there were so many options to choose from!

In the afternoon, we had our poster presentation! We split up in three groups of four to stand in front of our poster and explain it to the other attendees. Everyone was incredibly surprised and impressed that we were highschool students attending a university level conference! While one group shared our research, the others were able to tour the rest of the posters and chat with the people presenting them. We met a bunch of interesting people, even one person from the UofM who was also working on polar bear research! One of our undergrads and our supervising university professor also had posters they were presenting.

After that long day and presenting our poster, it was time to treat ourselves! The teachers brought us all to a nice restaurant, where we almost got given alcohol, much to the adults dismay! The food was very good, and we all had a pleasant time, chatting and catching up. Finally, it was then time to go to sleep. Everyone was really tired after learning and talking for the whole day, but excited to continue the conference.

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Day 4: May 28th

            Before we knew it, our final full day in Vancouver had arrived. In the morning, we decided to skip out on the talks and head over to visit the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. It was like a vault filled with taxidermied animals from all the classifications you could imagine. From the majestic panther to the tiny little beetle, they had it all! It was awesome reading all the information and looking at the creatures. We had a grand time!

After that, a few of us decided to go visit the famed UBC library, and buy some souvenirs. There was everything a student could dream of! The paradise for stationary collectors and book lovers. It was amazing! When we had finished our shopping, we took a walk around the campus, appreciating the beauty of it all. It truly was an amazing university campus. 

After getting our daily lunch allowance and eating some food, we returned to the Nest to listen to a final round of talks. And now, the moment everyone had been waiting for since it was announced: Trivia night! Set up in a bar-lounge area, we ate a buffet style dinner before starting the game. Everything was centered around ecology and animals. Sadly, we were not a match for the professionals, and our teams came in dead last. But we still had a blast and witnessed some hilarious answers and commentary. It was an awesome way to end this incredible trip!

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Day 5: My 29th

After waking up and packing, for those who didn’t do it the night before, we ate a final breakfast and went on a walk around. We had some time to kill before going to the airport, and luckily it wasn’t raining too bad. Then, we hopped into the taxis and drove off to the Vancouver airport. There, we said our goodbyes to the undergrads and the professor, who were on a different flight than us. Some people went on a hunt to find another preflight Tim Hortons, getting thoroughly lost along the way. Thankfully they found it and came back without losing anyone! As we took off, we said goodbye to Vancouver, and reminisced on all the good moments. As we landed in Winnipeg, a few hours later, goodbyes were a little bittersweet. Many of us were graduating this year, and the rest of us wouldn’t be seeing them again next year. It was also the parting of the friends the Kelvin kids made with the Nelson Mac ones, and nobody knew if we would see each other again. But we knew we would always cherish these memories of this fantastic trip for the rest of our lives.