Students in a wetland

Experiential learning in Environment

Don't just study the world - experience it

You can learn a lot about the environment from a textbook But here in our faculty, the largest faculty of Environment in Canada, we believe that in order to truly understand the way the world works, you have to get outside and experience it.  

That’s why in Environment, we don’t just sit in classrooms waiting for the world to change – we take real action. Environment students travel to the arctic to study the impact of climate change on sea ice. Or we go to the Atlantic coast to understand the interactions between marine ecosystems and local economies. Or we talk with citizens, politicians and developers in the regions we visit to understand the way our communities need to grow to meet the future.  
 
No matter the program, Environment students are putting skills into practice, out in the real world. And after graduation, Environment students are ready to make real change  

Girl pouring substance into beaker

In the lab

Experiential learning starts in the Ecology Lab, our headquarters for hands-on learning in Environment. This community hub is so much more than a lab – it’s where we come together to learn, make, grow and discover.

Forest

In our backyard

If you visit the fields, streams, forests and public spaces around Waterloo, chances are good you’ll see Environment students collecting samples, identifying species, and assessing traffic while developing the skills that will inform their degrees and careers.  

Students posing for a photo

Around the world

Every year, Environment students are travelling across oceans to immerse learn more about the world. For example in 2024, students visited Cape Town, South Africa to study the unique intersections of ecology, economy, culture and city-building in one of the continent’s most historically complex cities.

Internationalize your degree

See the world from another perspective by immersing in another culture. Add travel to your degree with a semester or co-op term abroad.

Experiences that can change your life

Student flying a drone

2025 Environment field courses

The field courses offered by the faculty are always evolving, so we can continue to offer students important, novel perspectives on our changing planet. In addition to these faculty-level elective courses, there are also field courses and experiences offered through our programs and schools.
For more information about field offerings for students in a specific program, contact us

Drop us a line

Curious about how to internationalize your degree? Wondering how hands-on learning works in your program of interest? We're here to help answer all you Environment questions, big or small. 
Reach out anytime using the form below and someone from our team will be happy to get back to you with answers. 

Program of interest
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