Owen Nicholson wins Fredericton student scholarship

For some people, spending time in wetlands is about more than recreation. It’s about passing on family traditions. That’s the case for our newest Wetland Centres of Excellence (WCE) Scholarship winner Owen Nicholson, whose family has been hunting and fishing in and around Fredericton, N.B., for many generations.  

“My great-great-grandfather used to make his living from hunting and trapping,” says Nicholson. “He would trap beavers and muskrat, hunt moose in the winter. It’s something my family takes pride in.”  

Nicholson spent his childhood fishing in the Wolastoq River, and later, duck hunting in the fall. He loves being outdoors and sees wetlands as a place to learn and grow. It’s no surprise that DUC’s outdoor, conservation-focused Wetland Centres of Excellence program was a great fit for him. 

“I learn best outdoors, it’s where I love to be,” says Nicholson. “That’s why the WCE program was so fantastic for me. We learn about food webs, life cycles, environmental impacts outdoors at a wetland.” 

Outdoor classroom sparks joy

As part of the Fredericton Wetland Centre of Excellence program, Nicholson’s class visited Corbett Brook for field trips and projects. He found learning at the wetland much more “motivating” and “relevant” than learning indoors. Even students that weren’t as familiar with the outdoors took a lot from the experience. 

“It wasn’t just me. No one wanted to leave the wetland,” says Nicholson. “As soon as we left, we would ask our teachers when we were going back.” 

Nicholson says his favourite memory of the program was when he mentored a younger student. The mentee was in Grade 9 and had never been to a wetland before, nor had he spent very much time in nature. Nicholson watched as the boy’s face lit up when they arrived at Corbett Brook.  

“He stood there in awe, taking it all in,” says Nicholson. “I showed him a few things, what kind of plants and animals we can find around here, and he loved it.”  

“He talked about the trip all the way back on the bus.”