Featured Projects
Explore a range of projects that showcase our impact
Research on Insecticides’ Impact on Pollinators and Songbirds: University of Saskatchewan
A study from the University of Saskatchewan, published in the journal Science, reveals that neonicotinoid insecticides harm both birds and bees. Researchers found that White-crowned Sparrows exposed to small doses of imidacloprid lost weight and delayed migration, reducing their chances of survival and reproduction. Conducted at Long Point Bird Observatory, the study used the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to track birds in the wild. These findings add to growing evidence that neonicotinoids, widely used in agriculture, have far-reaching impacts on ecosystems, affecting not only pollinators like bees but also migratory bird populations.
Preserving and Protecting Muskoka's Wetlands: Muskoka Conservancy
Since 1987, Muskoka Conservancy has played a vital role in preserving nature, protecting endangered ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity, and preventing species loss. The organization continues to expand its impact on land conservation, with recent acquisitions of 597 acres and 490 acres, bringing the total to over 5,105 acres of forests, wetlands, and shorelines across Muskoka.
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The Conservancy also engages and educates the public about the importance of Muskoka’s wilderness, inspiring a deeper appreciation for these natural spaces while working toward lasting ecological protection.
Aerospace History and Education: Canada Aviation and Space Museum
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum offers a range of educational initiatives, including exhibits and interactive programs that highlight Canada’s aerospace history. Through the support of the Kenneth M. Molson Foundation, exhibits like The Cold War—which explores the era’s impact on Canada’s Royal Canadian Air Force—have been made possible. The foundation also helps produce the museum’s Kenneth M. Molson Lecture Series, providing valuable insights into Canada’s aerospace heritage and the Cold War era.
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Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas: Ontario Nature
The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas aims to map the distribution and abundance of 300 breeding bird species in Ontario. Launched on January 1, 2021, the third edition of the Atlas is a five-year, volunteer-driven project that relies on birders to collect data on bird populations across the province.
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Participants record breeding evidence and conduct point counts in designated areas, helping researchers track bird populations and their distribution. The Atlas provides valuable insights to support conservation efforts and monitor changes in Ontario’s bird species, playing a crucial role in bird preservation across the province.
Rare Book Conservation Project & Arctic Digitization Project: Canadian Museum of Nature
The Canadian Museum of Nature, with over 150 years of research, works to preserve our natural world through scientific research and educational programs. Supported by the Kenneth M. Molson Foundation, the Rare Book Conservation Project preserves 4,000 rare books on natural history, ensuring their accessibility for future research and public use.
Additionally, the Arctic Digitization Project photographed over 35 species of Arctic orchids from the museum’s National Herbarium. This project helps protect these endangered plants and supports ongoing conservation efforts.
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Ornithopter: University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS)
Human-piloted ornithopter - a ‘flapping-wing aircraft': Prof Jim De Laurier and his research team have been pursuing humanity's oldest aeronautical dream: flight with mechanical flapping wings. The full-scale ornithopter flew on July 8, 2006 and made an historic achievement of being the first human-piloted aircraft in the world to sustain flight for 14 seconds, covering a distance of over a third of a kilometer.
Undergraduate Aerospace Design Projects: Carleton University
Final-year undergraduate aerospace design projects: Students work in groups of 25 under the leadership of several faculty members. Recent project include: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for applications ranging from monitoring ice flows, to geophysical surveying; Micro Satellites for remote sensing applications such as forestry management or issues associated with Arctic surveillance; and design and demonstration of novel motion platforms for aircraft simulation.
Undergraduate Aircraft Design Project: University of Toronto
This is a senior year course in the undergraduate Engineering Science Aerospace Program. The course gives a chance for students to put into practice the subjects they have learned throughout the program, such as aerodynamics, structural mechanics, propulsion, and stability and control of aircraft. The objective is to design, build and fly an electric-powered remote-controlled aircraft. Students work in teams of three to four, and are assigned a specific configuration (conventional, canard, or flying wing). The final evaluation of the projects is based on progress presentations, a report, and a flight test. The score for the flight test is based on a combination of speed and payload capacity. More photos of last year's flight test can be found at: flight photos.
Remote-Access Undergraduate Aerospace Laboratory: UTIAS
Remotely accessible aerospace undergraduate laboratory: Students are able to logon to physical experimental facilities, receive the instructions through live or recorded video communications, set up and run the experiments while observing the entire process through audio-video streaming devices, analyze the data, and prepare and submit their report on-line. This project offers students flexible schedules to access and perform experiments. It also provides a gateway for collaborations with other universities. Image: subsonic flow around an airfoil.
Migrating birds: Operation Migration
Each autumn, an ancient call penetrates the crisp dawn air as juvenile Whooping cranes led by Operation Migration's ultralight aircraft take to the skies on the biggest adventure of their young lives - their first migration. Since this project's inception in 2001, Operation Migration has successfully taught seven cohorts of endangered Whooping cranes a migration route, and is more than half way toward establishing a self-sustaining population. More info here
UAVs for Wildlife Research: McGill University
Wildlife biology professor, David Bird, and M.Sc. student, Dominique Chabot, are among the first in North America to apply unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the field of wildlife research and management, which is aimed at cutting costs, improving accuracy, and reducing disturbance levels compared to the current use of full-size manned aircraft. Wildlife population counts, remote sensing, habitat mapping and nuisance animal control all figure among the potential applications under investigation.
