The Georgian Bay Garden Club is awarding two $1,500 bursaries to local students studying environmental science and landscape architecture at the University of Guelph this fall.
Bursaries have been awarded annually since 1993 to students graduating from high schools in Grey and Bruce counties. This year’s recipients are Jessa Rutter and Josh Beattie.
Rutter is a first-year environmental science major with extensive camping experience in parks such as Algonquin, The Massasauga, and Temagami.
“Throughout my studies, I will have the opportunity to take courses that study the soil, rocks and minerals, climate change, water quality, GIS, and sustainable energies such as wind and solar power,” says Rutter. “Through these experiences, I will be able to decide what pathway I would like to take in my upper year studies. My program also offers the opportunity to study in the workforce through multiple co-op experiences. These co-ops will allow me to study different aspects of the environment through hands-on learning, so that I can decide what area suits me best. Growing up, I have had experiences in nature that have given me a love for the outdoors.”
Beattie is in his fourth and final year of the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program. He has spent the past two seasons working with the City of Guelph, where he gained hands-on experience assessing trails and parks, collecting field data, and helping inform the management and improvement of public spaces.
“After graduation, I hope to begin my career in landscape architecture with a firm, municipality, or other organization where I can continue developing my skills and contribute to projects that positively impact communities,” says Beattie. “I would also be excited for the opportunity to one day bring what I have learned back to Owen Sound and contribute to a project that helps improve the community where I grew up.”