Shared field vehicle for ecological research

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The ecology segment of Concordia University's Department of Biology carries out a large number of ecological field research projects. These field research projects help to train numerous graduate and undergraduate students in field ecology techniques. They are conducted annually on a diverse number of taxa (fish, mammals, insects, plants) in five eastern provinces (ON, QC, NB, NS, NL), during all four seasons and often in semi-remote or remote areas. A critical piece of equipment that is necessary for the success of these field research projects is a well-equipped and dependable field vehicle. Our proposal is a request for funding to purchase a new departmental field truck that will be shared amongst six externally-funded professors and their students. Our request represents a significant upgrade from the current departmental field vehicle, which is (i) worn from extensive use, (ii) insufficiently large or equipped for some of the regions where our newer field projects take place, and (iii) individually unable to meet the demands of a growing number of field projects in our department.