Glendon’s Newest Major, Wildlife Communications
April 1, 2016
Wildlife Communications, Glendon’s newest program, combines our commitment to multilingualism and cultural competency with our beautiful grounds and rich local ecosystem to provide a program that is entirely unique in Southwestern Ontario. Want to learn to break up the oh-so frequent squirrel fights? To entice the rabbits that make up a significant portion of our nightlife? To understand exactly what the birds outside your residence window are screeching so delightedly at 5 AM? To finally know what it is that the fox says? Then Wildlife Communications is for you. You’ll broaden your knowledge base both socially and linguistically as we connect you to Glendon’s flourishing community of fauna. This will help you to discuss a wide variety of issues with the wildlife on-campus, to approach nature with greater respect and understanding, and ultimately widen your perspective beyond human-centric ideologies.
It will also teach you to talk to animals. Which is a much sought-after skill in the developing economy.
Our natural wooded ravine campus setting is a perfect space for communing with wildlife of all sorts, and the teaching of ecological and environmental concepts. The Glendon campus includes several woodlots and a section of the Don River. All lectures are taught outdoors, in the woodlots in and around our campus, and aspects of the local biodiversity can be explored during these lectures.
At Glendon you will study with professors who are experts in the field:
- Dr. Bugs B. Unny is currently conducting research on social structures within rabbit communities and the history of warren architecture.
- Rocky Raccoon completed a 6 month fellowship in the Glendon garbage cans and published an article in the journal Raton Laveur. He specializes in the pragmatics of raccoon discourse–especially pertaining to the domain of nutrition.
- Visiting professor Elwood Buck recently gave a talk in the Glendon quad titled ‘Hind and Stag: Gendered Speech Among the Animal Kingdom’ critiquing the prevalence of gender-specific dialect in deer culture across Southwestern Ontario. Her areas of expertise are gendered discourse and getting stuck in the quad.
Careers and Alumni
This program is excellent preparation for careers involving translation or interpretation of cross-species content, education in cultural competency, advocacy for animal rights, and various positions within the lucrative field of superhero work. Wildlife Communications also offers many practical life skills, such as highly-refined birdcalls, how to negotiate territory with skunks, and how to effectively communicate to raccoons that your trashcan is off-limits.
Glendon Wildlife Communications mentors include Ace Ventura, who now works as a private detective in Miami specializing in the retrieval of missing animals.
Students
Francette came to Canada from France when she was 4 years old and recently switched into Wildlife Communications at Glendon. She’s been elected as Vice President Communications on the Glendon College Student Union two years in a row.
Read about her bilingual adventures here ››
Sienna came from a bilingual background in English and French, and found Glendon’s Wildlife Communications program to be the ideal choice in pursuing her passion for languages. Her work with Glendon’s newspaper, Pro Tem, has given her an additional outlet for her love of language and communication.
Program Highlights
Consider complementing your degree with courses taken from our Environmental & Health Studies program.
Glendon’s natural setting is a perfect ‘forum’ for discussion with local species.
Upper-year Wildlife Communications students have the opportunity to participate in a ten-day practicum where they are dropped off at a remote location along the Don River and left to situate themselves within the local community.
Professors
Professor Earl P. Knuts is a specialist in Squirrel Studies and speaks 4 dialects of Écureuil.
Professor Jack R. Abbott studies social structures within rabbit communities and teaches night classes in Lapin.
