Oscar Venter has a passion for nature nurtured in B.C.

By Amanda Kelly

Oscar Venter will graduate this year in Honours Geography despite not having his high school leaving certificate when he applied at Concordia.

“I did a lot of travelling,” he said with a shrug. “I wasn't too concerned with high school.”

Concordia welcomed him as a mature student, and he has excelled.

Oscar is from Salt Spring Island, B.C., and his research reflects his abiding interest in nature. His thesis focused on the behaviour patterns of juvenile salmon; specifically, why they thrive in more complex habitats and how their environment can be altered to encourage population growth.

He qualified for an NSERC scholarship, which provided funding for him to do field work to support his theories. As a result, he was able to spend two months in New Brunswick, where he snorkelled daily in streams, observing the salmon in their natural habitat.

Associate Professor James Grant told CTR, “Oscar wrote one of the best honours theses I have ever seen.”

Oscar also found the time to do a cross-country bike tour last year. He travelled from Whitehorse to Halifax in three months and raised over $7,000 for World Vision. The money provided a substantial contribution to the total cost of a much-needed well in Uganda.

He plans to take a break next year and will continue his studies at the University of British Columbia in 2006. He hopes to join a research team exploring the population and community dynamics of the Serengeti ecosystem, focusing on the migratory wildebeests.

"I'm moving onto dry land," Oscar said with a wry laugh.