About the Course
Mont St Hilaire
Date: July 5-17, 2026
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This two week long, 3-credit field course in the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Summer Studies program introduces students to the woody and herbaceous plants of our region.
The overall emphasis of the course is practical rather than technical. We want you to be able to recognize and know the common names of all the species you are likely to encounter outdoors around Montreal. We mostly will teach you how recognize species based on their characteristics in the field, not on the specialized characters and associated technical terms used in more advanced botanical literature.
The teaching involves much time outdoors looking at plants where they grow; these daily excursions with teachers who know a lot about the local flora are supplemented by time for study and discussion. It is more satisfying and fun to start learning plants outdoors in this sort of small, interactive group setting than in lectures and labs during the regular school year!
The course is intended for anyone who enjoys natural history, anyone who wants to know what plants are around them when they are outdoors. It is a good introduction to more advanced study in botany, including PLNT 358 and PLNT 458. It will be useful to any student interested in animal ecology -- knowing common plants you can identify different types of wildlife habitat and feeding behaviour.
It provides a good basis for enriching science curricula in primary and secondary education. It will deepen appreciation of any art or literature that draws heavily on naturalist themes. For students arriving from CEGEP, it's a good way to start into your courses at Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ and lighten your load the first semester if you wish to. Finally, the course will make you a better person -- to know plants is to live a richer life!
The course has been successfully completed by students in Arts, Architecture, Education, Management and Science as well as by interested individuals outside the university with a variety of backgrounds. The course is given at the university's in Mont St. Hilaire, just east of Montreal. This is the largest remaining tract of the primeval forests of the St. Lawrence Plain. The 1200 hectare site has a wide variety of habitats, rugged and diverse topography, and an exceptionally rich flora. The exact dates vary a bit year to year, but are usually in mid- to late-July. Students live in small, chalet-style dormitories on the mountain. The course fee for 2025 fee is $885Cdn, which includes a hand lens, a textbook, handouts, lodging and all meals each day; students are responsible for their own meals during the weekend. Tuition fees depend on your residency and student status -- to review fees and/or register consult the Summer Studies office at (514) 398-5212.
Course Registration
Please complete the application formÌýand e-mail it to susan.gabe [at] mcgill.ca (Susan Gabe). Upon receipt of the application, she will approve you to register for the course.
To reserve your space in the course, a $100 deposit for the courseÌýis required. The charge will appear on your student fee account and will be billed to you on your regular monthly e-bill. Make sure to pay the bill on time in order to avoid an interest charge. Wait for the Student Accounts Office to charge your account before paying the deposit. The remainder of the fee as well as the tuition will be charged closer to the start of the course.
*Course fees for 2025 were $885Cdn. The fee for 2026 will be similar but is still TBD.
Enrolment is limited, but there is a waiting list – first come, first served. Provided you meet the course prerequisites, the date you submit your application decides your place in the queue; you will receive an email confirming that you are approved to register on MINERVA. As soon as you receive that notification, please register for the course to hold your place (assuming summer registration has opened).
The $100 deposit is refundable only if you withdraw from the course by May 31. Contact Susan Gabe by email to withdraw so that she can notify Student Accounts for your reimbursement.
Note that the course costs do NOT include the registration fees associated with taking the course; these vary with your residency and fall course load and are assessed through the Student Accounts Office. Please note:ÌýIf a student withdraws from the course afterÌýJune 15Ìýwithout an appropriate excuse (medical problem/family emergency),Ìýthey will not be refunded theÌýcourse feeÌý– unless a replacement can be found
If you have any dietary restrictions (e.g. vegetarian, important allergies), please note these, but be aware: (1) that while vegetarians able to eat fish, eggs and cheese can be accommodated, the food costs charged are insufficient to fully accommodate stricter vegetarians; and (2) that as the vegetarian food is no better than the regular fare. Do not sign-up as vegetarian unless you are really one, because cooking preparations are such that you will be strictly held to a vegetarian diet if this is indicated. Please specify any important allergies: gluten, nuts, bee stings, etc..
MBSU Field Study Bursary
The Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Biology Students Union offers a bursary to defer course costs in support of students taking a Biology field course. To be eligible for the bursary, you must be enrolled in a Biology Department program, have a CGPA of at least 3.0, and have completed BIOL 206 and BIOL 215. Applications are due in late March each year. Email thembsu [at] gmail.com for information or call (514) 398-2188.
Students from other Universities
If you are registered in another Quebec university, you can take the course as a AEHE (Autorisation d’Etudes Hors Etablissement) transfer student without having to pay additional registration fees, BUT you must get a Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ ID to register and pay the course fee. If you are a student from outside Quebec you can take the course, but you must register and pay registration fees to Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Summer Studies; this will get you into the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ system and provide a Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ ID number so that you can use MINERVA to register for the course and pay your fees.