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The generous gifts, involvement and interest shown by Acadia's alumni and friends makes available the opportunity for students to obtain an outstanding education here at Acadia University. These opportunities provide students with memorable experiences and life long lessons that lend themselves to a successful future.

The following sections illustrate how giving a gift has the ability to enrich the lives of not only Acadia students but also those making the gift.

Through the stories of others, such as the ones featured below, we can see how their generosity has had a tremendous effect on the lives of others; not only in the past, present but also in the future.



The Gift They've Given

Graduate Gives the Gift of Opportunity

For over 30 years, Acadia has run a Senior Geology Mapping Field School at St Anns, Cape Breton Island. This field school has been a vital component in ensuring that Acadia University’s Earth and Environmental Science Department provides its students with the opportunity for hands-on experience that is essential in becoming productive and successful geologists. It has been said that “the geologist’s laboratory is in the field”, and Acadia’s Senior Geology Mapping Field School, provides an outstanding natural laboratory for field instruction.

Geology graduate and former member of Acadia's Football team, Stuart Venables (BScH, ’99), gave a generous matching gift to Acadia University’s Senior Geology Mapping Field School. His gift has helped provide some of those students without the necessary financing, the opportunity to attend.

In speaking with Stuart he had this to say about his contribution to Acadia University’s Senior Geology Mapping Field School:

“Geology field school is a very important part of a geologist's training. Seeing, mapping and understanding what has been taught to you over the years in the classroom really comes together when you're out in the field. I'm happy to help provide the opportunity for future geologists to attend these field courses, as the benefits are immeasurable. With the rising cost of education, this is an experience that fewer and fewer students are able to take part in. However, it is a crucial part of their development and I sincerely hope that proper funding can be put in place to ensure all geology students have the opportunity to attend future field schools.”


Stuart is presently a geologist with the BC Oil and Gas Commission, and has worked in a variety of industry and government situations since he left Acadia. He has been involved in the exploration for hydrocarbons, by gathering information, using this information to map out trends in the subsurface, and then making proposals to drill these locations in hopes that they’ll encounter economic amounts of oil and/or natural gas. He not only directly credits the knowledge he obtained from his BScH in Geology at Acadia University to assisting in his successful job performance, but to the reason he was hired in the first place.

For more information about Acadia University’s Senior Geology Field School please visit this page

If you’re interested in giving a gift please contact the Office of Advancement, Acadia University by phoning (902) 585-1459 or email advancement@acadiau.ca

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Student Receives the Gift of Opportunity

Natalie MacLean (BScH Geology, '03) the 2002 recipient of the Senior Geology Field School Award had this to say about the opportunity this award provided her with:

“The award that I received helped me to attend the Senior Geology Field School offered by the geology department at Acadia University. The field school, located in St Anns at the edge of the Cape Breton Highlands, lasted almost two weeks and included a 'training day', as well as a quick trip around the Cabot Trail where we had the opportunity to see some of the regional geology that we had learned about in class. The students are paired together and assigned an area to map over the next 7 days. In the evenings and on the last day students are required to write a paper about the geology of the area they mapped. During our time in Cape Breton we learned how to apply our classroom knowledge to real situations encountered in the field. What I realized during those two weeks is how beneficial 'hands-on' experience can be, and how much one can learn from their mistakes in the field as well as the mistakes of others. Despite the numerous mental and physical challenges encountered at field school, as well as plenty of scrapes, cuts, bruises and wasp stings, a good time was had by all. When everything was said and done, I left the two weeks at field school with a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

I most recently used some of my knowledge from field school while I was in Italy studying the most recent lava flows from Mt Etna, with my Masters supervisor. I must admit, however, that hiking in the Cape Breton Highlands isn't quite the same as climbing up an active volcano!!

To all those who made my time at Acadia an enjoyable one - those that provided financial support, the professors, my family, and my friends (both young and old) - Thank you!”


It is the contributions of the Alumni and friends of Acadia University that make it possible for students like Natalie to enjoy similar memorable, educational experiences that last a lifetime.

For more information about Acadia University’s Senior Geology Field School please visit this page. If you’re interested in giving a gift please contact the Office of Advancement, Acadia University by phoning (902) 585-1459 or email advancement@acadiau.ca

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It is through the generosity of people like you that Acadia's students are given a memorable, and educational experience that lasts a lifetime.

Three funds have been established to manage gifts by donors:
- Geology Senior Mapping Field School fund
- Bermuda Field School fund
- Earth and Environmental Science general fund

If you're interested in investing in the future of Acadia University please contact the Office of Advancement, by phoning (902) 585-1459 or emailing advancement@acadiau.ca. For more information please visit Acadia University's Advancement Office website or the Department of Earth and Environmental Science.