A walk in the wild—the UTM nature guide
The who, what, when, and where for the UTM nature scene—the critters to look out for, and the creatures you should be wary of.
Listen to the audio version of this article here!*
When I was a kid, I was fascinated by characters who lived in the middle of nowhere—tropical islands, quiet towns, forests with endless trees. I never thought I would routinely visit somewhere like that, but UTM offers the same energy.
It’s quiet, tucked into the woods, and completely different from the busy and loud streets of Mississauga. One minute you are on the crowded bus, and the next minute you are quietly greeted by a small pond, lush green trees, and wandering geese. It’s peaceful, and a little surreal. It makes you wonder: Am I still in the city? Do I really have classes here?
As you head to your class in Maanjiwe nendamowinan by taking the shortcut from the William G. Davis Building, you might see a pair of eyes glaring at you from behind the bushes. There’s no need to get startled—it’s just a deer. If you’re like me, such an incident can make your heart pound against your chest, while the fearless ones stop to adore the deer’s beauty and click a few pictures to post on social media and caption them #NaturesGift.
However, I have one warning: don’t mess with the geese. The geese are the landlords of the campus. If you live in the campus residences, it can feel like they are threatening to kick you out. For commuters, they can sometimes charge at you without any reason.
On unlucky days, you may end up stepping on bird droppings while wearing your favourite shoes. You can spot the birds standing on a bench or a patch of grass, confident and unashamed of their droppings. They might even glare at you, as if they want you to know that your peaceful walk to the library is at the mercy of their generosity.
If you decide to take a walk behind the Instructional Centre, you have officially reached the main forest. This is for when you feel adventurous enough to hike on steep slopes and stop to notice the flowers and the gushing stream. It feels like an unpaid therapy session after a gruelling organic chemistry class. And you think: life is good.
You can also find squirrels on their way to work, or creepy crawlies that remind you of why you almost avoided coming here in the first place. But if you keep walking, you will be calmed by the overall beauty of nature.
As time passes, you can see how nature at UTM changes throughout different seasons. Fall is dramatic with bright reds and oranges, giving the campus a pop of colour before it turns into soul-crushing winter, and you pray not to slip on ice. Whether the campus is green in the summer, red and crunchy in the fall, or grey and brutal in the winter, nature never leaves your side.
To arrive at this fairy tale land, I didn’t have to board a ship to a faraway island. I just needed to take the MiWay bus and dodge a few unexpected bird droppings.
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