OE3C 2024

Ontario Ecology Ethology Evolution Colloquium

May 2 - 4, 2024

What is OE3C?

The Ontario Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution Colloquium (OE3C) is a provincial conference run by students, for students, with aims to highlight the diversity of incredible research occurring across the three fields in Biology. This year, the organizing committee for OE3C is excited to announce that the conference will be held May 2nd to 4th, 2024 at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON.

THEME

Dismantling biophobia

Biophobia: (noun) A human fear of certain species (e.g., snakes, spiders) and general aversion to nature that creates an urge to affiliate with technology and other human artifacts, interests, and constructions rather than with animals, landscapes, and other elements of the natural world

Why are we hesitant to fully welcome nature into our day-to-day lives? Why do we mow our grass lawns, instead of planting self-sufficient gardens of native plants? Why do we find more comfort in the indoors, hiding away behind concrete walls instead of running to the open sky? Why are so many people afraid of snakes, spiders, and other "creepy crawlies"? These questions touch on the idea of "biophobia". We want to bring light to this issue - to this avoidance and discomfort surrounding certain aspects of nature - and shed a positive light on ways we can dismantle it.