Research fuels creative passion and lands MER student prestigious recognition

Macus Ong discovered his love for photography while completing his BSc at SFU in 2009.  An artistic child growing up, his undergrad studies provided new artistic inspiration.

11 years later, he is now a graduate student in the Faculty of Environment’s Ecological Restoration program and combines his passion for photography with his applied research project that seeks to understand birds’ nesting behaviour in order to inform public and city management of birds’ nesting habitats in urban bridge settings.

During recent field work on Gabriola Island, Macus set up a GoPro camera to monitor Double-crested Cormorants during their breeding season.  He took the time to photograph the bird and entered it into a photo competition for the BBC Wildlife Magazine’s November issue, being recognized as a finalist and earning the runner-up position.

Macus aspires to be a great conservation photographer to “educate and speak science through imageries”, similar to the inspirational works of Paul Nicklen, David Attenborough and Jane Goodall. Macus’ work has the ability to bring people along on his fieldwork to appreciate wildlife, and this recognition from BBC has further encouraged him to continue using his photography talent for research and learning.  

Congratulations, Macus!