MENTORS BREATHING SPACE
Trinket Canlas BY KIRBY G. JALANDONI THERE’S NOTHING like the Ateneo campus. It is, undoubtedly, one of the most memorable parts of the Atenean experience. From the green fields to the hallowed halls, every student has a spot on campus they hold dear. However, the campus is more than a university. It is a massive, 205-acre piece of land abound with nature and animals. The biodiversity of the vast campus grounds is one of its most subtle aspects—the kind of phenomenon that the average student wouldn’t notice amidst the hustle and bustle of college life. Luckily, a page found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram called The Ateneo Wild exists to document the surrounding nature most students take for granted. The page showcases fascinating tidbits about the campus’ wildlife, like the giant honey bee honeycombs by Cervini field or how peregrine falcons stop by Loyola Heights during migration season. Behind this project is Department of Biology Department Instructor Trinket Canlas, who co-runs the page with Department of Environmental Science Instructor Abby Favis. For Canlas, her fascination with the campus’ nature didn’t stem from a deep-rooted association with Ateneo. Instead, her journey in documenting Ateneo’s wildlife began with one of her favorite hobbies: Bird watching. Passion project Part of the advocacy of Canlas’s bird watching club, the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, is to take people on guided trips. “[We conduct trips] to let people know that there’s more than the Maya [bird] out there,” Canlas says. As such, in 2011, Favis approached Canlas and convinced her to give a guided tour to the general community in Ateneo.
To the duo’s surprise, their first nature walk on campus was a hit. Because of this, they began conducting more nature walks in Ateneo, albeit only once or twice a year. Favis and Canlas finally formalized the guided trips in 2017, allowing the entire Ateneo community to join and help monitor the campus’ biodiversity.
Before becoming a Loyola Schools professor, Canlas taught in the Ateneo High School (AHS) in the early 2000s. Since she had to make a lesson plan for each lecture as an AHS teacher, Canlas developed a structured manner of instruction—a trait she still has as a college professor.
Since the easiest way to reach the community is through social media, Canlas and Favis set up The Ateneo Wild in 2018. From that point on, the rest was history. Canlas has been happy with how involved the community has been—from students to security guards and maintenance personnel.
As such, many of Canlas’ students have appreciated this organized way of teaching. For Canlas, she finds the most fulfillment in her job as a professor—especially when they fall in love with the subject matter because of her. “When [my former students] tell me that they decided to take further studies because of what they learned in my class, it makes me very happy,” she says.
“Abby and I go on regular bird walks for content but of course, we can’t see everything,” Canlas says. “We were surprised that people really take photos and submit things we normally don’t see. We hope to build discourse and an appreciation for what’s already there.” Inside out While Canlas’s duty with The Ateneo Wild has evolved along with the project, her role as a biology professor has remained constant. She has been a Loyola Schools professor for 13 years—a year longer than the 12 years she spent studying in Miriam College for elementary and high school, as well as her 12 years in the University of the Philippines-Diliman for her undergraduate and master’s studies. It seems odd that Canlas decided to teach in the other Katipunan Avenue school that she didn’t attend growing up. But for her, she welcomed the change of scenery. “When I started teaching, I wanted a new environment, but I didn’t want something radically different from what I was used to,” Canlas says.
But what Canlas truly wants to impart to her students, beyond the biology lessons and concepts, is to remain composed when the outside world comes knocking. Much like her work for The Ateneo Wild, she emphasizes the importance of looking deeper into life—outside the structures and consistency students have been accustomed to. “Don’t panic when you’re in the ‘real world’. It’s very, very different from the bubble of any university you’ve been used to,” Canlas says. “At the same time, don’t be afraid to be flexible and to explore and see what’s out there. Your experiences will make you open to more experiences.”
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