Hugh Hamilton Memorial Scholarships

2025 scholarship applications are open!

Please see Nature Vancouver Scholarships as well.

In 2021 Nature Vancouver established two new annual scholarships of $5000 each, in memory of Hugh Hamilton, a long-time member of Nature Vancouver. The Hugh Hamilton Memorial Scholarships are made possible through a very generous donation from Gordon and Daphne Squire, also long-time members of Nature Vancouver, to celebrate the legacy of their friend.

These two annual scholarships are for graduate students and/or a senior undergraduate. A senior undergraduate student is generally defined to be one who has amassed at minimum one half of the academic credits towards graduation in their major. Applications forthese scholarships can be submitted during the February to April period every year (submission time varies between years).

Qualifications

Only members of Nature Vancouver, or the immediate family of a member of Nature Vancouver, are eligible for this scholarship.

Students must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, living or working in B.C. Applicants must also be registered for full time study at an accredited British Columbian post-secondary institution, in a program of Environmental Studies (within Natural Sciences), Forest Resources Conservation or a related program (e.g., Ecological Restoration, Applied Biology, etc.).

Students should have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 75%, and should be continuing in their studies for at least one term following receipt of scholarship.

How to apply for the Hugh Hamilton Memorial scholarship

Applicants must:

Fill in the Hugh Hamilton Memorial Scholarship Application Form (link to form below).
Upload to scholarships@naturevancouver.ca the Application Package in one file named “lastname_firstname_HughHamilton-2025” in PDF format. The subject line for the email should be the same: “lastname_firstname_HughHamilton-2025”.

Hugh Hamilton Memorial Scholarship 2025 APPLICATION FORM

The Application Package pdf file must include:

Cover Letter with:
- A statement of academic pursuits and professional employment goals.
- Details of volunteer work and participation in natural science clubs or organizations.
- Reflection on how your experiences and goals relate to the life of Hugh Hamilton, and the objectives of Nature Vancouver.
- Transcript from post-secondary institution for 2 most recent years of study (scanned copy is ok).
- Contact info for at least one reference (academic or related to natural science club or organization).
Brief resume.

The applications are due by Monday March 31st 2025, midnight. Winners are to be announced directly following the Nature Vancouver AGM on the evening of April 24th, 2025. Questions may be sent to scholarships@naturevancouver.ca .

*Full consideration is given to all applicants including new members of the Society

Past Recipients

2025 HHM Scholarship Recipients – Tara Brudar & Daniel Stewart

2024 HHM Scholarship Recipients – Emma Kingsland & Yi-Chin (Sunny) Tseng

2023 HHM Scholarship Recipients – Austin Molby & Jaqueline Huard

2022 HHM Scholarship Recipients – Keila Stark & Ira Sutherland

2021 HHM Scholarship Recipients – Jay Matsushiba & Spencer Greening

Background

Hugh Hamilton loved and respected our home, the Earth, and the flora and fauna that animate it. His entire being reflected his ever-hearty attitude towards nature and the exploration thereof; no object / life form was too small not to be admired and examined. Whether it was leading adult camp field trips, guiding school children in stewardship of local fish bearing streams, organizing North Shore Christmas bird counts, or conducting others through the Old Growth Conservancy on Hollyburn Ridge, he gave much of his time and knowledge helping others to understand the natural world more fully. In short, he was a born “field man”! This past decade, Hugh’s many contributions were roundly applauded when he was honoured by both Nature Vancouver and West Vancouver Municipal Council who bestowed their highest awards on him (Charles & Kay Ney award and Community award, respectively). Please also see the article, “Remembering Hugh Hamilton” by Gordon Squire in Discovery, Volume 48, 2020 page 11-13.

The initial funding of $50,000 for the Hugh Hamilton Memorial scholarships was provided by Gordon and Daphne Squire. Their donation will provide for two scholarships, of $5000 each, per year for the finite period of 5 years. Friends and admirers of Hugh Hamilton are invited to contribute to this fund and thus help ensure that the period for scholarships could be extended past the five-year term.

Additional Information for Members

All Nature Vancouver scholarships are made possible by generous donations to Nature Vancouver Endowment Fund (previously Education Trust Fund, which was merged into Nature Vancouver Endowment Fund in 2021). We encourage all of our members to think of our future naturalists and scientists who are studying at this difficult time and to consider donating to the Nature Vancouver Endowment Fund. Donations to Nature Vancouver are eligible for charitable tax credits and receipts will be issued for donations of $20 or more. Donations without specific designation will contribute to general operations and donations for scholarship purposes will go to Nature Vancouver Endowment Fund. Donations can be made in one of the following ways:

You can go to Donate via PayPal Giving Fund – VNHS and donate using your credit card. You do not need a PayPal account. PayPal Giving Fund does not charge any fees for your donation, which means 100% of your donation will go to Nature Vancouver. PayPal Giving Fund also issues the receipt immediately by email. However, PayPal Giving Fund does not allow for donation designation. Please send an email to treasurer@naturevancouver.ca after the donation to advise that your donation is for the Scholarships.
You can send a cheque payable to Nature Vancouver, Attn: Treasurer (with Nature Vancouver Scholarship noted on the memo line of the cheque). Our mailing address is: PO Box 3021, Stn. Terminal, Vancouver BC V6B 3X5
You can send an interact eTransfer to treasurer@naturevancouver.ca through your online banking or mobile banking and follow up with an email to advise your mailing address for the donation receipt.
If you are planning to donate in kind (e.g. securities), please contact Treasurer Adele Liu at treasurer@naturevancouver.ca for details. Donating securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.) that have appreciated in value has additional tax advantages over selling them and donating in cash.