I am in my dream university, in my dream course! Yes, I am at the Ateneo de Manila University taking up BS Environmental Science. Ever since I was young I always wanted to do something to protect the environment. I attended so many conferences and meetings so I could learn more about the environment. So when I was looking for a course in College I knew it had to be related to the Environment.

My course is a 5 year course. Through the years I will study subjects that will combine natural sciences, management and social sciences. Aside from the general education subjects, I will study Ecology, Microbiology, Environmental Pollution and Environmental Impact Assessment.  I am lucky because in our university I will get the education that will help me understand the problems that our environment faces.

I am excited to get a chance to use the equipment in the department?s laboratories.  Since I was young I would pretend to be a scientist and using a water monitoring kit I would go out to the lake and measure for pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and temperature.  Soon I hope they will let us use fancy equipment which they have in the laboratories.  I read that they have laboratory and field equipment for air, water and soil monitoring and other stuff. I saw some of their equipment in one of our lakes that the university has adopted.

The Environmental Science department does research in the following areas:  Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Restoration Ecology, Environmental Geology, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Law, Ecotoxicology, Treatment and Bioremediation Technologies, Environmental Modeling and Systems Dynamics, Environmental Management and Capacity-building and Training.

The office our Environmental Science department is located in the Manila Observatory?s 3^rd Floor.  The Manila Observatory moved to the campus of the university in 1963. They do research here on air quality, climate change, and mapping for disaster vulnerability.  Some photos were taken outside the Manila Observatory.