Working together for a greener University
Published on 7 March 13
Students and staff have been working together across the University to make Manchester more environmentally sustainable
Campus Orchard
Forty students from The University of Manchester joined in planting 82 fruit trees around two campus halls of residence, aiming to provide staff and students with an abundance of eating apples in years to come.
The apples are all varieties from the north-west, and should be well suited to our city’s weather conditions. The University obtained the trees from The Kindling Trust, who arranged community groups to graft 350 trees which are to be distributed around the Greater Manchester area to inspire local fruit growing. I got involved because I thought it was an opportunity to become part of a brilliant movement that seeks to change student attitude towards sustainability in an enjoyable way. During my volunteering I have helped plant apple trees at Fallowfield and Victoria Park Campus. It is a very simple but a powerful idea; by planting orchards we are not only making our campus greener, raising sustainability awareness and also free fruit for the residents! Ali, Electrical and Electronic Engineering |
As members of the Big Dig, a nationwide project to engage volunteers in food growing, The University of Manchester and their partners the Kindling Trust hope this will be the beginning of a transformation which will make the University one of the country’s most food-friendly places to study. We’re starting with apples, but next winter we plan to plant plums, pears and a whole range of soft fruit. We already source local organic vegetables for our halls, and now students can go a step further, and grow their own in Halls. This is just the beginning and we are looking forward to the journey. Alexander Clark, the University’s Sustainability Officer for the Directorate of Student Experience Green Impact Project AssistantsWhile in its fourth year at the University, Green Impact has involved students for the first time this year as Project Assistants. 25 students were recruited in November to support departments across the campus implement positive environmental actions. They joined lab staff teams, the Manchester Museum and the Whitworth Art Gallery teams, and departments across all four faculties. |
Students have participated in team meetings and discussions and they contribute creatively to achieve positive environmental changes. They were encouraged to take initiative, challenge assumptions and the status quo to help move forward the University’s environmental sustainability efforts. They designed and implemented visitor and staff travel surveys, conducted energy and building audits and wrote recommendation reports; they liaised with staff in the buildings to inform, raise awareness and organise events for staff; they were responsible for writing newsletters and producing awareness posters; or they developed responsibility plans for the team.
For the University of Manchester to remain a leader in environmental sustainability in the higher education sector, and to meet its 40% carbon reduction target by 2020, it needs all staff and students to engage with the environmental sustainability agenda. Green Impact provides a national framework to achieve this. You can find out more information about the project on the Environmental Sustainability website.