Green Campus Day
During World Green Building Week in September, ACTS celebrates Green Campus Day by supporting members to showcase the buildings and other innovative features that make their campuses sustainable. A range of online and on-site events can be freely accessed by staff, students, industry representatives and the wider community.
In 2023 Green Campus Day will take place on Tuesday, 12 September.
Green Campus Day is proudly supported by:
On campus
(AU) Parkville Biodiversity Tour
Melbourne, VIC
Duration: 1 hour
Time: 12pm AEST
Institution: The University of Melbourne
Meeting point: University Oval (under the eastern most Eucalyptus camaldulensis – between the football oval and athletics track).Join this free tour to learn all about biodiversity on the Parkville campus and what the University is doing to support it. The Sustainability Team is helping raise awareness of biodiversity on campus with this free tour for University of Melbourne staff and students. The tour covers information about how the University is supporting biodiversity and showcases hotspots on campus including the System Garden and the Insect Hotel.
Please arrive 5 minutes before the start of the tour.
(AU) RMIT Sustainability Campus Tour
Melbourne, VIC
Duration: 1 hour
Time: 11am AEST
Institution: RMIT University
Meeting point: Sustainability Space 10.4.70Walk with the Sustainability Team around campus and learn about RMIT’s commitment to sustainability through their natural and built environment. This walking tour celebrates both Green Campus Day and RMIT’s Sustainability Week.
Highlights include:
- State of the art Bike Hub
- Solar Panel Rooftop
- Green Star Accredited Buildings
- Heritage & Architecture …and much more!
(AU) The Environmental IMPACT of Offices and Labs
St Lucia, QLD
Day: Monday 12, September
Duration: 1 hour
Time: 12pm AEST
Institution: The University of Queensland
Meeting point: Room 329, Steele Building (03)Join the UQ Green Ambassador Program (GAP) for a seminar on the environmental IMPACT of offices and labs. Two experts from the UQ Sustainability Office will describe the situation of carbon emissions that result from our labs and offices at UQ, explain how this is captured, and outline ways in which we can reduce our footprints.
*Note that this session will be held both in-person and via Zoom. Please indicate your preference with your registration.
(AU) UTS Green Roof Tour
Sydney, NSW
Duration: 1 hour
Time: 12–1pm AEST
Institution: University of Technology Sydney
Meeting point: Student Learning Hub. UTS Building 2, level 4. Broadway, Ultimo.Green roofs have many sustainability benefits including; provide habitat for birds, insects and animals, help to cool the city and reduce the urban heat island effect, and improve urban amenity for humans. UTS has five green roofs.
Come on this tour and explore them – including some spaces not normally open to the public.
(NZ) Healthy honey bees on campus: the challenges for sustaining pollinators
Wellington
Duration: 1 hour
Time: 12:30–1:30pm NZST
Institution: Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington
Location: Alan MacDiarmid, AM103, Kelburn CampusBees are an essential part of the environment because they pollinate plants (including our food crops) when foraging for nectar and pollen. One of the biggest issues facing honey bees worldwide and in New Zealand is the parasitic Varroa mite. Professor Phil Lester from the School of Biological Sciences together with a team of PhD students are researching ways to defend the world’s bee populations from Varroa with the help of hives installed at the Kelburn campus. Professor Lester will talk about their work in the fight against Varroa and other challenges for honey bees in New Zealand, the benefits of bees in society today, and what you can do to help.
(NZ) Massey Waste Audit Findings
Albany, Palmerston North, Wellington
Duration: 1 hour
Time: Various – please see registration link
Institution: Massey University
Location: Various – please see registration linkWe welcome all staff and students to join us as our auditors present the findings of the recent campus waste audits. How much waste do we produce as an organisation, what is it made up of, and how can we stop so much of it going to landfill?
These audits are an important part of learning what being ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ means at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa and mark the first steps towards our goal of 90% waste reduction by 2030.
Please follow the registration link to find the date and time of the waste audit presentation on your campus.
Virtual
(AU) Get your electric wheels on
Duration: 1 hour
Time: 1pm AWST | 3pm AEST | 5pm NZST
Institution: University of Technology SydneyHear from renewables expert and Green Infrastructure Project Manager Jonathan Prendergast about the opportunities, challenges and logistical issues associated with rolling out electric vehicle infrastructure at your organisation. From greening your fleet to helping stabilise energy management, and even attracting high calibre staff, the benefits can be significant.
From a personal perspective, Jonathan will also discuss the thrills and spills of EV selection and ownership.
Interactive session including Q&A.
(NZ) The Living Pā
Duration: 45 minutes
Time: 7am AWST | 9am AEST | 11am NZST
Institution: Te Herenga Waka Victoria | University of WellingtonPresenter: Rhonda Thomson, Pou Hāpai (Senior advisor) and Co-Project Manager the Living Pā.
We know that we need to make more conscious choices for the environment and for the legacy we’ll leave the next generation. Indigenous peoples around the world are searching for initiatives that can support us to be who we are meant to be on our everyday lives. Māori and non-Māori businesses are looking for holistic, science-based model to address the big challenges we are all confronting; the changing climate, depleting resources, injustices and inequities. In this webinar, Rhonda will talk about the redevelopment of the marae (Māori complex) at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. As a values-based proposition the Living Pā, a learning and innovation hub, is designed to deliver environmental, people and business benefits, and hope.
Join us live for a short webinar followed by Q+A.
Videos
(AU) Bush tucker virtual tour
Institution: The University of Queensland
Edible bush plants have been an integral part of the indigenous Australian diet for centuries.
There are more than 5,000 different bush food species in Australia but only 20 of these plants have become part of the developed world’s diet.
UQ’s Bush Tucker Garden provides visitors with an opportunity to explore bush foods by experiencing them within the south-east Queensland ecosystem natural to these plants
(AU) CampusFlora – explore biodiversity across our campuses
Institution: The University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is committed to growing and supporting diverse flora and fauna on our campuses by protecting and improving the ecosystems that attract interconnected plants, fungi and wildlife species. Thanks to a project led by Associate Professor Rosanne Quinnell and botany students and staff, you can now explore the flora across all of our campuses virtually. The CampusFlora website is a learning and teaching tool. It contains the botanical details of all species across all campuses from Camperdown to One Tree Island.
In partnership with different academics from across disciplines, self guided trails have been added so you can discover a new botanical route across campus. One example is the Patyegarang trail. This was developed in collaboration with Associate Professor Quinnell’s Aboriginal colleagues (Quinnell et al., 2018) and offers content from Professor Jaky Troy’s work on Indigenous languages.
In offering this trail in CampusFlora Associate Professor Quinnell’s pays her deepest respects to Patyegarang, the first known teacher of language and to the traditional custodians of the Eora nation upon whose land the University stands.
(AU) Gold STARS at UTAS
The University of Tasmania is proud to be the first Australasian Gold rated institution in the global Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). We have worked together across all Colleges and Divisions and in partnership with our students to achieve 73.8 percent of available points. Earlier this year we recieved a ranking of #1 in the world on Climate Action in the Times Higher Education Impact rankings. In addition, our Sustainability Integration Program for Students (SIPS) was recently awarded the 2022 International Green Gown Award for Student Engagement and our University was highly commended in the Sustainability Institution of the Year category. In lots of ways the real value of this recognition is that it helps with our aspiration to be making a difference both here in Tasmania and far beyond our shores and to share how universities can be leading in taking action for our climate.
Join us online to explore our campus community food gardens, hear about how we are reducing embodied carbon in new buildings, and virtually visit our first green roof. You will hear from staff and students working to rehabilitate a 200-year-old heritage orchard and how we are diverting organic materials to make compost on campus.
(AU) RMIT Sustainability Virtual Campus Tour
Take a look at some of the innovative ways RMIT is incorporating sustainability practices into our learning and teaching, research and operational activities.
Virtual
(AU) UNSW Sydney: Autumn colours light up the campus
Every year from mid-May through to early June, UNSW Sydney colours up in red, orange, yellow and gold. Join us on a virtual Autumn Walk around UNSW Sydney Kensington campus and learn more about our spectacular deciduous trees, what they are called and where to find them on our campus.
For more information, contact sustainability@unsw.edu.au
(AU) UNSW Sydney: Kensington Campus Sustainability Map
Explore UNSW Sydney’s sustainability initiatives and services through this interactive map of the main Kensington campus. Map features multiple layers with information about campus water refill and dishwashing facilities, plastic free retailers, recycling facilities, cycling end of trip facilities, rooftop solar PV systems, total energy and water heatmaps and a detailed map of campus trees.
For more information, contact sustainability@unsw.edu.au
(AU) UOM: Sustainability tour
Explore the University of Melbourne’s sustainable initiatives, services, and infrastructure on our virtual Sustainability Tour. You will hear University experts explain how we embed sustainability across our campuses in order to reduce our collective environmental impact.
Onsite
(AU) UTS: Green roof tour
UTS has five green roofs providing habitat for urban biodiversity and spaces for humans to hang out. This walking tour takes in all five spaces.
(NZ) AUT: Biodiversity walk
Claire Ellis – an AUT graduate – will walk you through the South campus where you’ll learn about the range of native trees and plants on campus and how they support biodiversity. This event is free for all AUT staff and students. Numbers are restricted.
(NZ) AUT: Try an electric bike
Have you wanted to feel the power of an electric bike? During lunchtime come and try an electric bike in an area on campus. An instructor will be there to introduce you to electric bikes (helmets also provided).
(NZ) VUW: Wellington School of Architecture Sustainable Research Showcase
Haere mai! Join us during World Green Building Week 2020 for a showcase of the latest sustainable architectural research from thesis level students at Victoria University of Wellington School of Architecture. Building and construction must play a key role in tackling era-defining problems, making it a crucial time for our sector.
Live stream
(AU) ANU: Digital workshop
How might the ANU reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its buildings as rapidly as possible? This digital workshop (via zoom) provides an opportunity to share your ideas for how the Australian National University (ANU) might reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings as rapidly as possible.
(AU) UTS: Talking Bees
See the UTS native beehive and hear from Judy Friedlander and Francisco Garcia Bulle discussing the important role played by bees, the B & B highway project, and keeping native stingless bees. Tune into the UTS: Green Facebook live-stream, and join the audience Q&A.
Virtual
(AU) La Trobe: Net Zero Project
We have recently completed the installation of 7,500 solar panels at our Melbourne Campus. This solar energy system is capable of generating up to 50% of our campus energy needs, off-setting 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year and saving the University almost $615,000 per year.
It’s all part of our commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2029. Find out more about the Net Zero Project here.
(AU) UNSW: Jacaranda trees blossom
The purple prelude to summer’s warm weather has arrived. Every year from late October through November the Kensington campus lights up with 17 Jacaranda trees in bloom. Dotted across UNSW from the Michael Birt Lawn down to Southern Drive, these ornamental trees add splashes of beauty to lawns and water features. Take the UNSW Sydney virtual Jacaranda Walk and learn more about these spectacular trees.
(AU) UOM: Sustainability tour
Explore the University of Melbourne’s sustainable initiatives, services, and infrastructure on our virtual Sustainability Tour. You will hear University experts explain how we embed sustainability across our campuses in order to reduce our collective environmental impact.
(AU) UQ: Solar program
UQ’s solar program has been harvesting the sun for over a decade. In this online tour, learn about the rooftop solar facilities that cover UQ’s campuses but can only be seen from a birds-eye view. There are approximately 10,000 solar panels that make up the 2.14MW system installed on more than 30 rooftops at St Lucia campus, making it one of the largest integrated solar installations in the country.
To learn more about UQ’s solar rooftop program, or anything else to do with sustainability, go here and sustainability.uq.edu.au
(AU) UQ: Warwick solar farm
UQ’s massive Warwick Solar Farm will enable UQ to be 100% renewable by 2020 – this year! This means UQ will be the first university globally to own our own solar farm that will generate as much or more electricity each year than the University needs. Mr Andrew Wilson, UQ’s resident solar expert, takes us on an online tour!
You can learn more about UQ’s Warwick Solar Farm and the renewable energy programs here and at sustainability.uq.edu.au
(AU) UTAS: Interactive map
The tour explores how aspects of sustainability have been incorporated within the University of Tasmania. Features on the tour include the University’s sustainable building designs, transport services, waste management, biodiversity on campus, options for health and wellbeing activities and social sustainability as well as student sustainability projects on the campus.
