Trent Student’s Vision of a Forested Campus Takes Top Prize
Daniel Shaw’s project wins Trent’s Green Your Campus competition
“My project aims to increase the number of trees on campus, in order to offset campus development, help mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance the environment for student health and well-being,” explains Daniel Shaw, Trent University honours thesis student in Psychology and Environmental and Resource Studies, and recent winner of the Trent Green Your Campus Competition at the Campus Sustainability Conference.
The Green Your Campus competition was an opportunity for students to create and implement an on campus sustainability project. As the winner of this competition Mr. Shaw will receive funding to support the execution of his project.
Building on his thesis research, looking at tree canopy cover in relation to well-being, Mr. Shaw hopes “the project has a restorative effect on student campus life, by creating a nearby forest or micro-forest where student’s can immerse themselves.”
Not only does Mr. Shaw hope his project will be restorative for students but he also hopes it will support the sustainability of the campus.
“By increasing the number of trees we can sequester carbon, help filter emissions to clean the air, reduce the ambient temperature, and increase sound reduction, all while increasing the visual aesthetic of the campus,” he said.
Bringing this project to life is what Mr. Staw is looking forward to most, sharing “what really gets me excited is thinking about what the trees might look like in 30 or 40 years and that awesome sensation of the sun moving through the forest canopy, while a chorus of birds and insects resonates around you.”