Every Day is Earth Day at Trent University
Trent celebrates long-standing reputation as leading green campus
In honour of Earth Day on April 22, Trent University, a leader in environmental stewardship since its inception in 1964, is recognizing and celebrating its history as a champion of environmental awareness and sustainability.
Throughout the University’s 50-year history, Trent has been challenging the way we think about environmental programs and sustainability initiatives, demonstrated through continuous investment in state-of-the-art facilities, top teaching and research expertise, and through its stewardship of the second-to-none natural assets of its beautiful 1400-acre Peterborough campus.
Trent School of the Environment
In 2015, Trent University launched the new Trent School of the Environment (TSE), which brings together all the environmental expertise at Trent allowing students to explore the full range of how we experience the environment: through water, air, soil, climate, food and our interactions with all living things. The Trent School of the Environment offers a rich learning environment at every level of study. At the undergraduate level, the school boasts a dozen degree programs and more than 100 environment-related courses across multiple disciplines in the arts and sciences.
Cutting-Edge Environmental and Sustainability Programs
Within the TSE, Trent’s innovative and dynamic environmental programs offer superb expertise and hands-on experience, preparing students for future research and careers in such wide-ranging fields as water pollution, climate change, environmental law and policy, natural resource stewardship, or sourcing renewable energy alternatives. Programs include:
- Water Sciences B.Sc. Degree Program – this program ensures future environmental leaders and scientists will be equipped with the expertise to solve problems related to the quantity and the quality of our world's most precious resource
- Environmental and Resource Science/Studies (ERS) – one of the first environmental programs to be launched at a Canadian university, and recently became the first program to be officially accredited to the National Standard of Environmental Programs in Canada by ECO Canada
- B.A. / B.Sc. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems offers students the opportunity to understand issues in organic food, farming, fair trade and many other aspects of food and agriculture from a scientific, political and social perspective.
- Indigenous Environmental Studies – Trent is the only university in Canada to offer this unique program bringing together principles of both Indigenous knowledge and western science in a unique and collaborative approach to learning.
- Ecological Restoration is a unique partnership program with Fleming College offering students both a college diploma and university degree in four years.
Renowned Environmental Researchers & Global Experts
Research excellence at Trent helps to solve complex problems and contribute to high-calibre research across a diverse range of fields. Trent’s faculty include many leading-edge environmental researchers, including:
- Dr. Julian Aherne, Canada research chair (CRC) in Environmental Modelling, is working to improve understanding of what pollutants will do in the future
- Dr. Céline Guéguen, CRC in Aquatic Sciences and Biogeochemistry, is researching how growing concentrations of water-borne pollutants, especially those from melting permafrost, will affect plants and animals in the Canadian Arctic.
- Dr. Dennis Murray, CRC in Integrative Wildlife Conservation, is researching the causes and consequences of declines in animal populations, range loss, and extinction.
- Dr. Mehdi Sharifi, CRC in Sustainable Agriculture, is working on sustainable practices to improve productivity, enhance quality of products and reduce environmental impacts.
Student Engagement
Committed to environmental sustainability, Trent University equips students at all levels of study with the diverse knowledge they need to take leadership roles in shaping their own learning experiences. Some recent student initiatives in the area of the environment include:
- Trent University and Fleming College recently came together to build on their long-standing partnership and mutual commitment to being leaders in environmental research and teaching to sign a memorandum of understanding marking a formal relationship between the two institutions to collaborate in both academic programming and research partnerships in areas related to environmental and natural resource studies. Students were on-hand at the signing event to showcase their recent research projects.
- Harvesting a Sustainable Future - Trent University embraced a local food movement this year thanks to an innovative partnership between the new student-run agricultural enterprise, the Trent Market Garden, and Chartwells, the on-campus food provider. Students, staff and faculty can now enjoy fresh, organic produce across campus at a variety of food service locations, grown on-campus by Trent students.
- Trent 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,” explained 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. As the winner of this competition Mr. Shaw will receive funding to support the execution of his project.
- 2016 North American Envirothon – Over 500 future environmental leaders from across North America will travel to Peterborough and be welcomed to Trent University’s campus this summer from July 24 to July 29, 2016 for the 2016 North American Envirothon (NAE), a unique educational program that takes students beyond the classroom to learn about natural ecosystems first-hand and build their skills as green leaders.
Sustainable Facilities
- Green Buildings – This year, Trent partnered with Ameresco to begin a major energy consumption and infrastructure improvement to campus. The $15.5 million project, which has been approved by the Trent University’s Board of Governors, is expected to save the University more than $1.5 million in avoided energy costs annually for a nine-year term, and includes energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrades to 26 buildings and 126,000 square metres of space on the Symons Campus and Traill College.
- Trent Water Quality Centre (WQC) – a state-of-the art mass spectrometry facility offering specialized analytical services and training courses to researchers, government agencies and private companies received a new mass spectrometer this year, making it the most comprehensive mass spectrometry facility in Canada.
- Trent Experimental Farm - Sinking their hands into the soil at Trent’s groundbreaking sustainable farm, professors and students are taking learning to a whole new level. The farm, a 33-acre living laboratory located right on Trent’s campus, was started by Dr. Mehdi Sharifi, Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Agriculture, and a professor in the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program. Prof. Sharifi and his students work together to cultivate the land and have exceptional hands-on experiences, as they work to advance the study of sustainable agriculture in real-time.
- Trent Centre for Materials Research brings together Trent faculty with research interests in Chemistry and Physics to foster an improved understanding of the properties of materials of potential benefit to industry, and the training of highly qualified personnel in these areas
- DNA Building is a centre of academic excellence dedicated to interdisciplinary teaching and research, especially in the discipline of DNA Forensics.
- Sustainability Office – In response to the growing concern for the health of our environment, Trent established its Sustainability Office in 2007 as part of the Physical Resources department overseeing facility management. The Sustainability Office takes active measures to reduce waste, conserve energy and water and keep Trent green!
Environmental Events and Green Initiatives at Trent
Below are just a few examples of how Trent champions sustainable initiatives:
- Green Convocation At water bottle-free convocation ceremonies, graduates take the green pledge of social and environmental sustainability
- Car Share: A car share program, open to all members of the Trent community, was launched in partnership with the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA), Trent Parking & Security, Peterborough Green-Up and the City of Peterborough.
- Sustainable Business: Trent continues to divert tonnes of waste from landfill through composting on campus, has replaced all cleaning supplies to Green Seal or certified EcoLogo, has reduced GHG emissions by 220eCO2 tonnes (2012), and will save between $50,000 and $75,000 in energy costs per year through Bata Library lighting and exterior lighting retrofits.
» More examples of how Trent is living up to its reputation as a leader in sustainability and the environment