Campus Vision the Focus of Phase 2 of Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan
Campus and community engagement begins February 4, 2020
Wednesday, January 29 2020, Peterborough
As the Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan moves into Phase 2, members of the Trent and Peterborough communities are invited to share their ideas to help Trent University achieve its vision of a “sustainable and inspiring campus community, thoughtfully integrating the natural and built environments, with vibrant spaces to learn, innovate, be active and live.”
Phase 2 of the Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan update, which launches February 4, 2020 with campus and community engagement sessions, will focus on creating opportunities to: enrich campus life; enhance public spaces; foster campus-community connections; and meet campus and community needs. Phase 2 will also include a review of the guiding principles, and discussion of approaches to land use planning and greening the campus.
Phase 1 of the Trent Lands Plan process, “Understanding the Land”, took place in 2019 and included Indigenous Traditional Knowledge gathering, collection of natural heritage data from primary and secondary sources, public input, and a campus archaeology study. The goal of the Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan is to update and integrate the 2013 Trent Lands Plan and the 2002 Nature Areas Stewardship Plan into one guiding strategic campus plan for the University.
“We’ve worked hard to collect various perspectives about the land on which Trent is built,” said Julie Davis, vice-president, External Relations and Advancement, Trent University. “Our campus is rich in natural spaces, and is valued for its ecological value, biodiversity, spaces for learning and research, and the public trail system. Great suggestions came forth in the first phase to green the campus, ensure the integrity and health of the Nature Areas, and to integrate traditional Indigenous knowledge in the fabric of the campus.”
Phase 1 of the planning process began with a land blessing by Michi Saagiig Elders, included a traditional knowledge sharing workshop, a public lecture on local Indigenous traditional medicine, and walking and sharing tours with Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers. Ideas emerging from these sessions include a traditional teaching lodge and a traditional medicine garden on campus.
Phase 2 includes two further rounds of public engagement in February and March. In addition to the objectives listed above, further public input will be sought on the ways to bring Phase 1 and Phase 2 input and findings into an over-arching framework plan to achieve Trent’s vision of a sustainable and inspiring campus community, including environmentally sensitive ways to advance vital campus and community projects, while stewarding and conserving Nature Areas and greenspaces.
“Trent University maintains 60% of the land on the main Symons Campus as nature areas and greenspace,” said Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor, Trent University. “We are developing a vision for the future of the campus that achieves a synergistic relationship between ecology, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, cultural heritage and sustainable land use.”
Students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees and community members can participate in the Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan update in the following ways:
- Campus/Community Information and Input Session
- February 4, 2020 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The Great Hall, Champlain College
Poster boards available to view from 6:30 pm, formal presentation at 7:00 p.m., followed by workshop exercise
- Campus Pop-Ups
- February 4, 2020 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Trent Student Centre Alumni Atrium
- February 12, 2020 10:30 a.m. – 12 noon Otonabee College Cafeteria; 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Bata Library Atrium
- Online Survey
- Available on the TrentLands.ca website as of February 4, 2020
- Connect on Social Media
- Visit the Trent Lands website to see the history of campus planning, view presentations and reports related to the update, and see other upcoming initiatives in the two-phase plan
- Sign up for regular updates through the e-newsletter
The University has acquired the services of independent experts to assist in the plan creation: SvN Architects + Planners, North-South Environmental, and Nbisiing Consulting.
For more information about the Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan, and how to get involved, visit trentlands.ca.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
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For more information, contact:
Cara Walsh, communications and media relations officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6240 or carawalsh@trentu.ca
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