Happy February, we're back with our next edition of our Sustainability at Lincoln newsletter, bringing you our news about what we've got coming up and projects you can get involved in.
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What's On...
Carbon Literacy Training
Staff can sign up to Carbon Literacy training via MyView - April 11th & June 18th.
Students are able to book into a taster session via the Student Union Eco Award, see below for more information.
Nature Positive Walks & Workshops
Habitat Building
Brayford log pile building, Friday 16 February 12:00 - 13:00, use the signup button below to let us know if you'll be attending.
Help us build log piles on the Brayford Campus to encourage insects, and resting places for small mammals and amphibians.
Brayford Biodiversity Walk
Wednesday 21 February 12:00 - 13:00. Learn about wildlife on the Brayford Campus, and our Nature Positive University campaign. We'll be meeting outside the front of the Ross Lucas Medical Sciences Building. Use the signup button below to let us know if you'll be attending.
Boultham Mere Nature Reserve Visit
Friday 1 March, 13:30 - 15:00. Visit our local city nature reserve on a guided walk, learn about what wildlife can be found so close to the city centre and how you can best look after nature locally. This walk will take place on uneven ground, walking boots/trainers/wellies recommended. Click the link below to sign up to attend:
Looking after your environment
SU Volunteering Week: Litter Pick
Student Volunteering Week takes place from 12th to 18th February 2024, and is a national celebration of the work that our student volunteers do in the community, as well as an opportunity to encourage students to volunteer and help their local communities.
On Tuesday 13th February the SU will be holding a litter pick as part of Students Volunteering Week.
Kitchen Garden Launch 2024!
Green fingered or not, if you love the outdoors and want the chance to grow your own fruit and veg, this is your perfect opportunity!
To get involved, use the link below and we'll let you know when and where to meet.
The first session is on Wednesday the 28th February and they'll be running weekly/fortnightly depending on the weather and what's growing until the end of September.
Nature Positive Lincoln
The University of Lincoln is a founding member of the Nature Positive Universities Alliance, one of over 500 institutions globally that are campaigning for a #naturepositive future. For a university, being Nature Positive means restoring species and ecosystems that have been harmed by the impacts of a university and its activities and enhancing the university’s positive impacts on nature.
Throughout the year, we'll be sharing how you can get involved in our Biodiversity Action Plans for the estate, whether that's through talks, walks, planting, surveying for wildlife or habitat building. Activities will remain free and will be open to all.
Find out more about the international campaign on the NPU website and via the video below.
What have we seen on site?
White squirrel at Riseholme
For those eagle eyed wildlife enthusiasts at Riseholme Park, you may have recently seen our resident white squirrel! This squirrel is Leucistic, as the squirrel retains its dark eyes with a bright white coat and tail (albino squirrels can be characterised by their red eyes). Let us know if you see them!
Kestrels spotted scoping out nesting locations
Last week, we spotted a pair of kestrels scoping out a potential nesting site deadwood tree at Riseholme Park, it's always exciting to see these beautiful birds of prey. These falcons are listed Amber UK Conservation status and we're hoping that they will nest here this year.
Find out more about Kestrels on the RSPB website:
iBiodiversity
We are now in the testing stage of our "iBiodiversity" web app, a collaborative, interdisciplinary project at the University of Lincoln with the intention to bring biodiversity surveying and identification in one concise app to the community. Long term, our ambition for this project is to measure the following:
- Biodiversity and habitat connectivity
- Above-ground vegetation carbon storage
- Water infiltration for flood regulation
Funded by the UPP Foundation, app development has allowed University of Lincoln students the opportunity to gain paid work experience steered by a group of dedicated professional services and academic staff at our institution, and we now have a pilot app that allows users to survey plants, view habitat types and flood management maps in Lincolnshire.
Find out more and help us test the pilot web app:
A Spring Resolution
Lent starts Feb 13th this year, and whether you celebrate Easter or not, it is the perfect time to start a spring resolution!
Our top ideas:
- Swap cow milk for oat or hemp milk
- Travel to campus sustainably one day a week ie cycle, walk, car share or take the bus!
- Go meat free
- Sign up to ECO Award or take the Carbon Literacy course
- Start your own kitchen or herb garden
- Spring clean! Whether it's your wardrobe, your email subscriptions or your food cupboards
- Volunteer - there are some great local organisations that would value your support
ECO Award
'The award consists of several different tasks that will teach you about the global crisis, give you tips on doing your part to make the planet healthier and give you opportunities to make meaningful impacts to your campus and community.
The award is split into 4 sections, each with different tasks that will help you to lessen your impact on the planet, learn more about the climate emergency and encourage others to do the same.'
Harriet Dempsey, VP Campaigns & Environment
LGBTQIA+ History Month
February is LGBTQIA+ History Month, and the theme for 2024 is 'Under the Scope', highlighting the experiences of the community in medicine. You can find out more about the campaign on the below website.
Action for the climate and for equality and justice is intersectional. Many LGBTQIA+ people are involved in environmental activism alongside their fight for equality.
OUT for Sustainability
OUT for Sustainability provides a platform for co-creating climate resilience and environmental justice by and for LGBTQIA+ communities. View their website below:
Further reading
Professor Nancy C. Unger, Chair of the History Department at Santa Clara University, wrote the below essay about the connection between the LGBTQ+ community and environmentalism:
The Butterfly Conservation Trust highlighted some key environmentalists from the LGBT+ community in the below post:
The University of Lincoln Library have put together a brilliant resource reading list for this month also:
Know of any inspiring environmentalists from the LGBTQIA+ community you'd like us to highlight in the future? Drop us an email at environment@lincoln.ac.uk