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Greening The Campus

by Danielle Wong
U of T Scarborough Campus, October 15 2007

The flowers on the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC) aren�t there just for looks; they�re creating a healthier ecosystem.

Since last September, UTSC volunteer students and staff have been carrying out efforts to re-naturalize their campus through the �Green the Campus� campaign. The university, in partnership with Evergreen, a Canadian organization that helps communities create healthier outdoor spaces (www.evergreen.ca), has been planting native tree species and wildflowers around campus.

UTSC just seems ideal for this sort of campaign, as its property comprises woodlands, trails and fields that stretch 300 acres on a strip of Highland Creek.

�The idea is to have it very low maintenance and natural, as well as (plants) that are beneficial to the wildlife around it,� UTSC�s sustainability co-ordinator Tim Lang said on Thursday.

A healthy environment is an environment that is not dependent on human maintenance, Lang said, that�s why they use perennials and local species so that it is self-sustainable. �When flowers are feeding off each other� it�s an aesthetic that goes beyond just �Wow that looks nice,�� he said.

That�s why the �Green the Campus� campaign plants native flora and wildflowers that are perennials: not only will the plant life benefit its area and surrounding wildlife, they return in bloom each year.

This month, several events took place to maintain and restore plantation on the campus. Students planted trees as well as restored flowers that had been planted to decorate the front of their campus in April.

On Thursday afternoon, students gathered for the �Hickory Sticks� event and planted around 100 silver maple and white cedar trees along Ring Road where the Hickory Residence is located. The volunteers also did some �seed-shaking,� which is basically shaking the plants so that their seeds are dispersed to encourage growth.

These events have varying turnouts. On average, 20 volunteers come out, but on some occasions, it can go up to a hundred.

Last year, UTSC volunteers planted around 700 trees in the Highland Creek Valley�known by students as simply �the valley��where three outdoor playing fields are located. This year, Lang estimates almost 300 have been planted around the school. Overall, almost a thousand trees have been planted because of the campaign.

�In my personal view�it�s best to infringe as little as possible on nature because we depend so much on it,� Lang said. �Nature left to itself is very good at producing bountiful ecosystems."

Lang says UTSC is looking into programs for the winter, as the campaign is an ongoing process. �We�re always looking for more sites to re-naturalize,�.