1st June 2023

Sustainability at UH - How To Get Involved

How To Get Involved

We offer a range of opportunities for you to get involved with sustainability at the University of Hertfordshire.

1. Follow us on our socials:

2. Upcoming Events:

Date & Time	Activity & Location	Descriptions	Sign up?
Saturday 3rd June 11:00-12:00	Community organised litter pick - Meet outside the Hatfield swim centre	Want to help keep your community tidy? Join this litter pick led by Welwyn Hatfield CVS and make a difference	N/A
Thursday 15th June 13:00-14:00	SustFest Campus Litter Pick - Meet outside the Mercer building CL	Join us as we keep Herts tidy as part of the SustFest campaign	N/A
Saturday 17th June 11:00-12:00	SustFest Community litter pick - Meet outside Co-op, Bishop's Rise	Join us as we team up with Welwyn Hatfield CVS for a community litter pick to keep Herts tidy	N/A

Join us for No Mow May

Take part and be entered into a prize draw to win a LUSH giftset by simply following these steps:

Make a pledge here
Leave your garden/part of your garden to grow wild
Send us a picture of your garden from 31 May to 9 June (Don’t worry, we will remind you again)

A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground – and best of all, to reap these benefits all you have to do is not mow your lawn in May!

3. UH Sustainability Advocates Programme:

Do you want to earn points towards your Go Herts Award and increase your employability whilst making a different at Herts? Become a UH Sustainability Advocate! Learn new skills, make a difference, and meet new people. Find out more here.

4. How to be a sustainable student

> Climate change

- Energy usage: Only boiling the water you need, turning appliances off when not in use

- Travel: Active travel (walk/cycle) and use public transport/carshare where you can.

- Food:

The food choices we make can have a significant impact on the environment, often more than we may think. Aside from being responsible for about 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, some of our favourite foods may also be driving deforestation, changes in land use, biodiversity loss, pollution, and water supply stress.

To help the UH community make more informed choices, we have partnered with Aramark to display the environmental foodprint of all our meals in the College Lane food court, with Starbucks, Rore, and DeHavilland food court coming later in January. https://viewthe.menu/swgv

- Stuff: Buy less, buy local, buy ethical, buy secondand

> Biodiversity

- Nature Positive Universities - Student Ambassador

The University of Hertfordshire has pledged to become a Nature Positive University. This pledge is to restore species and ecosystems that have been harmed by the university’s actions as well as enhance the university’s positive impacts on nature.

Become a Student Ambassador!

Nature Positive Universities are developing a thriving Student Ambassadors programme, empowering students to take action for nature on their campuses towards Nature Positive and share experiences and resources with other students across the world. An activities toolkit will be provided, and you can share your actions for nature on social media with the #GenerationRestoration.

Your role:

Attend a monthly drop-in video meeting with other Student Ambassadors to share nature related news and activities from your campus (beginning in January 2023)
Commit to volunteering with us approx. 1-2 hours a week for a minimum of a university term
Organise one or more activities on campus from activities toolkit
Stay in touch with us to let us know any queries and if you are unable to continue volunteering

Learn more here.

- Allotment Workshops

Groundwork East run gardening sessions at the allotment plots, near Telford Court on College Lane every Wednesday 1-3pm during term time. Sign up here.