We Grow Trees challenge returns to campus
To support the university’s commitment to a healthy workplace, the Healthy Workplace Committee (HWC) and the Sustainability Committee will once again hold the We Grow Trees staff challenge for faculty and staff.
The goal of the challenge is to promote the connection between a healthy lifestyle and a healthy environment. Planting oak trees will help reduce the university’s carbon footprint and improve the health of the campus community and our surroundings. Participants will benefit from spending time outdoors and being part of an inclusive group where they learn and ‘grow’ together as they gain environmental knowledge.
Growing and caring for a tree can seem intimidating if you don’t have a green thumb, but it’s easy! Participants will receive an information package with instructions on how to grow a tree, as well as updates throughout the challenge. They will learn how to:
- Collect seeds/acorns fallen from oak trees, starting in October.
- Foster the seeds over the winter.
- Plant, care for and water the seeds.
- Aid their seedling during the growth process into a small tree.
After the seedlings are planted on campus in the spring, the HWC and Sustainability Committee will host a barbecue to celebrate this initiative’s success. There will be prizes for different categories, including first tree to sprout above the soil, and tallest tree.
If you’re ready to start growing, or have questions about the growing process, see the event poster or contact sustainability@uoit.ca.
