We've partnered with WWF Canada, our country's most prominent international conservation organization, to help to create a world where nature and people thrive.
Through our Living Planet @ Campus partnership, we're creating meaningful opportunities for University of Guelph students to take action on the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
The Living Planet Leader Leader certification is a self-guided designation that any University of Guelph student can complete. Students have from the first day of their post-secondary program until three months after graduating to complete and submit WWF Canada's requirements.
To earn the certification, you must complete actions in the following categories:
Campus, community or global volunteerism
Personal application of sustainability
Application of sustainability in academics
Leadership and teamwork
After completing the Living Planet Leader requirements, students will obtain a WWF-Canada certification and a custom WWF Canada badge on their LinkedIn profile and resume. They will be listed on the Living Planet @ Campus Leaders website.
In 2019, the Guelph Campus Conservation Program was awarded a Go Wild School Grant through WWF Canada to plant the initial phase of the South Residence Native Pollinator Garden. This funding was used to purchase native plants from Origin Native Plants, a native plant nursery in Guelph, Ontario.
In 2020, WWF Canada awarded the Guelph Campus Conservation Program a second Go Wild School Grant to expand the South Residence Native Pollinator Garden and create educational signage for the site. This funding was used to purchase native plants from Origin Native Plants, a native plant nursery located in Guelph, Ontario and print signage for the garden. You can learn more about this project by visiting the Guelph Campus Conservation Program page. In 2020, WWF Canada awarded Living Glass Labs a Go Wild School Grant to develop their Conservation through Propagation project, providing Canadian schools with educational tools and opportunities to learn about endangered plant species. You can learn more about this project by visiting Living Glass' Conservation through Propagation website page.
In 2021, WWF Canad awarded first-year student Mikayla Astroff a Go Wild School Grant. In receiving a Go Wild School Grant from WWF, Mikayla and other student volunteers at the University of Guelph hope to carry out several projects to promote student engagement and plant conservation education in partnership with the Sustainability Office and the University of Guelph Arboretum. A significant portion of the funding will serve as a foundation for long-term capacity building and a catalyst for student leadership engagement by investing in critical gardening tools and equipment. These projects encompass a series of Invasive Species Removal Day and awareness events, student-led boardwalk maintenance efforts, and a Kick-Off Hike with a UofG Naturalist to cultivate conservation literacy. Apart from this collection of projects, students hope to pursue a collaborative initiative with Wisahkotewinowak and participate in an urban Indigenous garden collective.
In 2022, WWF Canada awarded Gurleen and Julie, two fourth-year Zoology students, funding for the UofG Biodiversity Inventory, a student-led initiative focused on exploring the biological diversity on our University of Guelph campus. The funding was used to run a biodiversity photo contest and photo gallery in March 2023.
In 2023, the UofG Sustainability Office received $2000 to run a "pull and plant" event series in the summer 2024 semester focused on removing invasive species from the University of Guelph Arboretum and planting native plants in our newly established UofG Seed Orchard behind Blackwood Hall. The UofG Sustainability Office, in partnership with the Art Science Club and Biodiversity Club, received $2000 to create an art installation outdoor seating project that will see the creation of painted picnic benches, which will be placed around the UofG Seed Orchard located behind Blackwood Hall. The picnic tables will all be painted to highlight and celebrate local biodiversity.
