Looking forward to Green Week 2024
Looking ahead to Green Week 2024, we've caught up with Sustainability Coordinator, Teegan Hayden-Smith, to find out about her role in the Energy & Sustainability Team and what activities we have to look forward to.
What does your role involve in the Energy and Sustainability team?
"I joined the Energy and Sustainability Team as a Sustainability Assistant in May 2023 and have just started a new role as a Sustainability Coordinator.
During my time at the University, I've mainly been involved with organising and running biodiversity events on campus. This includes species surveys, Warwick Wombles Litter Picks and Biodiversity Walks, as well as larger events such as the City Nature Challenge in April, and Green Week coming up next week.
I also support my team on different aspects of the Way to Sustainable Strategy. The team leads on monitoring and reducing energy usage, championing sustainable procurement, reducing waste and delivering biodiversity net gain, amongst other projects."
What's the most rewarding part of your role?
"It's feeling that I am making a positive impact. After studying Global Sustainable Development as my Undergraduate Degree at the University, I was inspired to begin a career in a role where I could make a difference. I feel that through my role as Sustainability Assistant, providing regular events for our community to get involved in, I have been able to work towards enhancing campus for wildlife and engaging staff and students with the natural environment."
What's Green Week and how does Warwick celebrate it?
"Green Week is an annual event that aims to promote sustainability and positive change in staff and students. The University has been celebrating Green Week for more than 10 years and in recent years has been working with Coventry University to make some events accessible to students from both universities. This year it will take place 4-8 March, and we will be running a series of events for staff and students to get involved in. This includes a clothes-swapping event called Swap Shop and a talk by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust on the Nature and Climate Emergency."
Of all the events taking place, which one is not to be missed?
"If there is one event you attend during Green Week, be sure to come along to the Bug Hotel Making session. This will be a brilliant opportunity to get outside, get your hands dirty and benefit your wellbeing! To make the bug hotels we will stack up pallets and stuff them with moss, leaves, bricks, and all sorts of other materials. These bug hotels will be home to invertebrates, such as woodlice and beetles, which boost biodiversity and provide a natural food source for small mammals, such as hedgehogs. The event will be run in collaboration with the Grounds and Gardens Team."
How can staff get involved in green activities going forward?
"We don't just run events in Green Week, we run them throughout the year. By signing up to be a Green Champion, you can join a group of like-minded individuals and receive our monthly newsletter. This newsletter highlights sustainability news, initiatives, and events you can get involved with in the Energy and Sustainability team, across the University and in the local area. You can also check out our Sustainability events page, which details all our upcoming events. If you click 'Notify' in the top right corner, you will get an email every time we upload a new event!"
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Check out the Green Week schedule of events, including:
- Nature & Climate Emergency Talk by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
- Swap Shop
- Recycle Your Cycle - Bike Sale
- Bug hotel making session