The 15th installment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to UCC Student Union President Asha Woodhouse.

The Green Campus and UCC's Enactus Society are delighted to bring you our Christmas Community Market on Tuesday 6th December from 10am-3pm outside the Hub. The Community Market is focused on circularity, supporting small businesses, artists and socio-environmental initiatives. 

We're aiming to support local community initiatives and social enterprises and while doing so promote a greener, more sustainable way of life. 

We cant wait to see you there!!

The Green Campus team are so excited to be collaborating with UCC's Enactus Society to bring you our Community Markets for the Academic Year 22/23. Our second market will be on Tuesday 15th November from 10am-3pm at the Hub. The Community Market is focused on circularity, supporting small businesses, artists and socio-environmental initiatives. 

We're aiming to support local community initiatives and social enterprises and while doing so promote a greener, more sustainable way of life. 

We cant wait to see you there!!

Dear Assembly Members,

This submission is made on behalf of UCC Green Campus. Our Green Campus programme works to promote and enhance climate action and biodiversity on our university campus and beyond using a student-led, research-informed, practice-focused ethos. Biodiversity protection has time and time again been highlighted by concerned students, staff, and members of the local community as a critical issue that requires an all-of-society approach to tackle and solve. The UCC Community has implemented numerous initiatives to ensure that precious ecosystems are protected, enhanced, and restored, and we welcome the opportunity to make a submission to the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss.

The 14th instalment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to author and Head of the UCC Visitors Centre, JP Quinn.

As part of our Self Care is Climate Care program we invite you to join us at our Blissdance to enter into a deeply communal sound space where we invite our Earthbodies to explore human connections and healing dance!

For tickets click HERE

Dear Colleagues,

We are starting the Reduce Your Use energy efficiency campaign with the topic of heating. Today we bring you an overview on UCC’s heating systems, operating times, system settings as well as the annual cost and consumption.

Webinar hosted by the ISS21 Research for Civil Society and Social Action (REACT) Cluster & the UCC Civic and Community Engagement Committee: 

'Environmental Policy Making & the Circular Economy: the Roles of the EU, Ireland and Civil Society'  

Presenter: Cillian Lohan, Vice-President for Communications of the European Economic and Social Committee   

Respondent: Dr Barbara Doyle-Prestwich, School of BEES, UCC  

Thursday 13^th October, 11.30-1 p.m. (Irish time) 

Register in advance for this webinar here

As part of our commitment to help with climate anxiety through the practice of self care we will bring you on a foraging walk along the banks of the UCC campus. The aim of this event is to help you feel a little lighter and energized and have a few new tools to manage your climate anxiety to help you find peace and calm within yourself through connecting with the nature in the beautiful grounds of our University. 

To book a space register HERE.

UCC Green Campus and Enactus are delighted to share our Community Market Calendar for the Academic Year 2022/2023. Our Community Markets give students, staff and local small business and socio-environmental initiatives the opportunity to interact with the UCC community. Our market ethos is to promote circularity and sustinability and create a  sense of community spirit on campus.  

In addition to our guided meditation sessions, we are delighted to bring many more activities for students, staff, and climate activists in our community to enjoy as we process and navigate the climate emergency. The aim of these events is to help you feel a little lighter, energized, and have a few new tools to manage your climate anxiety using guided, earth-based meditations to help you find peace and calm within yourself. 

• Foraging and nature walk - along the banks of the river to support students and staff to learn about and understand the ecosystem we are studying and living in while at UCC.
• Blissdance - a trauma-informed somatic dance experience - offered with gentle guidance based on the framework of Joseph Campbell's Hero’s Journey. This session is designed to support staff and students move through deep-seated and powerful emotions in a mindful and fun way, and to help build community relationships.
• Guided Sound Baths - For deep full-body relaxation to support activists, and calm their nervous systems and emotional stresses.

We believe that Self-Care is Climate Care!

UCC Green Campus is delighted to host another Guided Meditation session hosted by The Green Step on 5^th October from 5-6pm in Room 401 Lucy Smith The Hub, UCC.

These monthly guided meditation sessions and mindful practices are suitable for beginners and offer a chance to relax, reflect and regenerate.

Book your space here.

The Green Campus team are so excited to be collaborating with UCC's Enactus Society to bring you our Community Markets for the Academic Year 22/23. our first market will be on Tuesday 4th October from 10am-3pm at the Hub. The Community Market is focused on circularity, supporting small businesses, artists and socio-environmental initiatives. 

We're aiming to support local community initiatives and social enterprises and while doing so promote a greener, more sustainable way of life. 

We cant wait to see you there!!

I recently caught up with our colleague Pat Mehigan, UCC’s Energy manager, to get his thoughts and insights on the Universities energy use, the impact of the price increases. I also asked him for help to reduce my energy use and cost at home.

We the Green Campus Team would like to welcome our students and staff as we embark on a new Academic Year. We've compiled a some ideas to help kickstart your Green journey while at UCC. Read on for ways to reduce your waste and carbon footprint and ideas to take your activism even further. 

Every quarter the UCC Energy Management team meet to review UCC's energy use and performance. The most recent energy review took place at the on the 01^st September and the information presented at the meeting can be found at 2021_22 Q3 Energy Performance Update and WGB_BHSC Energy Review at Energy Update WGB_BHSC.

The 13th instalment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to UCC lecturers Dr Angela Flynn (School of Nursing & Midwifery) and Dr Catherine Forde (School of Applied Social Studies).

UCC Green Campus is delighted to launch our Eco Grief program for the Academic Year 22/23 with a Guided Meditation session hosted by The Green Step on Tuesday 6^th September from 5-6pm in Room 401 Lucy Smith The Hub, UCC.

These monthly guided meditation sessions and mindful practices are suitable for beginners and offer a chance to relax, reflect and regenerate.

 Book a Space here

This submission is made on behalf of UCC Green Campus. We welcome the opportunity to participate in Phase Two of the Marina Park development in Cork City and appreciate the effort that has been made to incorporate sustainability practices and accessibility concerns into this development. It is of utmost importance that the integrity of the existing green and blue spaces, and associated biodiversity, are protected, enhanced, and restored. The removal of trees should be minimised and any trees that must be removed in the development process need to be replaced. Given the accelerating global and national biodiversity crisis, no net loss of biodiversity must be achieved under this development. Furthermore, we want to stress the importance of only planting native species in the park. Our native species have immense ecological value as they provide essential ecosystem services to other flora and fauna and are best adapted to our local environment.

The 12th instalment of the UCC Green Campus podcast we talk to beekeeper and assistant to the Academic Secretary & Assistant Registrar, Gretta McCarthy.

Gretta begins the episode by telling us about what first inspired her get involved with beekeeping and how beekeeper Pat Keane influenced her journey. She goes on to speak about the importance of bees as pollinators, their essential role in our food production and ecosystems, giving a harrowing example of how in parts of China, people have to hand-pollinate trees due to severe declines in pollinator populations.

On July 9^th 2022, UCC Green Campus and Cork Environmental Forum ran the first event of our biodiversity coalition initiative entitled ‘Making Space for Nature in Cork City’.

An exploration of the efficacy of UCC as an outdoor classroom for promoting biodiversity and climate awareness in local                                                                                primary school children

UCC E-Bike Show and Tell Event 

Great fun was had at the Green Campus E-Bike Show and Tell Event held recently on campus.

“Show and Tell”, a concept found mostly in a school settings is used to enhance communication methods through the practice of showing something to an audience and explaining how it is used. It is said to foster team building and camaraderie and encourages participation. It sounded exactly like that which we needed to share the benefits of E-Biking with the wider UCC staff community. And who better to help us communicate this message than our E- Bike Ambassadors (staff who are experienced E-bikers from their participation in the E-Bike trial project).

Stephan Koch, Commuter Plan Manager. As somewhat normal life has been back to Campus this semester UCC’s recent CampusCycleWeek (29^th March – 4^th April) saw the opening of two new bicycle parking areas on Main Campus, at the Student HUB and at the South Lodge.

On May 30^th 2022, members of the UCC Community gathered on the Shteppes in the Student Hub for the launch of UCC’s brand-new Digital Badge course, Learning & Teaching With The SDGs. The event consisted of a speech by UCC President John O’Halloran who officially launched the Digital Badge, followed by presentation to attendees which outlined the rationale behind the course and provided an overview of the course contents.

Written by By Niamh Guiry.

It has been 3 months since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the humanitarian, geopolitical, food, energy, and security impacts of this invasion are having far-reaching consequences on our world.

How would you like the opportunity to trial an E-Bike on Campus? Are you interested but just unsure about venturing out on Cork roads! If so, why not come along to our “E-Bike Show and Tell Event”, next Tuesday 31^st May 2022. We’ll be outside the Hub with the team from The Bike Shed, offering you the chance to cycle around campus on an electric bike. We’ll have a team of buddies available to cycle with you if you wish. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Every quarter the UCC Energy Management team meet to review UCC's electrical and gas consumption and performance. The most recent energy review took place at the end of April and the information presented at the meeting can be found 2021_22 Q2 Energy Review

The 10th installment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to UCC Commuter Plan Manager Stephan Koch.

May 18^th is Fascination of Plants Day, a global initiative that aims to encourage as many people as possible to learn more about plants, environmental conservation, and appreciate the role that plants play in the production of food, pharmaceuticals, energy, and clean air. This was the perfect day for the UCC School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) to launch the University Urban Farm project, which was funded by the UCC Green Campus Living Laboratory Fund. 

UCC Green Campus is delighted to be holding another climate resilience workshop with The Green Step on Thursday 19th May 6-8.30pm on TEAMS.

This is a space for students, staff and climate activists in our community to share and listen with compassion to one another as we process and navigate the climate emergency. The aim of this workshop is to help you feel a little lighter, energized and have a few new tools to manage your climate anxiety through the use of guided, earth based meditations that can help you find peace and calm within yourself. We believe that self-care is climate care.

To book a ticket click on the following LINK

Biodiversity & Conservation at The Glucksman

Since it’s National Biodiversity Week, we’d like to mark the occasion by highlighting the fantastic exhibitions that are currently on display in The Glucksman. Both exhibitions are centred around biodiversity and conservation, celebrating the species that can be found in UCC and further afield.

The 9th installment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to facilitator, coach, and celebrant Melanie O’Driscoll.

Welcome to The Green Zone - a selection of lunchtime talks covering Sustainability and Climate Action themes. UCC Green Campus would like to invite our staff and students to join us in the Green Room for a series of lunchtime talks and workshops covering all aspects of sustainability and Climate Action.  We’ll be giving you a round-up of UCC’s activities and plans in relation to each theme, followed by some practical advice on what we can all do to realise our sustainability goals. Have you ever wondered what the most important action you could take to reduce your carbon footprint?  What grants are available to homeowners to retrofit their houses?  How can we better support Ireland’s native wildlife?  Then you’ve come to the right place. 

Week 6 - Food Security - Brian McCarthy Cork Roof Top Farm. 

Wednesday 11th May 2022, 1.10pm TEAMS

UCC Green Campus is delighted to be holding another climate resilience workshop with The Green Step on Tuesday 10^th May from 1-2pm in Room 401 Lucy Smith, The Hub, UCC.

This is a space for students, staff and climate activists in our community to share and listen with compassion to one another as we process and navigate the climate emergency. The aim of this workshop is to help you feel a little lighter, energized and have a few new tools to manage your climate anxiety through the use of guided, earth based meditations that can help you find peace and calm within yourself. We believe that self-care is climate care.

To book a ticket click on the following link

We’re delighted to announce the release of Issue 2 of Uprooted!

The 8th installment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to Dr. Hannah Daly, lecturer and researcher in energy, economy, environment and engineering systems in UCC.

UCC Green Campus is delighted to be holding our 9^th  climate resilience workshop GRIEF with The Green Step on Thursday 21^st April from 6-8.30pm on TEAMS.

This is a space for students, staff and climate activists in our community to share and listen with compassion to one another as we process and navigate the climate emergency. The aim of this workshop is to help you feel a little lighter, energized and have a few new tools to manage your climate anxiety through the use of guided, earth based meditations that can help you find peace and calm within yourself. We believe that self-care is climate care.

To book a ticket click on the following LINK

‘We are definitely not on track to limit global warming by 1.5°C degrees’.

On 1st April, UCC ran its second Climate Assembly event. Organised by UCC Green Campus and UCCSU Environmental & Sustainability Rep Alicia O’Sullivan, staff and students from a variety of disciplines came together to voice their concerns and identify what UCC can do to create a more sustainable campus.

Green Week has been a long-running initiative at UCC. It was originally founded by the UCC Environmental Society (previously called Earth Week), and it has grown exponentially over the years.

UCC Green Campus invites you to join us at the rescheduled Green Zone lunchtime talk today. Niamh Phelan, Biodiversity Engagement Officer, The National Biodiversity Data Centre will be giving a talk "Citizen Science, Engaging with Ireland's Biodiversity". And once again we will give an overview of what's happening in UCC , presented by our Head Gardener Jack Murphy. 

Wednesday 30th March 2022, 1.10pm TEAMS

UCC Green Campus is delighted to be holding our 7^th climate resilience workshop with The Green Step on Tuesday 8th April 2022 from 1-2pm in WW W8. 

This is a space for students, staff and climate activists in our community to share and listen with compassion to one another as we process and navigate the climate emergency. The aim of this workshop is to help you feel a little lighter, energized and have a few new tools to manage your climate anxiety through the use of guided, earth based meditations that can help you find peace and calm within yourself. We believe that self-care is climate care.

To book a ticket click on the following LINK

UCC Green Campus is delighted to be holding our 8^th climate resilience workshop with The Green Step on Tuesday 12th April 2022 from 1-2pm in WW W8.

This is a space for students, staff and climate activists in our community to share and listen with compassion to one another as we process and navigate the climate emergency. The aim of this workshop is to help you feel a little lighter, energized and have a few new tools to manage your climate anxiety through the use of guided, earth based meditations that can help you find peace and calm within yourself. We believe that self-care is climate care.

To book a ticket click on the following LINK

What is the project?

As committed to under Action 2.1.2. of UCC 2022: Delivering a Connected University, work is now underway to map UCC research onto the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This project has three main phases, as outlined below.  

UCC Green Campus is delighted to be holding our 7^th climate resilience workshop with The Green Step on Thursday 24^th March 2022 from 6-7pm on TEAMS.

This is a space for students, staff and climate activists in our community to share and listen with compassion to one another as we process and navigate the climate emergency. The aim of this workshop is to help you feel a little lighter, energized and have a few new tools to manage your climate anxiety through the use of guided, earth based meditations that can help you find peace and calm within yourself. We believe that self-care is climate care.

To book a ticket click on the following link Self Care is Climate Care Tickets, Thu 24 Mar 2022 at 18:00 | Eventbrite 

To celebrate Green Week we have added UCC’s Green Campus TEAMS background to the resources section on our Green Campus Website

So if you would like the UCC Green Campus background to use during your TEAMS meetings click on the box to download it from our website then upload additional background on TEAMS by clicking Add New.

It has also been added to UCC’s image and video Collection, Upic, in their wallpapers and backgrounds section and can be found HERE

UCC Green Campus invites you to a a special talk as part of Green Campus Ireland's National Green Week. This talk is open to all Green Campus Institutions. We will give an overview of what's happening in UCC then Dr. Hannah Daly, Lecturer in Sustainable Energy and Energy Systems Modelling at University College Cork will deliver a talk on "Modelling Irelands Decarbonisation Targets". 

Due to a YELLOW Wind Warning we are sad to tell you that we have been forced to cancel our Community Market. Despite our best efforts weather has beaten us. 

Fáilte ar ais go dtí an Campus Glas podchraoladh! The 7th installment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to climate activist, language student, and Gaeilgeoir, Síofra Nic Risteaird. It is available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Podcasts at the below links. 

UCC Green Campus is delighted to be holding our 6th climate resilience workshop with The Green Step on Tuesday 8th March 2022.  

This is a space for students, staff and climate activists in our community to share and listen with compassion to one another as we process and navigate the climate emergency. The aim of this workshop is to help you feel a bit lighter, energized and have a few new tools to manage your climate anxiety through the use of guided, earth based meditations that can help you find peace and calm within yourself. We believe that self care is climate care.

To book a ticket click on this LINK

Join us for our next Community Market on Tuesday 8th March 2022, International Womens Day and Earth Week. Delighted to share our market with Bystander Intervention and Cork Bike Shed and many interesting sustainable market stalls. 

In the recently published 2021 Annual Report on Public Sector Energy Efficiency Performance, Minister Eamonn Ryan stated that “We have seen excellent progress with a collective 34% energy efficiency improvement achieved by the public sector in the last 11 years, exceeding the target set for 2020.” The 2021 report lists the performance of all individual public sector entities, and we are delighted to report that UCC achieved a 51.5% improvement in energy efficiency, compared to a baseline of 2006-2008.

The IPCC released their latest climate report ‘Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’ on the 28th of February 2022.

The 6th installment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to UCC Lecturer in Applied Psychology. It is available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Podcasts at the below links. 

Welcome to The Green Zone - a selection of lunchtime talks covering Sustainability and Climate Action themes. UCC Green Campus would like to invite our staff and students to join us in the Green Room for a series of lunchtime talks and workshops covering all aspects of sustainability and Climate Action.  We’ll be giving you a round-up of UCC’s activities and plans in relation to each theme, followed by some practical advice on what we can all do to realise our sustainability goals. Have you ever wondered what the most important action you could take to reduce your carbon footprint?  What grants are available to homeowners to retrofit their houses?  How can we better support Ireland’s native wildlife?  Then you’ve come to the right place. 

Week 2 - Energy Management and Retrofitting Grants for your Home - with the team from EnergyWise Ireland. 

Wednesday 23rd February 2022, 1.10pm TEAMS

The Green Campus in conjunction with Envirosoc are looking forward to hosting our next Community Market on Tuesday 8th March 2022, from 10-3pm at the Hub Plaza. Delighted to be hosting during Earth Week and on International Women's Day.  

Education for Sustainable Development: Co-Creating Common Areas of Need and Concern

Synthesis Report - February 2022

Authors: Niamh Guiry, John Barimo, Edmond Byrne, Catherine O’Mahony, Darren Reidy, Dara Dever, Ger Mullally, Maria Kirrane, and Michael John O’Mahony.

Welcome to The Green Zone - a selection of lunchtime talks covering Sustainability and Climate Action themes. UCC Green Campus would like to invite our staff and students to join us in the Green Room for a series of lunchtime talks and workshops covering all aspects of sustainability and Climate Action.  We’ll be giving you a round-up of UCC’s activities and plans in relation to each theme, followed by some practical advice on what we can all do to realise our sustainability goals. Have you ever wondered what the most important action you could take to reduce your carbon footprint?  What grants are available to homeowners to retrofit their houses?  How can we better support Ireland’s native wildlife?  Then you’ve come to the right place. First up in the Green Room, we’ll be discussing “Waste Reduction and Recycling”, we’ll give you an update on UCC’s actions to become single-use plastic free.  This will be followed by a talk from Mindy O’Brien, Chief Executive of Voice Ireland, who will discuss waste reduction and recycling in the home.

Earthways Refill will have a selection of eco friendly products on sale at our Community Market ranging from shower gel, to washing detergent, from olive oil to pasta. All you need to do is bring your empty bottles and jars to the Community Market outside the Hub between 10-3pm on Tuesday 8th February 2022 to buy some locally sourced sustainable products. 

Welcome to our Energy update for Electrical and Gas Consumption in Semester 1 2021/22. With activities across the University returning to near normal levels over semester 1 our electrical and gas consumption significantly increased when compared to the same period in 2020.

UCC Green Campus in conjunction with UCC Evirosoc are delighted to be bringing you our Community Market on 8th February 2022. 

The 5th installment of the UCC Green Campus podcast is now available where we talk to UCC Director of IT Services Gerard Cully. It is available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Podcasts at the below links. 

Wildlife crime is a widespread issue that poses a serious threat to our biodiversity and the sustainable development of countless communities. While there is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes wildlife crime, it can be described as any the harming, taking, trading, possessing, obtaining, or consumption of wild flora and fauna^[1]. Wildlife crime puts the lives and survival of invaluable species at risk and jeopardises conservation efforts that are in place to preserve our precious biodiversity.

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve teamed up with our friends at UCC Environmental Society to bring you Issue 2 of Uprooted!