Tag Archives: sustainability

Bike Doctor Service on campus

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cycle-compound-smallIf you’re interested in having your bike serviced free of charge, visit the new Bike Doctor service on the below dates.

Just take your bike and student ID with you. The labour is free, but any replacement parts will need to be paid for by individuals.

This service will be coming to the Lansdowne and Talbot campuses once a month – details of the dates are as follows:

Lansdowne Campus – The first Tuesday of every month:

  • August 4 2015 – Cranborne House Cycle compound

Talbot Campus – The third Thursday of every month at Dorset House Cycle Cage:

  • August 20 2015

We are Celebrating the International Day for Biological Diversity

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biological-diversityEvery year on 22 May the World celebrates International Day for Biological Diversity.

As a fairly urban campus it might seem like we don’t have a lot of biological diversity but you’d be wrong! Make sure you check out the Biodiversity on Campus displays in the Atrium and Studland House Café on Friday 22 May!

Within just 5km of Talbot Campus we have 7 sites designated for Wildlife Conservation Interest, including; Dorset Heathlands, Bourne Valley, Turbary and Kinson Commons and Talbot Slopes & Cuttings.

18 protected and notable species were identified within a 10km radius of Talbot Campus, meaning that they may occasionally be present on campus if there is suitable habitat available. These include; Badgers, Bats, snakes, slow worms, and lizards. Plus there are many species of beetle, insect and bees to be found on campus.

There are over 25 species of tree and ornamental plants, including; Field Maples, Common Lime, English Oak, Sycamore, Wall Speedwell, Bluebell, Whitebeam, Rowan, Soft Brome, Barron Brome, False Brome, and many more.

As the estate develops The University and the Estates Team are committed to improving the external environment on campus, including biodiversity. Specific measures for building works so far include;

  • Commitment to environmental performance – all major construction projects are required to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating and as part of this assessment we must address the impact of construction on ecology and biodiversity. For the Student Centre and the New Academic Building projects the University has worked with ecologists, landscape architects and academics from SciTech to develop landscape proposals which enhance the ecological value of these sites. Examples of this include the provision of bird boxes and green roofs with sedum planting specifically selected to benefit local wildlife.
  • As part of the New Academic Building project the University will also be introducing local heathland planting on campus.
  • The development of an ‘Open Spaces Strategy’ which aims to improve the holistic quality of the external environment, including soft landscaping, street furniture and the use of space.
  • All works on campus are required to comply with BU’s environmental and biodiversity policies

The University will shortly be conducting a full ecological assessment of the estate and will produce a gap analysis of all ecological assessments previously carried out. Additional ecological assessments will then be carried out to develop a full picture of the whole estate.

A Biodiversity Action Plan will then be created with a view to enhancing biodiversity on campus, setting Key Performance Indicators, and creating a robust monitoring schedule.

For more information about biodiversity at BU please contact the Sustainability Team via sustainability@bournemouth.ac.uk or if you’d like to join the SUBU Green Taskforce e-mail SUPresident@bournemouth.ac.uk for more info.

Support Earth Day and join over a Billion people pledging to be Green!

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Earth Day Image (2)Earth Day takes place on 22 April every year and this year is its 45th Anniversary. This could be the most exciting year in environmental history, the year in which economic growth and sustainability join hands. It’s our turn to lead. So our world leaders can follow by example.

So we’re asking everyone at BU to make a pledge to be a little greener. Your pledge could be work related, or personal. Big or small. If everyone makes a pledge to be greener then collectively we can make a real difference.

You could also win some cool prizes to help you be even more green! You could win prizes such as Solar Chargers; Solar Radios; Recycled Glasses; Powerdown plugs; reusable coffee cups; and recycled coasters.

It’s super easy to make a pledge…just click here……And if you want to be entered into the draw, make sure you enter your BU e-mail address. We’ll pick the winners on 30 April.

Did you know that BU runs a number of sustainability initiatives? We’ve got lots of sustainable travel initiatives from liftshare, BU by Bike, and Bus for BU. We’re also a Fairtrade University. We recycle 70% of our waste on campus……..which is super simple….EVERYTHING except food and drink can go in the green-lidded bins! And the new Student Centre is our greenest building yet, with grass roofs, Solar PV Panels, ground-source heat pumps for heating and cooling, low energy lighting, and water saving features in the WC’s.

To find out more about Earth Day click here.

And if you’ve got any questions about Sustainability at BU e-mail sustainability@bournemouth.ac.uk

BU Travel Survey Prize winner week 2!!!

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TravelSurveyWeek2PrizeWinner-(2)

Thank you to all students that have completed the BU travel survey 2015 so far.

Well done to Connor Ferry, a first year Digital Media Design student who has won a Kindle fire HDX tablet for taking part in the survey. Connor was very excited to hear that he had won, “Being in student halls, university buses are a great way to get to and from campus as they run so often”. Connor will no doubt make the most of his new prize by using the free Wi-Fi available on all University branded buses.

Don’t worry if you have not yet filled out the survey, there is still time. The survey is open until Friday March 27 and there is still a brand new bike worth £500 to be won during the final week!!!

If you have already completed the survey you will be entered into the final prize draw.

BU Travel Survey Prize winner!!!

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travel-plan-images-greenA big thank you to all students who have completed the BU travel survey 2015 so far.

Well done to Beth Unwin, a first year Mental Health Nursing student who has won a BU Bus key card for 2015/16 worth £240. Beth was obviously delighted to hear that she had won, “I really didn’t expect to win when I filled out the survey. The bus is a really handy way for me to travel between my placements and will save me a lot of money!”.

Don’t worry if you have not yet filled out the survey, there is still time. There are still some fantastic prizes to be won:

  • A bike worth £500
  • A Kindle HD Fire tablet

If you have already completed the survey you will be entered into these prize draws.

There will be a try a bike session outside Poole House on Wednesday 18 March, 11am – 3pm. Fill in the survey during the event and receive a free coffee.

BU Student Travel Survey 2015

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travel-plan-images-greenBy taking part in the BU Travel Survey and giving your feedback on the variety of transport services, you may be able to influence future improvements.

It only takes five minutes and you’ll be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes, such as a bike, a 2015/16 BU Bus Key Card (worth £240) and a Kindle HD Fire tablet.

The survey runs until 27 March and all you need to do is click on the link and tell us what you think.

SUBU Vice President Welfare, Reece Pope encourages all students to take part; “Your responses are really important to tell us how you travel to and from BU. Your feedback on the buses has already led to an improved service to and from the campuses.

This is your opportunity to give your views on travel provisions to the university and to give feedback on what transport improvements you would like to see”.

BU retains Eco-Campus Gold Award

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Bournemouth University (BU) has retained the EcoCampus Gold Award for its environmental management systems.

It is one of only 21 higher education institutions in the UK to achieve this award.

The recommendation for the award was made following a comprehensive on-site audit by the external auditors NQA, which included site inspections on both campuses, interviews with staff from across a range of functions, and a thorough review of procedures and documentation.

EcoCampus is a national environmental management system programme and award scheme for the further and higher education sector.

It encourages, rewards and provides universities with the tools necessary to assist them in moving towards environmental sustainability and good operational and risk management practices.

To successfully retain the Gold Award, BU had to prove it was operating in a sustainable manner in relation to a number of areas including; roles and responsibilities, environmental training, communication, documentation, operational control and emergency preparedness and response.

The university is also required to have an environmental programme in place, with initiatives underway to reduce its impact in a range of areas, including carbon and energy management, waste management, travel, sustainable procurement, water consumption, sustainable construction and biodiversity management.

Stephen Jones, Head of Facilities Management at BU, said: “We are delighted that the university’s continued commitment to manage and reduce our environmental impact has again been recognised through the Eco Campus System.

“It is important that the university takes this responsibility seriously and that we can demonstrate it openly across all areas of the institution.”

BU’s Environment & Energy Team will now begin work on implementing the requirements of the fourth and final stage, Platinum Award.

BU academic at United Nations expert meeting

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Dr Maharaj Vijay Reddy from the School of Tourism was one of very few speakers invited to an Expert Group Meeting on ‘Sustainable Tourism: Ecotourism, Poverty Reduction and Environmental Protection’, at the United Nations Secretariat, New York (29-30 October 2013).

This expert group meeting was organised by the United Nations Division for Sustainable Development.

Vijay’s presentation was on the topic of planning for sustainable tourism, and highlighted six emerging global challenges in sustainable tourism.

The UN General Assembly, at its 67th session (2012-2013), adopted a resolution on the promotion of ecotourism for poverty eradication and environmental protection, which further elaborated on the close linkages and potential for ecotourism to contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

In this regard, the United Nations invited the UN system and other relevant international organizations, the public sector, private companies and other stakeholders to create capacity for well managed ecotourism with minimal negative environmental and cultural impacts, through dissemination of good practice, tools and guidelines.

The conclusions and recommendations emanating from this meeting will be of value to UN member states aiming to develop eco-tourism potentials, including, among others, Small Island Developing States as well as other countries with coastal, mountainous or forest, lake or desert tourism resources.

Vijay commented that: “The meeting was a big success and it concluded well.

“The participants of this expert group meeting delivered many cutting-edge presentations addressing the global challenges and the opportunities that sustainable tourism offers.

“The key areas we discussed at the UN include: the need for global engagement, the situation of Small Island Developing States and LDCs, developing the market for sustainable tourism services, assessing socio-economic benefits, employment generation and poverty reduction from sustainable tourism and initiatives related to Green Economy transition”.

The organisations represented include the World Bank (IBRD, IFC), UNWTO, UNEP, the European Commission, UNESCO, the World Trade Organisation and representatives from China, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Isl. Rep of Iran, Madagascar, Morocco, Samoa (Pacific Islands), Rep. of Korea, Thailand, or Southern Europe and the Caribbean region.

The experts attended the UN NY expert group meeting aim to continue working together to advance sustainable tourism goals.