Living Planet @ Campus
WWF-Canada's Living Planet @ Campus
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.
Opportunities include self-guided activities like the WWF Canada Living Planet Leader certification and group challenges like the Designing Change for a Living Planet competition.
Living Planet Leader Leader Certification
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.
Go Wild School Grants
2019
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.
2020
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.
2021
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.
2022
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.
Designing Change for a Living Planet Competition
Every year, WWF Canada invites over 100 post-secondary students from across the country to represent their campus and compete in the Designing Change for a Living Planet competition.
Post-secondary students are challenged with designing and pitching innovative solutions that will inspire action and lead change.
You can learn more about past Designing Change competitions on WWF Canada's website or our past campus teams below.
On Saturday, March 16, 2019, four students representing the University of Guelph attended WWF Canada's Designing Change for a Living Planet Competition.
The University of Guelph team was challenged to create an innovative solution to single-use plastics in Canada. Our students proposed a single-use plastic bottle return program to streamline plastic bottle recycling and work to prevent litter, especially in coastal communities.
This idea awarded the University of Guelph team 2nd place in the competition.
On Saturday, June 5, 2021, four University of Guelph students attended WWF's virtual Designing Change for a Living Planet Competition.
Our University of Guelph students competed alongside 27 other Canadian universities to develop an innovative solution to a local sustainability issue.
Our campus team proposed a beet-based sustainable salt alternative to reduce road salt usage on campus. This solution would ultimately reduce and prevent salt pollution, which damages not only your cars and your boots but also our waterways and soils.
This idea was well-received by the judges and was brought back to campus as a proposed idea that could be implemented this upcoming winter.
