Working Groups

Working Groups

We've co-created working groups to help us work collaboratively to improve sustainability on the UofG campus. Working groups are a platform for UofG community members (students, staff and faculty) to come together around specific issues of interest. 

Why Working Groups?

These working groups aim to increase communication and collaboration across campus by creating opportunities for storytelling, discussion and action through monthly meetings.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for improving environmental, social and economic sustainability. These working groups leverage shared knowledge, skills and resources and foster innovation and a sense of community around our shared responsibility to take action.


The Food Security Working Group (FSWG), co-hosted by the Sustainability Office, is an interdisciplinary group of students, staff and faculty focused on improving student food security at the University of Guelph. 

Working Group Initiatives include: 

  • UofG Food Market 
  • UofG Food Hub 
  • Community Events

The Food Security Working Group meets monthly on the last Tuesday from 9:30 am until 10:30 am. Meetings are held virtually on Teams.

To join the FSWG, please email Samantha at sustainability@uoguelph.ca with a short expression of interest (why you're interested in joining the working group).
 

The Student Working Group (SWG), hosted by the Sustainability Office, is an interdisciplinary group focusing on advancing student sustainability leadership. The creation of this working group was inspired by student leaders from Engineers For A Sustainable World (ESW) and the Environmental Governance Society (EGOV).

The SWG is a space for undergraduate and graduate students to connect and collaborate on sustainability-related events, programs and advocacy. 

This is a brand-new working group, and the first meeting will be Monday, September 25th, at 5:30 pm in the UofG Sustainability Office (basement of Blackwood Hall). This meeting will be in-person and can be made hybrid upon request.

To join, email Samantha at sustainability@uoguelph.ca. Please indicate if you're joining as an individual or on behalf of a student-led organization or initiative.

 

The Biodiversity Working Group (BWG), hosted by the Sustainability Office, is an interdisciplinary group of students, staff and faculty focused on biological diversity. The group is focused on celebrating, enhancing and protecting the biological diversity on the University of Guelph campus. 

Working Group Initiatives include: 

  • UofG Seed Orchard - A densely planted native plant garden that will supply seeds to our UofG Seed Library.
  • UofG Seed Library - A campus community resource providing free seeds to anyone who wants to grow them.
  • UofG Biodiversity Inventory - A student-led initiative that explores the biological diversity on our University of Guelph campus.
  • Campus Biodiversity Week (Monday, October 2nd to Friday, October 6th) - A week focused on teaching the campus community about the importance of biodiversity.
  • International Pollinator Week (Monday, June 25th to Friday, June 29th) - A week focused on teaching the campus community about the importance of pollinators, pollination and habitat. 
  • International Monarch Monitoring Blitz: A BioBlitz on the University of Guelph campus, where volunteers collect data on monarch observations to help scientists across North America better understand the monarch butterfly's breeding productivity, range, and timing in North America.

The Biodiversity Working Group meets monthly on the last Thursday from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Meetings are held virtually on Teams.

To join the BWG, please email Samantha at sustainability@uoguelph.ca with a short expression of interest (why you're interested in joining the working group).