Vita Student celebrates World Earth Day
Our residents in York rolled up their sleeves to officially open their new community garden
Vita Student residents in York celebrated World Earth Day by getting stuck into some gardening and horticulture in their new community garden.
The garden officially opened this week, and students finally got the chance to sow seeds for fresh vegetables and herbs.
In just a few months’ time, every student living at the residence will be able to pick and use the produce whenever they want.
Research shows that, on the whole, students are more concerned about climate change than any other issue. So it was important to us that they get the opportunity to give back to nature, both on World Earth Day and throughout their time at Vita Student.
Read more about York’s sustainability project .
The idea to build a community garden at Vita Student York came from its residents. After months of hard work from the students and our groundskeeper James, it is now ready to use. Just in time for the summer season.
The York site already features an orchard where residents can pick apples and plums. And since it produces more fruit than we need, we donate anything that isn’t used to local food banks. There is also wild rhubarb growing on site, along with herbs like rosemary and wild garlic.
But once the seeds in the new community garden grow, students will have free access to all types of vegetables and herbs. So on those days where the cupboards are looking bare, our students will be able to grab fresh ingredients from their doorstep for free – like tomatoes, onions, peppers, courgettes, parsley, chives, chillies and more.
Growing our own food is just one way that we can improve our environmental impact – and yet it has many positive outcomes for our planet. For example, buying less produce in the supermarkets means that we use less plastic. We cut our foods’ air miles, and in turn reduce our carbon footprint. And we also decrease the amount of pesticides in our food, which is great news for the health of our own bodies and the earth’s soil too.
Want to know how to maintain a sustainable skincare regime? Read our blog with UpCircle.
Outside of York, students in Vita Student residences across the UK were also doing their part for the planet. For every student that signed up to Friday’s “Weekend Wind Down” event, World Land Trust will plant a tree on their behalf.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
By planting a tree, you help to restore some of the Earth’s vital forests, repairing damaged ecosystems and habitats. So far, the initiative has planted over 2 million trees, stretching over 5930 acres of forestry in countries like Brazil, Kenya and India.
Find out how you can donate to World Land Trust here.
