UC Sustainability Community

12/03/2024

Wheely good news!

This year, University of Canterbury staff and students helped pedal their way to victory in two of the Aotearoa Bike Challenge categories 🏆

Congratulations on your mahi, UC cyclists! 👏

Love to Ride

We pedalled our way to the top of the local leaderboard 🏆🚲

Throughout February, UC cycled 71,483 kms, saved 7,356kg of CO2, placed third in Aotearoa in the category 2,000+ staff, and won the local Ōtautahi Christchurch 2,000+ staff workplace challenge.

Awesome mahi team! 👏

26/02/2024

We're still dreaming of Friday! 🌻🍕✨☀🌱

Thanks to all those who came along to Te Ngaki o Waiutuutu | Waiutuutu Community Garden's annual Open Day. Special thanks to our wonderful volunteers, and a big welcome to those who visited the garden for the first time.

University of Canterbury

14/02/2024

A busy and beautiful week down at Te Ngaki o Waiutuutu ✨

We're looking forward to seeing new and familiar faces as we get closer to University of Canterbury and UCSA - University of Canterbury Students' Association orientation!

12/02/2024

Dr. Bike is back for 2024!! 🚲🤸‍♀️ That's FREE bike servicing for students and staff, once a week!

Find Dr. Bike every Thursday on C-Block Lawn, from 12:30-2pm, starting in O-Week (22nd Feb).

Here's a nice photo of last year's Dr. Bike (Jayden) chatting to this year's Dr. Bike (Adam) at the 2023 Bike Breakfast. Adam repairs bikes for RAD Bikes so you know your bike will be in safe hands! 🔧

University of Canterbury UCSA - University of Canterbury Students' Association

08/02/2024

You might have noticed our bins have had a makeover! There are some changes to what's accepted in each waste stream, in line with the standard kerbside recycling Ministry for the Environment rolled out on Feb 1st ♻️

Key changes are:

🍕 Pizza boxes now go in recycling (no pizza or crumbs but oil is fine)

☕ Tea bags, dirty napkins and soiled paper now go in landfill, they are no longer accepted in the organics stream

🔵 Blue compostable packaging bins are no longer available on UC Campus. All compostable packaging must go to landfill (not organics).

If you have any questions ask in the comments. Stay tuned for some low-waste tips!

Christchurch City Council have a great "Bin Good" app to help you too

01/02/2024

Kia ora whānau, the starts today!!! We had an epic lunchtime social ride with University of Canterbury staff and students 🚲🌞

Have you enrolled for the challenge? This year staff AND students (for the first time 🙌) can join UC's team. Head to www.lovetoride.net/nz to register and get encourager points by inviting your friends. Ps. Love to Ride have some pretty sweet prizes up for grabs, including a $3000 getaway to a location of your choice, a Velectrix e-bike and more!

We also have two D-locks to give away. One for staff and one for students who encourage their coworkers/peers to join the Aotearoa Bike Challenge! Simply register and share your link to "invite a friend" and you'll go in the draw 🌟 We'll announce the winners on the 1st of March.

As of 2:30pm Feb 1, UC is top of the leaderboard for Ōtautahi and "Education - University" in Aotearoa, and 2nd in the national leaderboard behind Te Whatu Ora. Help us gain points to move up the leaderboard! 💪

See you on the cycleways! 🚲🚲🚲

09/01/2024

We’re starting 2024 off right - at UC’s Wildflower Meadow 💐🪻🌼🌾🌸🌷🥹

Full of colour & absolutely teeming with insects, come and check it out between Haere-roa and the Health Centre 🐝

Thanks to the UC Science School of Biological Sciences & UC Grounds for helping bring this project to life 🩷

What can you spot down there?

The meadow is just one project in UC’s Biodiversity Plan 2022-2025, which aims to increase plant and insect biodiversity, increase bird populations, and improve waterway health on campus. Check out our website for more.

University of Canterbury UCSA - University of Canterbury Students' Association UC Community Gardens EnviroSoc - University of Canterbury Environmental Science Society BioSoc UC Women's Wellbeing

14/12/2023

A year in our māra kai UC Community Gardens 🌻💛 This year we’ve harvested 187kg of produce, 392 people attended the weekly working bees, and 520 attended workshops! We are so glad the UC Community loves Te Ngaki o Waiutuutu as much as we do.

There’s been lots of energy in the garden this year, with workshops on composting, mushroom inoculation, pruning, calendula balm making, and more! Back in March we watched “Living the Change” together, on a balmy Autumn evening with chai tea and dessert pizza to share. The garden has been trapping HQ with many students volunteering with EnviroSoc - University of Canterbury Environmental Science Society and Predator Free Riccarton to make our campus a safe place for native birds to thrive. UC Compost Club launched their composing container return scheme and kept our soil lush. Of course the weekly working bees have also provided lots of smiles, chai tea, hard mahi and knowledge too. Wow!

Are you yet to uncover the magic of the garden? Don’t worry, working bees continue during summer! Friday afternoons, from 1-5pm ✨ Today is the last working bee before Xmas. We'll be back again from Jan 5th 💚

University of Canterbury UCSA - University of Canterbury Students' Association UC Wellbeing

12/11/2023

Ka pai! Well done students for making it through exams! 🌟 We hope you all have a blissful summer, with lots of time in nature.

Dr. Bike is on holiday too for the summer break - well deserved after 207 bike repairs in 2023! 👏👏 Ngā mihi maioha Jayden and Tom for all your mechanical mahi, keeping UC cyclists riding smoothly ⚙️🔧Has Dr. Bike helped you this year? Share your appreciation below!

Dr. Bike will be back for the start of semester one 2024. Sticking around Ōtautahi over summer? Another FREE community bike repair service you can check out is RAD Bikes. Our local Church Corner Cycles is a great bike shop close to campus too! You'll also find lots of bike pumps and repair stations on campus. Keep pedalling and see you next year! 🚲🚲🚲