To achieve a long-lasting impact which serves to create behavioural change and benefit the environment, the education and involvement of our students and staff is key. The University is embarking on a host of ambitious student focused activities to raise awareness of local nature and develop an understanding of the challenges which face our environment.
A list of upcoming and past activities are below which highlight our commitment to embedding a sustainable environmental mind set.
Past events
A team led by the Roehampton Students’ Union Environmental Officer received University funding to run a nettles sustainability project on campus. This involved harvesting nettles from woodland margins, drying and processing the stalks to extract nettle fibre. Through four workshops students were then taught how to dye the fibres with locally sourced materials such as waste red and brown onion skins to craft a range of jewellery and small fabric products. A seminar presentation on both the educational and environmental benefits of this project was held on 22 May at the University, accompanied by a short film. For full details see the feature below.
Dr Peter Shaw lead the first biodiversity tour of campus for staff and students. The tour focused on the University forest garden, orchard and badger setts, providing the group an introduction to key plant and wildlife including naturally occurring fungus such as ‘King Alfred’s cakes’, wild garlic, as well as discussing the complexity of creating a balanced habitat which fosters healthy biodiversity.
The University’s very own Bat-Man Jonathan Nobrega led a bat walk across campus using bat detectors, providing students and staff with the skills to identify bats and increase their awareness of them. The walk began with a 15-minute presentation introducing bats and the specific species local to the Wandsworth area with time for questions.
Jonathan is a student volunteer and member of the London Wetland Centre’s Engagement team. He has the aim of increasing nature connectedness and fostering communities around it. Also in attendance was Magda Howitt part of the Living Collections team at the London Wetland Centre who provided expertise throughout the night, and Jamie Doran also a student volunteer.
The walk was a trial run for further exciting events between the London Wetland Centre and Roehampton to help increase our connections with nature.
'No Mow May' is an annual UK initiative which aims to provide a greater level of nectar for pollinators, such as honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees, butterflies and moths, and beetles. By delaying the lawn mowing wildlife have access to nutrient rich plant life for longer periods.
This initiative was supported at the University's Whitelands campus.
Join us to make natural bird feeders with coconut fat and seeds, and place around the campus.
A student led bat walk around the University campus at night using bat detectors. Possible sightings include Pipistrelles and Noctule bat species.
Open to everybody to learn more about the Vegan Society and meet our committee members. We will also be taste testing our favourite vegan snacks!
Play a role in promoting biodiversity by helping to develop Growhampton’s forest garden, tasks include raspberry frame making, bug hotel building, and comfrey plant planting.
An innovative activity to help students and staff identify campus wildlife by working in teams to find specific wildlife, record pictorial evidence and share with the wider group where the winning team wins a prize.
Nettles Project
Turning nettles into clothing and other materials might sound an uncomfortable idea, but that's exactly what a team of students and staff did in spring 2023. From raw nettles they produced an array of threads, weaving and craft products, which were showcased at an event in May.
Starting with a harvest of nettles gathered on a frosty December morning in the Southlands car park, participants learned how to crush the stems to extract nettle fibres. A series of four workshops held from February to March demonstrated ways of cleaning, processing, spinning and then crafting with the materials produced.
Alongside the workshops, a series of displays and posters explained how commercial clothing production can be highly polluting and resource-heavy, particularly the dyeing industry which damages water courses. The displays and posters attracted particular attention at the lunchtime sessions, seen by hundreds of students who marvelled at the amount of nettles required to make a tiny portion of useable fibre.
Supported by funding from Southlands Venture, the project has been led by Mona-Lisa De Greve, RSU environmental officer, who picked up Hiroko's ideas for both nettle crafting and using waste coffee grounds from the Hive Café to make a body scrub. Mona-Lisa said the whole project had been a huge learning exercise: "It was a pleasure to meet both the students and staff, who enthusiastically embraced the concept of this project, and generously shared their diverse experiences and knowledge.
The eye-catching project was set up by Dr Hiroko Onishi, senior lecturer in the Law School at the University, who came up with the idea and gathered a team of helpers to bring it to fruition. This team along with Hiroko's colleagues and students were deeply affected by her death in October 2022, and vowed to continue the project as a legacy of her passion, commitment and enthusiasm for learning and commitment to environmental causes.