College’s research project sees campus turning over a new leaf when it comes to food consumption and production

College of the Rockies’ (COTR) is offering tours of their Living Lab research project on Wednesday, March 8 at 11 a.m. at the college’s Cranbrook main campus.

The Living Lab research project at the college began as part of a national research program focused on encouraging post-secondary institutions to become leaders for climate action through innovation. Supported by Colleges & Institutes Canada, the college’s project aims to increase awareness and promote behavioural change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during the 2022/23 academic year.

“Congratulations College of the Rockies,” said Denise Amyot, President and CEO of College and Institutes Canada. “College and institute campuses are sandboxes for innovation and opportunities. Turning your campus into a living lab means integrating all aspects of campus activities in a way that maximizes the impact of sustainability projects. With nearly 700 college and institute campuses across the country, the impact of our network is unmatched and helps make Canada future-proof.”

“Our Sustainability Committee previously undertook a Composting Project; we built upon this and opened organic waste collection campus wide,” said Sophie Larsen, Primary Investigator, Living Lab Research Project. “Our team has begun using that compost to grow lettuce, right on the College’s Living Wall in the main foyer. That lettuce is now being used in our cafeteria and in our Professional Cook program.”

The Living Lab team will be leading a tour of all the stages of the process: on-campus compost bins, state of the art composter, lab where seedlings are started, and the Living Wall. The event will end with an opportunity to ask questions.

“The goal of this project is to reduce both volume and transportation distance of waste to the landfill,” Larsen said. “Our hope is to encourage circular food production and conscious consumption, actions that will lead to a decrease in the college’s production of greenhouse gases.”

A limited number of spaces will be available for the tour, by RSVP only.  Anyone wishing to attend should contact Sophie Larsen at [email protected] or 250-489-2751 ex 3299 to secure your spot.

Learn more about the Living Lab Research Project by going to: cotr.ca/living-lab

Lead image:  College of the Rockies Living Lab Research Project team members (l-r Sarah Massardier, Sophie Larsen, Natalja Pozin and Ashraf Hussain) are excited to showcase the research project to students, employees, and the public on March 8 at 11 a.m. COTR photo

College of the Rockies

Article Share