Students and staff have been bringing nature to campus in the Green Mary Garden, 3rd year Physical Geography student Ayah Khan tells us more.
Writer: Ayah Khan, 3rd Year Physical Geography student and Green Mary student sustainability group member
Nestled behind the Village Shop on Mile End campus, the Green Mary Garden can be found. The allotment is home to a range of towering plants and vegetables including tomatoes, chillies and even basil. Most importantly, it serves as the meeting place for students and staff who come along to the regular biodiversity volunteering sessions led by Dimi from the Grounds Team.
Each volunteering session is a bit different. In October, we’ve planted seeds and small plants in the allotment and raised beds across campus to root in the soil to grow a winter salad crop.
Vegetables and fruit grown on campus such as tomatoes, herbs and even gooseberries are used in the menu at The Curve restaurant on campus. Who doesn't want food made from fresh ingredients?
I wanted to get involved in biodiversity volunteering to learn about the techniques the university employs to ensure the campus is sustainable. Not only is growing things sustainable, but the events are fun! I felt like a gardener putting on gloves, using a trowel to dig around and gently placing plants and their roots in the soil for them to grow.
I’m excited to get involved in future volunteering sessions and can’t wait to see the seed and plants grow in the months ahead!
Biodiversity volunteering events run regularly throughout the year and sign-up is available on the Students’ Union website. If you’d like to know when our next event is taking place, please contact The Sustainability Team on sustainability@qmul.ac.uk