Green Impact 2019 awards announced
On Thursday 7 November, teams of staff and student volunteers were commended for their achievements in this year’s Green Impact program at the Green Impact Awards Ceremony.
Throughout the year, University staff formed teams to complete sustainable actions from the program in their workplaces. They were assisted by student volunteers to complete actions including organising clothes-swap events, installing compost bins, establishing a soft plastics collection or bringing plants into the office. All actions were aimed at practicing and sharing sustainable behaviours.
39 teams were involved this year, in the third year of the program, with 26 being awarded for their work at the ceremony. 60 student volunteers were involved as Project Assistants for teams, while 30 students volunteered their time to audit actions at the close of the program cycle.
The ceremony was hosted by Colin Reiter, Director of Campus Services, with awards presented by Allan Tait, Vice-President of Administration & Finance and Chief Operating Officer, Byron Collins, Executive Director of Business Services and Chief Technology Officer, and Clare Walker, Associate Director of Sustainability.
Allan Tait spoke of the value Green Impact adds to individual bottom-up action. “It is where sustainability comes to life for many, providing practical examples of how to do things differently in our daily lives and change our behaviours to become more sustainable.”
Award Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the overall team awards, who received the highest number of points for actions logged throughout the year.
- First place: Advancing Research and Sustainable Environments (Otolaryngology/Surgery, Medical School)
- Second place: Thrive on Five (Property and Sustainability)
- Third place: Green Footprint (Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences)
First place was gifted with the adoption of an endangered green turtle via a donation to World Wildlife Fund on their behalf. Second prize was a donation to Oxfam for the supply of seeds and training to a vulnerable family to make a living out of growing their own produce. Third prize was a donation to the Australian Koala Foundation’s Green Leaf Program, helping to expand and protect primary koala habitat on the Sunshine Coast.
Special Awards
Special awards were given to individuals and teams nominated for going above and beyond in their efforts to encourage sustainable practices.
- Staff Champion: Chrissie Atkinson, Greengineers (Melbourne School of Engineering)
- Student Champion: George He, Project Assistant for team Advancing Research and Sustainable Environments (Otolaryngology/Surgery, Medical School)
- Engagement Innovation: Eco Heroes (Abbotsford Early Learning Centre)
Project Mentors
Three student Project Mentors who worked tirelessly alongside the Sustainability Team to make the Green Impact program possible this year were also acknowledged for their contributions.
- Auriel Yeap
- Chris Dixon
- Emilia Bisogni
We’d like to congratulate all teams for getting involved and dedicating their time, creativity, and enthusiasm to making real impact towards a more sustainable campus.
Green Impact is a behaviour change and engagement program that supports staff and students, in teams, to become more sustainable in their workplace. Whether you have a lot or a little time, Green Impact is for you!
The 2020 Green Impact program will officially launch in February 2020. There are opportunities for both staff and students to get involved. If you’d like to participate next year, email sustainable-campus@unimelb.edu.au to express your interest.