2026 series

The Office of Sustainability and Campus Planning Office will be hosting lunch-hour educational sessions throughout the spring and summer to share information about ongoing land stewardship projects and connect the campus community with those who plan, maintain and use outdoor spaces on campus for research. 

All staff, students, faculty and community members are welcome to participate. Check out the sessions below and click the sign-up button to register.

Date & TimeThemeMeet-up LocationSign-up

April 7, 2026

12 to 1 p.m.

Reclaimed wood
Learn how UM reuses trees removed from campus lands.

Featuring: Vanessa Jukes Strutt, manager, Project Management (Infrastructure), Architecture and Engineering Services and Kellan Deighton, workshop coordinator and technician, Faculty of Architecture

walking path east of NCTRSign-up

May 12-14, 2026

12 to 1 p.m.

BioBlitz
Help us identify all the bird, insect and plant species that call UM home using the iNaturalist app.

Featuring: Plants with Jo-Anne Joyce, Jo-Anne Joyce Biological Consulting (retired UM plant technician); Insects with Jason Gibbs, associate professor, Department of Entomology; Birds with Kevin Fraser, associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences

TBDSign-up

July 15, 2026

12 to 1 p.m.

UMSU University Centre deck plantings
Learn how UM includes native prairie grasses and native flowering perennials in raised garden beds.

Featuring: Christine Labossiere, groundskeeper, Operations and Maintenance

UMSU University CentreSign-up

September 25, 2026

12 to 1 p.m.

Tree care
Learn how UM maintains its urban forest.

Featuring: Laura Gisti, arborist, Operations and Maintenance

TBDSign-up

 

Terrain for most sessions will generally be flat with walking and standing on sidewalks and walking and standing on grass. The bird BioBlitz session will involve walking to the Point Lands on trails along the riverbank. Please email sustainability@umanitoba.ca if you have any accessibility needs.

Contact us

Office of Sustainability
152 Physical Plant Building 
89 Freedman Crescent 
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus) 
Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2