PROTECT, RESTORE AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE USE OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS, SUSTAINABLY MANAGE FORESTS, COMBAT DESERTIFICATION, HALT AND REVERSE LAND DEGRADATION, AND HALT BIODIVERSITY LOSS
Protecting and restoring land-based ecosystems, including freshwater ecosystems, is the focus of SDG 15. The University of Waterloo not only works to protect the ecosystems found on its campus but also has research, educational, and outreach programs to promote environmental sustainability.
Natural Areas for Learning
Waterloo has several natural areas that are used for learning right on campus. The Robert S. Dorney Ecological Garden is a naturalized garden that acts as an outdoor classroom for plant identification and observation, and Waterloo’s Urban Forest is a 5-hectare wooded green space on campus that supports numerous habitats and is used as a teaching and research tool for many classes. The Environmental Reserve provides teaching, research, public education opportunities, protected habitat for wildlife, and a legacy for future generations.
Environmental Engineering Program
Environmental engineers have classically been charged with preventing pollution or cleaning our air, water, and soil. The field now also considers the sustainability of how we use our land and resources in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss. Students learn how to design and implement solutions through the application of science, technology, and understanding of ecosystem services. If you want to understand and fix many of the world's environmental problems, environmental engineering is the profession to get it done!
Biology Programs
Biology explores how species in the natural world live and interact with the environment around them. In our programs, students can study the human body, the ecology of plants and animals on land and in water, biological processes at the molecular level, and the detailed and complex interactions that take place within and among biological organisms. Understanding biology helps us maintain the rich and diverse ecosystem in which we live and helps define our place within it.
Envirothon
Envirothon is a team-based competition for high school students. Students give a 10-minute presentation on a current environmental issue and are tested on 4 categories: wildlife, forestry, aquatics, and soil. Together with City of Kitchener personnel, the Ecology Lab provides training for teams and organizes the competition. The winning team goes on to test its knowledge at the provincial competition.
University of Waterloo Science Outreach
The University of Waterloo Science Outreach team has developed several in-class workshops and on-campus activities in partnership with Let’s Talk Science to complement the Ontario Science Curriculum and nurture high school students' love for science discovery. Specific topics include the diversity of living things, endangered earth, and water resource sustainability.
Maintaining Campus Grounds
Waterloo has over 1,200 acres of property, housing many managed, naturalized, and semi-naturalized spaces. The campus has phased out the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in broad application, and continues to develop sustainable landscaping practices such as using native and non-invasive species, improving salt management in winter, and recycling natural materials.
