Living Planet @ Campus

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WATERLOO'S GOAL

By 2018, establish a sustainability leaders program in partnership with students from residences, clubs and societies, student government, and for students in off-campus housing

Supporting SDGs

About

Living Planet at Campus logo WWF Canada is the country's largest conservation organization, with a mission to reverse the decline of wildlife. WWF Canada's Living Planet @ Campus program encourages students in the practice of sustainability and the protection of nature on campus and beyond.

Become a Living Planet Leader

Leaders The Living Planet Leader program is a self-guided designation that recognizes student contributions to a more sustainable campus and community. Students must complete actions in four categories to quality for a Living Planet Leader designation, including:

Campus, community or global volunteerism
Personal application of sustainability
Application of sustainability in academics
Leadership and teamwork

The Living Planet Leader student certification is an opportunity for students to gain valuable leadership skills and boost their professional resume. Students will be listed on WWF's Living Planet Leader website upon certification.

To get started:

Register as a Living Planet Leader with Living Planet @ Campus
Track your progress and record your efforts on your Living Planet Leader profile
Submit your completed application within 3 months after your final academic term

Once your application has been accepted by WWF Canada, you'll be listed as a Living Planet Leader on the Living Planet @ Campus website, which you can include on your resume and online CV.

Meet our Living Planet Leaders

Michelle Angkasa Headshot

Michelle Angkasa

Environment and Business | Environment, Resources, and Sustainability Minor

Maggie Chang Headshot

Maggie Chang

Environment, Resources, and Sustainability |
Biology Minor, International Development Option

Jacqueline Harper Headshot

Jacqueline Harper

MES Candidate, Geography

BES, Environment and Business |
Geography and Environmental Management Minor, Tourism Management Specialization

Jenna Phillips headshot

Jenna Phillips

Environment, Resources, and Sustainability |
Geography Minor, Environmental Assessment Diploma

Krystal Yee headshot

Krystal Yee

Environment and Business

Campus photo

Janine Graham

Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies

Asser headshot

Asser Sigmund Ang

Environment and Business

Bethany

Bethany Helaine Poltl Environment and Business | International Development Minor

Jahanvi Desai

Jahanvi Desai

Environment and Business | International Development Minor

Designing Change Hackathon 2021

On June 5, 2021, a group of three students, Ana, Bethany, and Jordan, represented the University of Waterloo in the WWF’s Designing Change Hackathon 2021. Students were asked to generate ideas to support an innovative future with a chance to win $1,200 towards a campus sustainability project. Alongside 27 competing Canadian universities, the students put together a project proposing the learning wetland conservation and restoration strategies through gamification and land-based learning.

In addition to the existing elementary school curricula, the team assembled a three-part multifaceted program where students could participate in a Minecraft Conservation world, track wetland conservation efforts globally through the “Wetlands Explorer App,” and engage in real-life learning from Indigenous Elders at their nearest wetland conservation area. Their program provided an innovative opportunity for learning, both virtually and in the real world, through land-based learning. They summarized their proposal stating, “As each generation of students learn and help mentor the next, we will experience the positive impact from a local to a global level."

“Innovating and designing with my fellow Atlantic Walrus's during the WWF Canada designing change challenge was stimulating and inspiring.” – Ana

“Having the opportunity to participate in the WWF designing change challenge allowed me to innovate and create with other like-minded environmentalists. I feel our (UW Team Atlantic Walrus) proposal is a strong program that would create long-term sustainable change!” –Bethany

“It was an insightful experience attending the WWF designing change challenge. The panel presentations, team brainstorming, and pitching aspects of the program were indeed great highlights!" – Jordan

Designing Change Hackathon 2019

On March 16, 2019, students were challenged to put together a team to think about innovations that will shift us to a more sustainable future at the Designing Change Hackathon, held at WWF Canada Headquarters in Toronto. Students had the chance to win a $1,200 team prize and network with industry professionals during the event. Students were challenged to develop innovative solutions to the plastic crisis and pitch their innovation to a panel of industry experts.

Three Waterloo students presenting their proposal at the Designing Change Hackathon in 2019. (Copyright Peter Nguyen, WWF Canada)

Designing Change Hackathon 2018

On March 24, 2018, students were challenged to put together a team to think about the next big innovation that will shift us to a more sustainable future at the Designing Change Hackathon hosted by WWF Canada. Contestants had a chance to win a $1,200 team prize and a one-on-one mentoring session with a professional in their field.

Waterloo's team proposed an innovative life cycle label on all food products, similar to nutritional information, to inform consumers about the environmental footprint of different products. They competed in the finals alongside 12 other campuses in Toronto.

5 UW students at WWF Hackathon in Toronto

Five Waterloo students and Waterloo sustainability staff member posing with WWF Panda at the Designing Change Hackathon in 2018.

Go Wild School Grant 2019

In 2019, the Ecology Lab was awarded a Go Wild School Grant through WWF Canada to run a workshop on birds of prey. The primary goal of the project was to make local wildlife knowledge more accessible to the campus community, in partnership with a branch of a regional conservation authority. The workshop focused on birds of prey and the challenges they face with human activity, with a specific focus on American Kestrels, Broad-winged hawks, Great Horned Owls, as well as information on falcons, vultures, and eagles.

Through the workshop, attendees were able to observe three live raptors of different species in close proximity - which would be difficult in the wild due to their nature and behavioural patterns! Participants also had the chance to pass around and touch wing and talon replicas that came from birds of prey. This was also a rare opportunity, as owning birds of prey (whether they are alive or dead) is not legal in Ontario without a license.

Representatives from the Mountsberg Raptor Centre delivered captivating facts about raptors, their morphology, diets, behaviour, as well as their capacity for interactions with humans. Stories of how the individual birds ended up in the centre, unable to be released back into the wild, allowed participants to gain an understanding of the direct and indirect human impacts on birds of prey.

The workshop engaged more than 40 attendees of all ages and received very positive and enthusiastic feedback!

Bird of prey on hand of presenter with participants watching in the background

Presenter at Mountsberg Raptor Show showing off a bird of prey to attendees in 2019.