We had an incredible time at the Go Green Salford Festival of Sustainability from March 10-22!
Our community came together to celebrate and learn about sustainability through a variety of engaging activities. Get the details of all the events below:
BioBlitz
A BioBlitz is a period (usually 24 hours) of recording different plants and animals within a designated area. Across Friday 21 and Saturday 22 March a variety of walks, talks and ecological recording took place across Peel Park in partnership with Salford City Council Ranger Team. Over 130 students, colleagues and local community members attended a series of events to help identify and record species in our local environment:
Bird Walk
Bird expert and University of Salford lecturer Dr Helen Whitehead led a walk as she talked about the different birds and where they can be found in the local area.
Amphibian Talk
Amphibian expert and University of Salford lecturer Dr Robert Jehle talked about the different amphibians and where they can be found. We learned about newts, frogs and toads and had the chance to see up close some of the species that can be found in the local area
Spring Wildlife Walk
Wildlife expert David Winnard led a Spring wildlife identification walk. David identified a variety of interesting mineral, medicinal, flora, fauna and fungi around the park and university.
Small Mammal Monitoring
Small mammal expert Tony Parker led a mammal monitoring and identification workshop where we learned how to survey and identify mammals. During the event there was the opportunity to do some live trapping: small mammal traps were put out overnight, then checked early the next morning.
Once the small mammals caught were identified and recorded, they were quickly released back where they were found. We found several wood mice and a field vole – the first time one has been recorded in the area!
Bat Walk
Jo from Salford Ranger Team led an evening bat walk. Participants had the chance to use a bat detector to hear the bats. We were lucky enough to identify three different species of bat and even see them flying overhead around the park.
Spring Foraging Walk
David Winnard also led a Spring foraging walk which took a look at some of the spring plants that can be found in the local area, discovering their uses and folklore and if they were edible or poisonous.
Wellbeing Walks
Colleagues and students joined the Sustainability and Colleague Wellbeing Teams to take a step towards better mental well-being with a group mental health walk. The group were able to explore previously unvisited areas of the campus and local greenspace to connect with nature, enjoy the fresh air, and experience the calming effects of a peaceful walk.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Walks are coordinated monthly by our Deputy Head of Security, Dave Whelan and are a great way to get active, reflect, and rejuvenate during your working day. For future dates check out the Hub or follow our social media.
We also enjoyed an informative and pleasant walk around campus and Peel Park on some of our Tree Trail route guided by the fantastic Jess from Salford Ranger Team. See our Instagram reel for footage and try your own self-guided walk.
Hedgehog Friendly Litter Pick
Colleagues and students joined members of the Sustainability Team for one of our regular litter picks in Peel Park to help create a cleaner, safer environment for our hedgehog friends and other wildlife.
We run these every two weeks and welcome students, colleagues and community you can keep up to date via our Hedgehog Friendly Campus instagram account or by joining our Teams Green Campus Group
Community Growing Session
We had very productive sessions at our Community Growing Space. Student and colleague volunteers helped sow some seeds for flowering plants, planted up a new bed with some late spring bulbs as well as a bed of radishes and beetroot. We were also joined by Dom from Niche who have donated a sand planter to provide a habitat for ground-nesting bees and student, James who was testing a new eco-friendly party popper he has developed using seeded paper!
Our space is open and available for all to get involved. We hold regular group sessions every Wednesday 12:30-13:30 so come along to do some gardening, or just to spend some time outdoors and have a chat. The session is open to all, no experience is necessary – we’ll learn together as we grow. All equipment and resources will be provided, but please feel free to bring your own gloves/tools/seeds if you’ve got some. Join our Community Growing Space Teams Group.
Nature Literacy Training
In this Biodiversity Collage workshop, colleagues and students enhanced their nature literacy. Run by Emma Goodchild, Zoe Pegg from our Environmental Sustainability Team and Teaching Fellow, Jason Fernandes, this fun and collaborative workshop helped participants understand biodiversity, its importance, and actions to protect it.
Carbon Literacy Training
Over 20 students and colleagues completed the carbon literacy course delivered in partnership with Change Agents UK gives an overview of the basic science of climate change as well as an understanding of the actions required by governments, businesses and individuals to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and set us on a path towards a more sustainable future. The training took place over two half-days online.
Supporting Sustainability with Green Impact
The Green Impact Workshop at the University of Salford, led by Bec Bennett, focused on empowering staff and students to engage with sustainability initiatives. Participants learned about the COM-B model for creating agency and how to design effective programmes to drive positive sustainable behaviours. The session also highlighted practical ways to measure local impact and introduced key sustainability programmes like Green Impact and LEAF. Both of which have opportunities for both colleagues and students to help create a sustainable campus and community.
Responsible Purchasing Seminar
Colleagues joined Bec Bennett, Associate Director of Sustainability for an informative session on responsible purchasing practices. The session explained the impact of our purchasing, how sustainable choices can benefit both the environment and our community and how colleagues can make a positive impact through our purchasing processes.
For support with embedding sustainability into your purchasing, please contact the Sustainability Team: sustainability@salford.ac.uk
Guided Bike Ride
Colleagues and students joined Nigel Blandford of the Sustainability Team on a guided bike ride to the wonderful Kersal Wetlands via Peel Park. On the way we learned about the River Irwell and measures to “tame the flow” and prevent flooding. Check out our Instagram Reel.
Swap Not Shop
Organised by Fashion Image Making and Styling student Ruby Gray, ‘Swap Not Shop’ is all about the new future of fashion and dismantling our usual shopping rhythm. Lots of students and colleagues came along with clothing and accessories that they wanted to trade in exchange for someone else’s once cherished garment.
Sustainability Information Stalls
The Sustainability Team was out and about on Peel Park and Frederick Road Campuses each week with pop-up stalls. We engaged with over 350 students who learned about the role of the Sustainability Team, our events during Go Green Salford and claimed free stationery items made available for reuse through a Green Impact team initiative!
We also hosted information stalls from two partner organisations. For Global Recycling Day, representatives from waste contractors Veolia joined the Sustainability Team at our Frederick Road Campus to talk to students and colleagues about what can be recycled and what happens to our waste after collection. United Utilities also ran a stall to demonstrate how to stop the block to help prevent drain blockages and protect our environment.
Between the Earth and the Sky Exhibition Tour
Curator Stephanie Fletcher led an informal tour of Between the Earth and the Sky, a new exhibition of nature-inspired artwork.
This exhibition showcases exceptional works by celebrated contemporary artists Darren Almond, Jessica El Mal, Mishka Henner, Bridget Riley, and Liang Yue, alongside exciting new acquisitions from Christiane Baumgartner, presented by the Contemporary Art Society 2023/24. Through themes of natural rhythms and transitional moments—from sunsets to coastal tides—the exhibition encourages thought-provoking reflection on the natural world and our connection. It also highlights stunning pieces from the University’s printmaking collection, featuring artists Charles Bartlett, Betty Connal, Peter Green, Philip Greenwood, and Derek Wilkinson, some displayed for the first time in years! Additionally, works by Alex Nelu and Joshua Turner, technical demonstrators from the Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology, explore local and rural landscapes considering themes of history and memory.
The exhibition is open until Friday, 25 July at the New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery, weekdays 10:00–16:00 (excluding bank holidays). Plan your visit and access full visitor information.
During Go Green Salford, the Art Collection Team also launched their sustainability principles and hosted a Q&A with Alex Nelu, one of the exhibitors from Beyond The Earth and The Sky, about his sustainable practices in art.
Library, Careers and Enterprise
Throughout the fortnight, our Library, Careers, and Enterprise Service offered resources to inspire students in green careers. This included a session led by Jessica Beckly, the UK’s Environmental Manager at H&MV Engineering, supported by a sustainability-themed book display and a green careers matching game in the library. Thinking of a career in Green and Sustainable jobs? Find out more about green careers through our Library and Careers Service activities and resources.
Go Green Salford will be back in October 2025!
Go Green Salford is our Festival of Sustainability held around March and October every year. This is an opportunity to highlight the importance of sustainability, some of the fantastic University of Salford initiatives and inspire positive action among our students, colleagues and local community.
We’d love to hear your feedback on the Festival in general as well as the events throughout the fortnight (even if you didn’t attend), so we’ve put together a short survey. It should only take about 6 minutes and filling out this form really informs us on what type of events to put on like this in the future 🌻By completing the form you have the opportunity to go into a prize draw for one of five sustainable prizes!
The deadline to fill out the form is Friday 4 April by 09:00. https://forms.office.com/e/4V3LzCjGcM
Let’s continue to Go Green all year round!
Keep in touch for future opportunities to get involved via our social media and newsletter – sign up here 🌱
Please get in touch if you have an idea for future events!