What: Native Revegetation Tour
When: Wednesday, June 11 from 12-1pm
Where: Greenspace south of Russel Building
Register here

Plant experts Jo-Anne Joyce, Controlled Environment Technician with the Faculty of Science, and Az Klymiuk, Assistant Professor and Indigenous Scholar with the Department of Biological Sciences, will lead you through a walk of the native revegetation plantings along Dafoe Road. The plantings feature native prairie grasses that are ecologically significant and provide benefits such as drought tolerant landscapes, flood mitigation and support biodiversity. Join the tour to discover how these thoughtfully designed greenspaces play a vital role in climate action, offering greater resilience compared to traditional turf lawns. You’ll also pick up practical tips and tricks to bring sustainable practices into your own garden.

All staff, faculty, students and community members are welcome to participate. Terrain will be relatively flat with walking and standing on sidewalks and some walking and standing on turf. In the event of inclement weather, the session will be rescheduled.

What: Jane’s Walk, Innovative Sustainability at UM
When: May 2, 12 to 1 p.m.
Where: In front of the Active Living Centre, University Cres @ Dafoe Rd
Register

David Binne, SERF Technician, clears snow from a new solar panel installation.

2025 Staff Sustainability Award winner Debbie Armstrong from the Centre for Earth Observation Science will lead participants on a walk through SERF to show the unique Arctic research that takes place there and at the Churchill Marine Observatory. The tour will lead participants past the new solar panel installation at SERF before heading to the SiAF. There, 2022 Staff Sustainability Award winner Joe Ackerman with the Department of Biosystems Engineering will host participants at SiAF, where experiential learning, innovative research and sustainability demonstrations take place.

All staff, faculty, students and community members are welcome to participate. Some terrain may be uneven, and grounds around SERF and SiAF may be wet or muddy. Please dress appropriately. We will meet in front of the Active Living Centre at 12 p.m. on Friday, May 2 and continue west along Dafoe Rd W.

About Jane’s Walk

Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations inspired by citizen activist Jane Jacobs. On the first weekend of May every year, Jane’s Walk festivals take place in hundreds of cities around the world. Jane’s Walks encourage people to share stories about their neighbourhoods and discover unseen aspects of their communities. Celebrating Jane’s ideas and principles, we encourage walking together to create connections between creativity and community, to engage experiences as both observers and participants, and for shared reflection, questioning, and re-imagining.

Learn more and register for a walk

Tips for Staying Safe:

• Choose the Right Footwear: Wear boots or shoes with good traction to prevent slipping.
• Walk Carefully: Take slow, deliberate steps, and avoid rushing, especially on icy pathways.  Use the “penguin shuffle” technique—take small steps, keep your feet flat, and extend your arms slightly for balance.
• Stay on Designated Paths: Stick to cleared and salted walkways and avoid shortcuts through unmaintained areas.
• Be Alert: Pay attention to your surroundings, as black ice can be hard to spot.  Be extra cautious if entering campus in the early morning or during changing conditions.

Slipping on ice can lead to injuries ranging from minor bruises to serious fractures. Additionally, near misses—situations where accidents are narrowly avoided—can be just as dangerous if left unaddressed. If you experience a slip, trip, fall, or a near miss, it’s important to report it to the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO) through the Incident Report Webform. Reporting these events helps the university identify high-risk areas and implement measures to prevent future accidents.