Trent Lands

A Bold Vision

for the Symons Campus Lands

New treaty rock installation on Trent’s Peterborough campus was unveiled on September 30th in honour of National Truth & Reconciliation Day. Photo includes (L-R) Julie Davis, VP of External Relations and Development; Trent President Leo Groarke; Elder Doug Williams ’69; and Chief Emily Whetung ’03 of Curve Lake First Nation

February 2022 marked one year since the Trent Board of Governors approved the Trent

Lands and Nature Areas Plan, the

University’s bold vision for a thriving

Symons Campus that advances its mission as a learning institution, steward of the natural environment, and community anchor. TRENT Magazine chatted with Julie Davis, vice president of External Relations and Development, about the progress made since the Plan’s approval. “We are excited to see the many years of in-depth engagement and work on developing the Lands Plan come to fruition,” says VP Davis.

“This past year saw us advance environmental initiatives, build on our relationships with local Michi

Saagiig communities, and develop an agreement with peopleCare

Communities to build a 224-bed, notfor-profit long-term care home on the campus.” Deep engagement with local

First Nations communities and incorporating Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and placemaking into campus planning is central to the Lands Plan and its subsequent initiatives. VP Davis says, creating a protocol for engagement with Michi Saagiig communities on how Trent stewards and develops its 1,400acre Peterborough campus has been some of the most challenging, yet most rewarding, work in relation to the Plan, resulting in a “gold standard” relationship with Curve Lake First Nation—according to its chief, Emily Whetung ’03.

Trent University has a wellknown reputation for environmental education and research, and the Lands Plan was an important opportunity to demonstrate that leadership in action. The Symons Campus represents a substantial proportion of woodlands and wetlands within the City of Peterborough, and the protection, enhancement, and restoration of these natural assets are a primary goal of the Lands Plan. The Plan includes a commitment to maintain 60% of the Symons Campus as Nature Areas and green spaces in a new University Green Network (UGN), a connected 800+ acre natural system with areas for habitat preservation and creation, corridors to facilitate wildlife movement, and diverse green spaces that support learning on the land, research, and interaction with nature.

“In the past year we secured a $350,000 grant from the TD Bank Group to conduct environmental studies of the UGN in collaboration with Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations, and $72,000 from the Echo Foundation to advance management plans for the Nature Areas,” says VP Davis. “Students will also have the opportunity to get involved through classwork and internship opportunities.”

The coming year will see work continuing on several Lands Plan initiatives, including the Seniors Village, Cleantech Commons, the University Green Network, and the Trent Farm.