CASITA AZUL CREATES SUSTAINABILITY CHANGEMAKERS IN COSTA RICA A flourishing life on land is the foundation for our life on this planet. SDG 15: Life on Land Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. We are all part of the planet’s ecosystem and we have caused severe damage to it through deforestation, loss of natural habitats and land degradation. Goal 15 is about promoting a sustainable use of our ecosystems and preserving biodiversity, which is the key to our own survival.
Casita Azul, “the Little Blue House,” is the smallest library branch in the York University Libraries’ system, but it has a big presence at Las Nubes – York University’s EcoCampus in Costa Rica. Casita Azul not only serves as a place for research and knowledge mobilization, it is also a community hub for research dissemination, citizen science, outreach and community engagement that is available to seven villages in the local area. Since the Las Nubes campus has an environmental focus, library staff work closely with local groups
Dana Craig, director of student learning and academic success for York University Libraries, teaches a class at Casita Azul.
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United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023 | York University
to promote conservation and biodiversity protection and awareness as part of the University’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn more about Casita Azul and its community engagement.
YORK COMMUNITY HELPS GREEN TORONTO CAMPUSES Members of the York University community pitched in to green both the Glendon and Keele campuses in April, by planting trees in celebration of Earth Month. The events were sponsored by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCC) Youth Climate Report, funded by the City of Toronto and held in partnership with Regenesis and York University’s Property Management Grounds in Facilities Services. Participants had the opportunity to think about interconnections between sustainable ecosystems, biodiversity protection and forest management. A total of 214 trees were planted across both campuses, including a variety of native species like sugar maples, red maples, black cherry, red oak, dogwood and others. Learn more about how the York community is greening its campuses.