Life in John’s editor, Maia Tollner, reviews last Wednesday’s Environment and Fairtrade Formal, which promoted the value of sustainable eating in protecting the environment.
Here in St Johns, our Environmental Fortnight is underway. Running from the 3rd to the 16th of March, various events are happening in college to encourage mindful thinking about our environment. From litter picking to more vegetarian and vegan options for dinner, Environmental Fortnight raises awareness of how our lifestyle choices impact the planet, and the small (but influential) steps we can take in our day-to-day lives to help the planet.
Last Wednesday, Johns held an Environment and Fairtrade formal, inviting various members of our local community, who are dedicated to protecting the environment in Durham. The formal itself and the drinks reception beforehand offered a wonderful opportunity to meet these guests and learn about their efforts towards protecting our planet, varying from organising environmental campaigns to launching a fair trade business.
Before the food was served, some of the guests delivered speeches about their work. Graham Hollingworth’s speech, for instance, was particularly eye-opening into the amount of litter which pollutes the river, as he pulled out Red Bull cans and Gregg’s sausage roll packets from his bag. The formal also demonstrated the variety of environmental charities in Durham looking for more volunteers. From within the university, Stephenson College does monthly litter picking along the River Wear, as well as termly beach cleans in the Northeast. Similarly, there is Durham Wildlife Trust which works to preserve habitats and allow Durham’s biodiversity to flourish.
Filled with green bunting and beautiful emerald quilts, the catering team provided delicious dishes consisting of Fairtrade products to champion sustainable eating. The vegetarian dish was especially innovative with delicious Fairtrade banana curry, followed by Ben and Jerry’s for dessert, which was very much welcomed by everyone. Uniting Johnians with a common interest of helping the planet, the Environment and Fairtrade formal prized the importance of sustainable living for both the environment and our own wellbeing. Overall, it was a lovely evening celebrating our planet and the efforts the members of our local community take to protect Durham’s environment.
Image Credit: Marija Huljak and Rebecca Bouveng.
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