The St. Thomas University Sustainability Learning Lab is launching an on-campus food forest that will provide students with access to fresh food and opportunities to put their learning into action.
Aligned with the University's Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 2025-2030, the food forest will also contribute to STU's commitment to create a more biodiverse and ecologically sustainable campus environment.
"Having a food forest on campus will help STU stand out and demonstrate support for sustainability and for hands-on learning," said Sustainability and Environmental Studies professor Dr. Monika Korzun.
"The food forest will offer students a space where they can engage with food production, ecological principles and climate resilience strategies, and it creates an accessible green space that supports student wellbeing."
Building the Food Forest SEST: 3133 Building Regenerative Food Systems
A food forest is an intentionally designed multi-layered ecosystem that mimics natural forest structures while producing diverse edible plants. It is designed using permaculture principles and techniques to prioritize native species and self-regulation, minimizing weeds and pests while providing food, enhancing biodiversity and soil health and providing a space for community and education.
STUdents will have the opportunity to be involved with the planning and planting of the food forest through the SEST 3133: Building Regenerative Food Systems course taught by Sustainability and Environmental Studies professor Dr. Andrew Mathis this fall.
"Students involved in the build will gain practical experience in permaculture design, native species selection, and sustainable land management. These are skills that translate directly into careers in environmental planning, conservation, and community food systems work," said Dr. Korzun. "This gives students ownership over a real and visible space on campus."
In SEST 3133 Building Regenerative Food Systems, students will study permaculture principles and practices, prepare the site and plant the campus food forest, and prepare an ongoing maintenance and harvest guide for future project staff, volunteers and students.
"Food forests offer an exciting synergy between caring for ourselves, our community, our local biodiversity, and overall planetary health, even if in a small way. There is a lot that plant communities can teach us about how to live regeneratively in our human communities if we take the time to listen," said Dr. Mathis.
For more information about the course, contact amathis@stu.ca.
