Blog post written by PhD student Tanisha Waring, QUB, SBS. Blog post shared by QUB BioGreen Team – take a look for more interesting reading!

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Queen’s Environmental Leadership Programme is a Route A Degree Plus option for environmental volunteers at Queen’s. By taking part, you gain a wide range of transferable skills that are useful not only for becoming an environmental advocate, but also in the big bad world of employment. I thought I’d take this opportunity of writing for the blog to share my experience and hopefully encourage others to become future Leaders.

There are 3 key components of the programme. Workshops, which equip you with technical, congitive and communication skills.

Here’s me very casually participating in a workshop….

Volunteering, including time spent with environmental charities and helping Queen’s staff with projects and events like the Bio Green Team’s Waste Free Coffee Morning…

I can confirm these waste free brownies tasted as a good as they look!

…or the Big Autumn/Spring Clean Up.

That’s me on the right!

Finally, Leaders are encouraged to create and develop a project of their own. Fellow Bio Green Team Member and Environmental Leader Shannon McLaughlin and I organised a Climate Change Conference to showcase the work being done at Queen’s and throughout Northern Ireland to tackle climate change and promote sustainability.

The School of Biological Sciences Climate Change Conference has been postponed to a later date (TBC) so check back here for an announcement in the future!

It’s been challenging at times- its no easy feat balancing volunteering and workshops with a PhD- but it’s definitely been rewarding. Becoming an Environmental Leader has given me the opportunity to actually make a difference, not only within Queen’s but within the wider community.

For anyone thinking of taking part in the programme, I’d say go for it! The programme is perfect for anyone who is passionate about the environment or has an interest in environmental volunteering no matter your background or skillset and I highly recommend taking part. If you’re interested in taking part you can find more information here:

https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/EstatesDirectorate/Services/SustainabilityatQueens/

Or contact our Environmental Officer, Rachel at: carbonmanagement@qub.ac.uk or rachel.vaughan@qub.ac.uk