Staff Newsletter 26 April 2024
- Annabel Jackson (Deactivated)
Important Information
Sign up to the all-staff meeting
A reminder to sign up for the all-staff meeting on Monday (1-2pm) on 'Protecting our Future: University Finances Update' (in person and online).
Dissertation survey to send to students
Felicia Liu has helpfully shared a copy of the dissertation survey that she sends to students at the start of their dissertation planning process that other staff could refer to when creating their own form.
The responses received can help staff to understand initial student ideas and to determine whether they are best placed to support particular projects.
Reminder: How to contact Student Services staff
The Student Service Manager email address is starting to get lots of enquiries which would be resolved quicker if sent directly to the Student Services Team. Particularly around chasing students who are not responding to emails. Jackie and Michelle are often in meetings and cannot always respond as quickly as they would like so just a reminder of the email addresses for the team (note these feed into the same inbox so do not worry if you are not sure which one to use. They will all get through to the team):
environment-ugstudents@york.ac.uk
environment-pgtstudents@york.ac.uk
environment-pgrstudents@york.ac.uk
environment-assessments@york.ac.uk
Dept Staff Monthly Meeting (April)
Thank you to Jon, Karen, Smriti and Anika for presenting items at the latest staff meeting on Thurs 18 April. Please click the following link to watch the recording of the Dept Staff Monthly Meeting (April).
The next staff meeting will be on Tuesday 21st May, 10:05-11:00 If you have not received a calendar invite, do drop us an email: environment-pa@york.ac.uk.
Free presentation clicker remotes!
Dave has unearthed a handful of Logitech Presentation Remotes that are available should anyone need a presentation remote to click through slides.
There are 5-6 available and they are free to a good home.
Collect from Reception.
Dissertation survey
Please help one of our third year students by filling in their dissertation survey entitled How can effective management of University buildings lead to a reduction in energy usage?
Your response will help give an insight into what drives the use of the building for the faculty and lecturers of the building. This survey will take less than 10 minutes and is completely anonymous. Your response is much appreciated.
Departmental Events
Sustainability Education Conversation
Date / Time: Wednesday 1st May at 12:05
Location: Zoom
Speaker: Lee Jowett
Title
Tiny Forests: An opportunity for citizen science in schools
Blurb
Tiny Forest brings the benefits of woodland right into the heart of our cities and urban spaces: connecting people with nature, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change, as well as providing nature-rich habitat to support urban wildlife. These super tiny, powerful forests aim to mimic the features of a traditional forest but in a really small space (typically the size of a tennis court). To do this, the Tiny Forests have a good mix of native trees which, over time, create a wildlife rich environment for the local community. Through practical action research in Leicester over twenty-five schools have now engaged in planting a Tiny Forest alongside citizen science research. In this seminar I will discuss the benefits and opportunities of this programme and future links to climate education research.
Other Events
Tree Researchers Assemble!
Date / Time: Tuesday 30th April, 9:15 to 12:00
Location: YH/001b
Do you work on or with trees in any form or discipline? This event is designed for researchers across ALL faculties, so join us for a half-day workshop where you will engage in interactive exercises and discussions to map out tree-related research.
Book your place or register for future meetings.
Rachel Drinkhill, YESI Senior PA & Initiatives Co-ordinator
Good News and Media Engagement
Sarah Bridle gave a presentation to participants taking part in The Food Conversation - a programme of workshops run by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission which are taking place across the UK to ask citizens what they want from the food system.
Sam Buckton has had a paper published in the journal Cecidology: Buckton SJ (2024) Corrections and additions to the third edition of British Plant Galls: 1st instalment. Cecidology 39(1), 45-65.
Sam Buckton is a co-author on a paper published in the journal Cecidology: Seawright J & Buckton SJ (2024) Putative galls of Aceria unguiculata (Canestrini) (Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) on Box Buxus sempervirens L. at Kingston Lacy, Dorset. Cecidology 39(1), 28-29.
On 17 April, Rebecca Newman faciliated a workshop in the York Law School with members of North Yorkshire Council and its wider stakeholders, to explore dimensions of transformational governance around the Council's new food strategy. Ioan Fazey, Sam Buckton and Suzanne Om were co-facilitators. Matthew Darby produced a workshop report. Rebecca Goodman and Lee Eyre also participated.
A pre-print of a paper authored by Sam Buckton, Ioan Fazey, Suzanne Om, Sarah Bridle, Rebecca Newman and many others in the FixOurFood research programme has consistently been in the top ten most downloaded papers (measured over the last 60 days) on SSRN for many of its 'eJournals' or research themes, since the paper was uploaded on 12 April. The paper, titled 'Transformative action towards regenerative food systems: A large-scale case study', based on a Three Horizons process with stakeholders in the Yorkshire food system, is currently under review at PLOS Sustainability and Transformation.
Helen Snelson (Education) and Adrian Gonzalez recently published a peer-reviewed article in Teaching History, the secondary education journal of the Historical Association (March 2024) entitled "Learning history outside the classroom in an age of climate crisis." The article focuses both on local site visits and on trips to the battlefields of the First World War, offering immediate practical suggestions to history teachers alongside further "difficult" question instended to stimulate wider, collaborative rethinking about how history might contribute to the development of sustainability.
Do you have an item to share in our next newsletter?
Great! Please add it to the Research, Teaching, Outreach and Good News Spreadsheet. Please use the most relevant tab for the activity/news and ensure that the description details are written out in full as you would like it to be presented. If your item does not fit the spreadsheet, please email it to environment-pa@york.ac.uk by 12:00 next Thursday.
Thank you for your help in making the newsletter a great way to catch up on all of the Department's latest news and activities