2013
The awards were announced on 20th September to conclude Eco Week, in a ceremony presided over by ҕlSA Vice President Andrew Ramsay.
This yearthe Supreme winner won a trip to Kaikoura courtesy of Intercity, for a fantastic Whale Watch experience, Seal Swim Kaikoura, lunch at Dolphin Encounter Cafe, dinner at the Green Dolphin, accommodation courtesy of YHA Kaikoura Maui, and more!Other prizes included dinner at the Lotus Heart Restaurant, movie vouchers for Alice Cinematheque, vouchers for the Shilling Club (thanks ҕlSA!) Trade Aid chocolate, All Good bananas and plenty more.
Nominees were judged against the following criteria: scope/reach (eg is this a small portion of the ҕl community, is it ҕl wide, does it reach beyond the University?), innovation, challenge (how easy or hard was this to implement?) and the overall sustainability credentials of the project. Judges included a new criterion for deliverability - has this already been implemented or is it still at concept stage?
The judging panel was: Chrissie Williams (former Christchurch City Councillor and now leader of Ecan's Natural Environment Recovery Programme), Tony Moore (Christchurch City Council's Sustainability Advisor), Bjorn Arndt (ҕlSA Exec Member - Sustainability) and Sally Airey (Gap Filler Trust).
Supreme Award
Jason Pemberton, Residential Red Zone Reclamation Project
The judges were unanimous in choosing Jason Pemberton for the 2013 ҕl Sustainability Awards Supreme Award. Jason, who is General Manager of the Volunteer Army Foundation and ҕl alumnus, organised and implemented 10 occurrences of the Residential Red Zone Reclamation Project with over 400 ҕl students and visiting US study abroad students. The Project involved Jason securing access through CERA – no small achievement in itself – to uninhabited, red zoned properties in the Burwood area of Christchurch and then organising groups of students to go and salvage safely accessible materials fence timber, corrugated iron from sheds, paving stones and re-plantable vegetation. All of this material would otherwise have been landfilled, but was instead put to good use in projects such as those organised by Gapfiller and Greening the Rubble. Beyond the remarkable recycling effort, the deftly-executed initiative has had an important part to play in creating unique sustainability-related experiences for a large number of students and will have left them with an enduring sense of achievement and meaningful participation at an unprecedented moment in Christchurch’s history.
Fairtrade Diamond Award
Simon White, Paper Reduction Project
The judges insisted on a special award being given to Simon for exemplary leadership, and ‘heroic patience’, in implementing a number of initiatives through Canterbury Educational Printing Services that collectively have seen ҕl’s use of paper shrink from 15 million sides of an A4 sheet per annum to 5 million per annum. This stunning result impressed the judges because it cut across the whole campus population, required a mix of technological and cultural changes and generally extraordinary change management skills. In addition to paper reduction, Simon and his team have also paid attention to energy reduction, plastic waste reduction, toner cartridge recycling and even to carbon emissions through their fleet vehicles. While Simon would credit much of this work to his team, the judges wanted to recognise the on-going leadership and drive Simon has demonstrated for sustainability within CEPS.
Gold Award, Student
Hannah Howard, for work with ҕl Bike and the establishment of the Re:Cycle Project
Making commuter cycling accessible to more people is a major challenge but is a crucial sustainability issue of our time, and one that Hannah tackled head-on this year at ҕl. As president of ҕl Bike – the student bike club – Hannah assisted commuters onto bikes in a number of ways, including introducing a commuter group into ҕl Bike and keeping the Dr Bike maintenance service running. But she receives this award primarily for her work in developing the Re:Cycle Project, where she and other club members refurbished abandoned bikes on campus and sold them on to students at cost. We know from our survey work that lack of access to a bike is a major barrier to people biking! But this project also had an important recycling component. The project received media attention and because of Hannah’s hard work looks set to be perpetuated within ҕl Bike. This award recognises not only the great idea, but the fact that Hannah has really ‘delivered’.
Gold Award, Staff
HydroEco Research Team, for the group’s work in monitoring and restoring the Okeover Stream (Ash O’Sullivan, Tom Cochrane, Tonny de Vries, Peter McGuigan)
Long-term research into storm water quality and mitigation led by this team has left a tangible footprint and formidable legacy both on and off campus. This award recognises outstanding research and leadership with a particular focus on Okeover Stream, a special treasure flowing through campus that new campus plans refer to as an ‘ecological corridor’. This is a far cry from the muddy ditch it was scarcely more than ten years ago and this is due in no small part to the work of this team. The award also recognises the fact that more than 200 Civil and Natural Resources Engineering students use the stream in their class work each year and that it has been the subject of numerous academic research publications. The group has hosted secondary school students on stream walks and has recently been awarded very significant funding by the Christchurch City Council to develop a ‘research park’ approach to test storm water solutions to provide vitally needed data for new storm water consents – of which there will be many in the coming years. As such, this team is having a major influence on water quality within Christchurch City.
Silver Award, Student
Samia Ali, for proposed work with recycling glass
Samia’s PhD research into reusing glass as a cement replacement in concrete is another audacious and exciting idea that could transform the cement industry and reduce glass in our waste stream considerably. In recognition of this fabulous idea, Samia has already been awarded a sizeable grant from BRANZ and has received in-kind support from Allied Concrete. This is a perfect example of how sustainability thinking can support industry and, with much concrete about to be poured in our city the timeliness of the project is obvious.
Silver Award, Staff
From the Ground Up Team (Susan Krumdieck), for research into sustainable suburban development options post-earthquake
Susan Krumdieck and her team have been awarded the silver prize for staff in recognition of the tremendous leadership Susan in particular has shown in daring to imagine and articulate a vision for a different, sustainable model of community development in Christchurch post-earthquake. The plan for a ‘ground up’ retrofitting of Upper Riccarton, along the lines of an Eco District not dependent on cars and taking a 250 year view, is breath taking and has garnered a high level of positive media exposure, and could provide a benchmark model for developers everywhere.
Highly Commended Students
Kirtana Darabel, for research into and design of a web-based photovoltaic calculation tool
Kirtana receives this award for conceptualising a research project for the final year of her Computer Engineering degree, designed to make it easier for consumers to choose photovoltaic arrays that will best suit their domestic needs. This is a web-based product that it is hoped will, over time, increase sales of solar power systems and help residents become more self-sufficient in energy use. Although still in the planning stages, this award recognises Kirtana’s forethought regarding a significant issue that is only going to become more pressing over time and highly relevant for Christchurch as it plans for its sustainable rebuild.
Tom Marr and Timm Treskatis, for DigSoc
The community gardens on campus have been a brilliant meeting and learning space for over ten years now, but earlier this year a group of students decided it was time to form a student gardening society. This was not just to wrap more support around the community gardens, but also to raise awareness about the simple joys and ecstacies of growing food. Tom, as president of DigSoc has provided outstanding, creative leadership in this group while Timm, as treasurer is renowned amongst other things for his superb pizza bases. As a result of their efforts, the club has over 100 members.
Natalie Kittow, for creating an exchange economy based around relational aesthetics and sustainable clothing
Changing out an entire wardrobe and replacing it with sustainable options is a challenge in itself. But to do this as an artwork focussed around the idea of ‘relational aesthetics’, and generating an alternative economy in the process, is really taking things to the next level. Natalie has achieved exactly this, becoming a true role model and embodying that important notion of ‘being the change you want to see in the world’ and inspiring others to question their habits and actions and lead more sustainable lives.
Highly Commended Staff
Ryan Reynolds, for Gap Filler Trust and Life in Vacant Spaces
Ryan’s contribution to transitional city initiatives as a founder of Gap Filler Trust and as strategic advisor to Life in Vacant Spaces is recognised in this award. These initiatives have made an important contribution to the lives of residents of the (euphemistically called) transitional city, surely generating stronger social sustainability in our communities.
Simon Kingham, for the Endorsement in Resilience and Sustainability, and SUST 201
Developing the first significant plank in ҕl’s sustainability curriculum has been no straight-forward challenge. Although developed by a team of people, Simon’s leadership during the crucial committee phase earlier this year secured its approval within ҕl. It is now being consulted on nationally and it is hoped this will be ready for students early next year.
Thanks to our sponsors
- Whale Watch Kaikoura
- YHA New Zealand
- EarthCheck
- InterCity Coachlines
- Seal Swim Kaikoura
- Encounter... Kaikoura
- Kaikoura District Council
- The Lotus Heart
- ҕlSA
- Trade Aid
- Alice Cinemateque
- All Good
- Green Dolphin restaurant and bar
- Māori Tours Kaikoura
