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Programme: GLL Netherlands Tour

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Students from all universities and colleges are welcome to join, from any study course. See how you can participate & book your space below.

*Friday 3 May, Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam, 14.00 – 17.30

‘Where Life Begins: Soil & Seeds’, with the Green Living Lab & Commonland

Lecture:  Commonland tell us how restorative solutions can reverse the degradation of the land and water systems that are the basis of life on earth, and bring back prosperity to both people and planet.

Green Living Lab Workshops: 

Composting – build healthy soil while making profit from waste. We’ll show you how to turn your kitchen waste into rich compost with a worm hotel.

Sowing Seeds – a guide to growing healthy plants at home.

*Friday 10 May, University of Groningen, 14.00 – 17.30

‘Gifts from Nature: Inspiration & Wellbeing’ with Green Office Groningen & Guests

Tour: A meeting with product designer Tjeerd Veenhoven at his studio to hear how he is inspired by the natural world to develop sustainable products including Palmleather, a plant-based replacement for animal leather, plastic and rubber, and AlgaeFabric, a raw textile material made from algae.

Interactive Lecture: “Links between pro-environmental behaviours and wellbeing” by Steph Johnson-Zawadski, Environmental Psychology PhD, University of Groningen.

Green Living Lab Workshop:

Seed Balls – cheering up grey urban environments for people and pollinators with seed balls full of native herbs and flowers.

*20 spaces exclusively available for University of Groningen students for €5,00 per student.*

To register as a University of Groningen student, please contact Green Office Groningen: greenoffice@rug.nl 

All other students, please contact: gsbc@greenlivinglab.org

 *Friday 17 May, Utrecht University, 14.00 – 17.30

‘Interconnectivity in Nature: Forests & Mycelium,’ with Green Office Utrecht & Guests

Workshop: Forests, with IVN & the Tiny Forest initiative. Exploring the role of urban forests for a healthy city,  and learning how a Tiny Forest can be realised on campus or in the neighbourhood.

Workshop: Mycelium & Mushrooms, with Fungi Factory. We’ll hear about the magical world of mycelium, how Fungi Factory’s circular enterprise utilises mycelium to turn waste into profit, and we’ll be challenged to grow oyster mushrooms at home with a Fungi Factory grow-kit.

*20 spaces exclusively available for Utrecht University students for €9,50 per student.* 

To register as a Utrecht University student, please contact Green Office Utrecht: greenoffice@uu.nl before Thursday 16 May.          

All other students, please contact: gsbc@greenlivinglab.org

*Friday 24 May, Amsterdam West, 14.00 – 17.30 

From Farm to Table: CSAs & Cooking Workshop in Nature, with De Stadsgroenteboer CSA & UvA Green Office
We visit this newly established CSA to hear about the role of CSAs in producing healthy food for urban populations. De Stadsgroenteboer team met while studying gastronomy in Italy and they will share their love of tasty fresh produce with us from farm to table, as students are invited to get their hands in the soil to harvest and then cook together.

Cooking Workshop: Expect to get your hands in the soil and to cook with fresh veggies from the garden.

20 spaces exclusively available for University of Amsterdam students for €15,50 per student.*

To register, please contact: gsbc@greenlivinglab.org before Friday 17 May.

*Friday 31 May, Rotterdam, 14.00 – 17.30 

‘Creating Cities for Healthier Futures,’ with Hannah Wright & Jorn Wemmenhove, Humankind

City Tour: Exploring how our urban surroundings influence our well-being, with urban planner Hannah Wright and tactical urbanist Jorn Wemmenhove, Humankind.

Includes a visit to the largest and loveliest productive roof-garden in Europe, De DakAkker.

20 spaces exclusively available for Erasmus University Rotterdam students for €5 per student.*

To register, please contact: gsbc@greenlivinglab.org before Monday 27 May.

 *Friday 7 June, TU Delft, 14.00 – 17.30

‘Nature-inspired Innovation,’ with Green Office Delft & Guests

Workshop: Biomimicry Nederland invites us to look to nature for sustainable solutions, and tells us how nature’s design genius is inspiring innovation for a healthy world.

Lecture: Dr. Ingrid de Pauw teaches at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering TU Delft, and will tell us about her research into nature-inspired design, as well as its applications.

Interactive Lecture: Dr. Bertus Beaumont, teaches BioLogic at the Department of Bionanoscience TU Delft, and will tell us about the course’s focus on how biological principles can be applied to achieve green technological solutions.

We will meet BioLogic students, and hear from them about their entry for the Biodesign Challenge, a global challenge for university students to envision future applications of biotechnology.

*20 spaces exclusively available for TU Delft students for €5,00 per student.*

To register as a TU Delft student, please contact Green Office TU Delft:  info@greenofficedelft.nl before Monday 3 June

All other students, please contact: gsbc@greenlivinglab.org

*Friday 14 June, Amsterdamse Bos, Amsterdam, 14.00 – 21.00

Trees & Us: Trees & People in a Healthy City.

A tree expert will tell us about the role of trees and urban forests in creating a healthy city. We’ll also go on a bird safari and explore what edible delights the forest has to gift us.

To attend, please contact: gsbc@greenlivinglab.org before Monday 10 June. 

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Ways to Participate & Costs

All participants required to be students  & advance payment required.

1) Full Programme (8 sessions):

€85 per student, including workshop materials. Apply before 29 April: gsbc@greenlivinglab.org

2) Individual Sessions:

€17,50 per session. Please book here:  gsbc@greenlivinglab.org

3) University of Groningen, Utrecht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, TU Delft & University of Amsterdam Students:

We have reserved 20 spaces at a discounted rate for local students at sessions taking place at the University of Groningen, Utrecht University, Rotterdam, TU Delft & in Amsterdam.

Please contact us for information on how to book your space with discount: gsbc@greenivinglab.org

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On Tour: Green Student Bootcamp Challenge 2019

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In 2019 the GSBC will go on on a tour of innovative projects across the Netherlands, where local people are connecting city residents to nature for health and well-being. From urban foraging, food forests and the future of food in the city, from permaculture roof gardening to sustainable innovations, and including our regular grow-your-own-food & co-creation challenges, the programme is guaranteed to be inspiring!

Locations to include Groningen, Rotterdam, Delft, Utrecht and Amsterdam.

We are offering places to 50 students, from any study discipline.

If you know any students who could be interested in a fun green education, please ask them to contact us here for details: info@greenlivinglab.org 

The closing date for applications is Monday 22 April. 

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Applications now Open for the Green
Student Bootcamp Challenge 2018!

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APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

We are excited to announce the 2018 Green Student Bootcamp Challenge programme!

GSBC Flyer Front

We’ve included more hands-on workshops this year than ever before; from foraging & cooking with wild plants, learning to grow veggies at home, urban composting with worms, growing mushrooms, fermentation, to learning to design from nature’s patterns. It is going to be a lot of fun learning together in nature!

We are delighted to announce educating partners including BiomimicryNL, Mamotok , The School of Nature, Green Office VU, Pangea Amsterdam University College, Le Compostier & HvA – Hogeschool van Amsterdam

There are 10 sessions, always on Friday afternoons from 14.00 – 17.00. The first session is on Friday 6 April, & the programme ends with a graduation party created by participating students on Friday 15 June.

Cost: €65 per student (with valid student card) for 10 sessions, including all workshop materials & vegan snacks and drinks.

Applications to be received before Monday 2 April. All students (18 years + ) are welcome.

For information and an application form, please email : gsbc@greenlivinglab.org

#gsbc208 #greenhealthystudents #healthyurbanliving #natureisaclassroom

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Come Join in! New Crowdacting Initiative by Bootcamp Challenge Students!

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Crowdacting at The Green Living Lab

CrowdAction: Green Student Bootcamp Challenge

#GreenStudentBootcampChallenge students are launching an initiative to inspire positive environmental behaviour while enjoying a cup of coffee on the go!

Did you know that most disposable cups cannot be recycled? 

When you are on the go, it is easy to forget that the little things you do can have a big impact. Take that cup of coffee you pick up at the café on the way to work; have you ever thought about where it goes after you’ve had your morning pick-me-up? And what about the multitude of other people who also grab a hot drink whilst they are out and about? In the UK alone, 8 million disposable cups are thrown away every single day [1], and globally 500 billion cups are produced and used [2]. Many of these cups are a mixture of plastic and paper, making recycling in the regular way impossible; in the UK, only 1 in 400 of these cups is recycled [1].

Practical Solution 

Thankfully, we can cut down on our waste production without cutting out coffee completely! Reusable cup brands such as KeepCup and ecoffee cup are great options, or you can grab your favourite mug and bring it with you when you are out and about.

Crowdacting with CollAction

“If 30 people sign up to stop using disposable cups for one month (November), then we will all commit to switching to reusable cups.”

Students have proposed a crowdaction where they will replace their disposable cups with reusable cups for all of their takeaway drinks for one month (November). They hope to not only change their own behaviour by taking part in this challenge, but also inspire others to grab their funkiest mug from the counter and take it out on the go to reduce their personal waste.

Students were inspired to launch their initiative on the innovative CollAction platform. Ron van den Akker, founder of CollAction and a guest speaker at this year’s Bootcamp Challenge programme, informed us how this online platform enables people to come together to take initiatives for positive social impact. Check out the great initiatives on the CollAction website, get involved or start your own initiative!

Join Students in Their CrowdAction & Help to Make a Positive Impact Together!

To participate, please sign up here:

https://www.collaction.org/Projects/Details/67

 

[1] The Guardian. 2016. Caffeine hit: what happens to Britain’s 3bn empty coffee cups?

[2] CHOICE. 2017. Let’s grab a coffee – billions of them.

An interesting documentary about the situation in the UK is ‘Hugh’s War on Waste: The Battle Continues’, Episode 3.

 

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The Green Life! A Student Approach to Sustainability
by Esti Colomer, VU International Student

Green Student Bootcamp Challenge graduate Esti Colomer shares her experiences of learning about healthy and sustainable lifestyle choices at the Green Living Lab with fellow Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam – International Students:

“Since I moved to Amsterdam last year, I was extremely surprised by the importance of sustainability and all the green initiatives that this city offers. I decided that I wanted to become part of this sustainability movement and I joined the Green Student Bootcamp Challenge. This was a 12-week program aimed to promote healthier lifestyle choices, to help students live more sustainably and put theory into practice. The Bootcamp was organised by the Green Living Lab (GLL).”

 Read More


Students! There is still time to join our new education programme, the Community Compost School. This applied learning programme explores how we can work together to turn our organic waste into compost to grow food locally, how we can prevent food waste in the city, how to make healthy vegan meals & how jobs for students could be created by turning waste into value.

Contact us today to book your place: info@greenlivinglab.org

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The Green Student Bootcamp Challenge & #greenhealthystudents
Nederlands

Het is bijna tijd om onze 2de onderwijsprogramma ‘De Buurtcompost School‘ te lanceren op vrijdag 30 september!

Dus de perfecte tijd voor een terugblik op onze 1ste onderwijs programma, ‘The Green Student Bootcamp Challenge’.

Hier vinden jullie een mooi verslag over de invloed van het programma door deelnemende student Roos van der Deijl, MSc Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU).

“Vrijdag, begin van de middag. ‘Ga je weer naar je groene ding?’ ‘Jep, weer lekker in de aarde wroeten!’ roep ik voordat ik huppelend de Boelelaan oversteek en het Groene Leven Lab binnenloop. Daar vind ik mijn mede ‘groene gezonde studenten’ al (ja hip hè, je vind ons op sociale media onder #greenhealthystudents), kletsend rondom de groentedips, gevulde dadels, en andere (groene, gezonde, vanzelfsprekend) snacks die programmaleidster Aveen met een aantal (groene, gezonde) helpers heeft gemaakt.

Zo ongeveer begon de afgelopen lente iedere vrijdagmiddag voor mij en vijfendertig medestudenten. Vervolgens wachtte ons iedere week weer een vol programma waarin zowel onze handen als breinen werden uitgedaagd om wat duurzamer met de aarde om te gaan. Want naast het vergaren van kennis en inspiratie over de hele reeks onderwerpen die hiermee te maken hebben, was de Green Student Bootcamp Challenge vooral een ‘action lab’, waarmee het creatief, productief, en efficiënt in de praktijk brengen van ideeën voorop stond.

Ik zou pagina’s kunnen vullen over de bomvolle lijst aan workshops, sprekers, en uitdagingen die we iedere week kregen, maar voor de leesbaarheid van dit stukje zal ik het bij de hoogtepunten houden. Praktische stadstuinieren workshops door Cityplot werden afgewisseld met o.a. zonnige en erg inspirerende lessen van VU professor Jaap Seidell, en dr. Jolanda Maas, die i.s.m. het Groene Leven Lab onderzoek doen naar de effecten van een groene omgeving op gezondheid. Ook de VU Green Office en sociaal ondernemen platform Enactus VU kwamen met ons brainstormen. Daarnaast werden we geïnspireerd door verhalen uit het bedrijfsleven van o.a. Coco-Mat, Bio-Kultura, en NICE fruitijsjes (inclusief gratis ijsjes die erg welkom waren op die warme middag!). Goede herinneringen hebben we ten slotte aan de kookdemo van Vegan Sundays, en Tai Chi en mindfulness lessen in het ‘blotevoetenveld’.

Als ik van dit alles één ‘take home message’ zou moeten noemen, is het wel het belang van onze bodem. Ik vind het ongelooflijk me te beseffen dat ontelbare diersoorten onder onze voeten een complex ecosysteem vormen dat letterlijk en figuurlijk ten grondslag ligt aan al het leven op aarde. Wist je bijvoorbeeld dat één eetlepel aan bodem meer micro-organismes bevat dan de volledige bevolking ter aarde? Daarom is het zo jammer dat we er niet zo goed voor zorgen; de afgelopen 150 jaar is de helft van de bodem toplaag verloren gegaan door menselijke ingrepen zoals ontbossing, overbegrazing, en het gebruik van landbouwchemicaliën.

Confronterend? Ja. Hopeloos? Nee. Met een beetje creativiteit is overal een oplossing voor te bedenken, leren we van de lessen maar ook van elkaar. Neem Rowin uit het GLL team, ook wel ‘Le Compostier’. Hij maakt ‘wormenhotels’: zelfontworpen compostbakken, voor straten en restaurants in de stad. Of kijk naar Juste, hij wordt héél blij van gezond koken en is een levend voorbeeld van hoeveel energie dat kan geven. Of Waas, die ons verteld over zijn project ‘Tiny Tim’, een minihuis dat zichzelf voorziet van water, warmte, en elektriciteit.

De tijd vloog om, en voor we het wisten waren we onze graduation party aan het organiseren. Op dit groene festival evalueerden we op de ervaring en vierden we onder het genot van zelfgemaakte hapjes uit de tuin het behalen van onze groene studentenstatus. Onze ‘graduation gift’ was niets minder dan bodem uit de tuin. En zo, beginnend en eindigend met bodem, was de cirkel rond.

Aan het eind van de middag fietste ik altijd naar huis met mijn hoofd vol ideeën om mijn eigen leven weer een beetje groener, bewuster, gezonder, en vooral leuker te maken. Mijn vrienden, familie, en huisgenoten lachten me toe (of soms een beetje uit) over mijn nieuwgevonden enthousiasme voor het houden van wormen, het ‘opvoeden’ van mijn baby plantenbaby’s, en het ijverig schudden van mijn kiempotten. Maar ik denk dat we stiekem best wat zaadjes hebben geplant. Nu maar hopen dat ze blijven groeien.”

Er is nog tijd om deel te nemen aan De Buurtcompost School programma!

Stuur een e-mail naar: info@greenlivinglab.org voor informatie.

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