The Lions’ Gate Garden is a permaculture habitat adjacent to the library at Merchiston campus. The gardens, allotment, pond, and outdoor laboratory provide a space to relax and unwind.
Three years ago, Research Fellow and Interaction Design Lecturer Callum Egan sparked the idea of using digital technology and environmentalism to create “techno gardens to make real spaces for people”.
The digital interactions aim to inspire people on educating and taking action for climate change and ecosystems.
Some of these interactions include:
- Augmented realities
- QR codes
- Building food forests
- Wifi and sensor icons
The pandemic has even taught us all to be more resourceful and individuals have shown a growing hobby for urban gardening! As the seasons change at Lions’ Gate, we can be more ‘fruitful’ by generating natural resources, from strawberries to Christmas trees. This creates social spaces and could even make homemade jams and chutneys!
Photo by Dave Michuda on Unsplash
But how can we incorporate more ‘greenness’ into university teaching spaces and libraries?
- Growing edible plants i.e. fruit trees
- Outdoor classroom spaces, open structures, and eco-roofs
- Community volunteering at Edinburgh Napier’s Sustainable Society or Volunteer Edinburgh to promote sustainable practices:
- https://www.napierstudents.com/organisation/societies/7511/#
https://www.volunteeredinburgh.org.uk/volunteer/find-opportunities/?search=
You can find more information about the Lions’ Gate Garden project in the link below:
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