Earth Day: Dawson College rated platinum in sustainability, students & staff work on floral garden

On this Earth Day, students and staff at Montreal’s Dawson College began working on two new wildflower gardens along Sherbrooke Street West while celebrating their mark of achievement of a platinum rating in sustainability – joining only 14 other higher education institutions in the world who have this rank.

“It makes you feel very happy, exhilarated,” said Dipti Gupta, Dawson College Cinema & Communications Professor. “This is what the community is over here.”

“I love the diversity that Dawson represents,” she added. “The plants, flowers, trees that are on this land.”

“It’s a celebration of what we do all year,” said Chris Adam, Office Of Sustainability Associate Director, Dawson College. “How do we better take care of ourselves, each other, and the planet?”

“This is just an example of what we do here on a daily basis at Dawson,” he added. “You have students and alumni coming together, children of teachers, staff coming on board to help us, and that’s what we do.”

Adam says they’ve spent the last 15 years trying to reach this milestone, of becoming a global leader in sustainability.

Over 1,000 institutions participate in the program located in nine Canadian provinces, 47 U.S. states and territories and more than 20 countries. 

“Part of our achievement, is just the will and spirit that we’re modeling as we inspire other institutions,” said Adam. “Just to raise the bar and start with something small and action and then build as you go.”

“It is a stressful time, a stressful year at school and everything,” added Alexandros Efremidou, Dawson College student. “So just going outside and instead of being downtown Montreal with all of the buildings, the cars, we get to see a lot of trees, a lot of plants, a lot of gardens, a lot of animals.”

“It is scary times, but of course, when you come back to this, it helps you have maybe more hope for the future,” he said. “So Earth Day, I think, is a good reminder to keep that hope.”

When the wildflowers blossom, birds and butterflies will visit the site – adding up to the over 1,000 species identified on the campus property. 

“It will be an array of color,” said Gupta.

“If every single one of us takes a little bit of time, just to be thankful of the fact that we are part of this earth, part of this planet,” she added. ” I think it’s a duty for young and old and all age groups.”