Sustainability

It’s important for us to know what plants and animals call our grounds home. We’ve engaged citizen scientists in an ongoing biodiversity surveying project using the iNaturalist app to record their observations. We are also working to monitor and improve the water quality in our iconic lake. Read more about the surveying project a Worcester Magazine article by Joseph Boyle and see all the latest observations on iNaturalist by following the links below.

Read more in the Magazine View the Worcester project on iNaturalist

Worcester students have long been at the forefront of environmental research and innovative green thinking. The Edible Garden, founded by Elizabeth Sandis and Joe Hassell in 2010, is now the longest-running student vegetable garden at Oxford. It is situated in the walled garden of the Worcester Cottage on Walton Street and features raised beds with a range of edible crops and informal areas where students can unwind alongside flowers and wild strawberries.

2025 marks 15 years of the Edible Garden, during which hundreds of students have enjoyed growing their own fruit and vegetables, including salad crops, herbs and edible flowers. Undergraduates and graduates unite to form a joint team, looking after the garden together through the seasons.

Co-Founder Elizabeth Sandis says: ‘Some years we are blessed with a bumper crop and organise a special “Harvest Hall” for Michaelmas Term. Though we couldn’t do this without the indomitable spirit of Head Chef Arnie Wallbridge, transforming our wonky veg into top grub! We are especially indebted to Simon Bagnall, Head of Gardens and Grounds, and all of his superb team, who have gone out of their way to support the Edible Garden over the years. We are currently developing the space to make it even better. We want it to be a highlight of College for everyone – staff, students, and old members alike.’

Worcester Energy Day brings together students and researchers from across the University to share ideas and experiences relating to clean energy generation and storage. For the inaugural event in February 2024, we invited three leading speakers from within the Oxford faculty who described their research on renewable energy generation, solar-to-fuel energy conversion and energy storage using batteries. In addition, there were 17 oral presentations delivered primarily by graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from different departments. Finally, a poster and networking session gave ample opportunities for making new connections and building collaborations.

Worcester Energy Day provided a unique platform for Oxford researchers to showcase their energy-related research to their peers. The first of its kind in any college or department, the overwhelming response was a desire to see this as an annual event – something we hope to be able to bring to fruition in years to come. Event convenor Dr Krishanu Dey (Junior Research Fellow) offers more information in the Worcester Magazine article linked below.

Read more in the Magazine

In Michaelmas Term 2021, in the national context of COP26, and the local one of a new University Sustainability Strategy, we asked students ‘what should we read in Worcester to learn more about sustainability?’

We considered ‘sustainability’ in the broadest possible terms – environmental sustainability, but also social and economic sustainability. As a result, we added the twelve books below to our collections, covering topics ranging from clean energy and technology, to the Planetary Health Diet and economic revolution, to more philosophical works that look at our cultural and personal relationships with the environment. All of these titles are now available in the Library and can be borrowed by College members.

Explore the new sustainability titles