Many hands make light work!

Staff, faculty and students are being invited to help the environment, get active and meet other members of #TeamMUN for Memorial’s first official spring cleanup. Pull weeds or pick up litter.

Cleanups will take place on the St. John’s campus, Signal Hill Campus and the Marine Institute.

The cleanups will take place on Monday, May 2, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on the St. John’s campus and Signal Hill Campus.

The Marine Institute cleanup will take place from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Grenfell Campus will hold its cleanup on a future date, to be determined.

Cleanups are scheduled to proceed rain or shine.

It will be a fun event, with everyone encouraged to take pictures of their progress. Share them to Memorial’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to tag them with #MUNbeautification to win a prize!

The cleanups will be followed by a coffee break and prizes on the St. John’s campus from 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. in the whale atrium in the Core Science Facility and on the Signal Hill Campus from 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

The Marine Institute’s social club will host a barbecue and award prizes to volunteers from 12-2 p.m. in the student lounge.

(Please bring your reusable cup and water bottles!)

What to expect

Help pick up litter that has accumulated throughout the winter on the trails, woodlands and peripheral areas around Memorial’s campuses. Directions will be provided on where to pick up the litter, as well as safety instructions, at the start of the event. Some locations that need attention include Burton’s Pond, Long Pond and anywhere you have noticed garbage collecting on our campuses over the winter months.

For litter collection: gloves and biodegradable recycling and garbage bags will be provided at the meeting points and at Burton’s Pond and Long Pond.

Participate for however long you wish — 30 minutes, an hour or for the entire event.

The Great Spring Weed-off

Horticulturists from Memorial’s Botanical Garden will be at the Core Science Facility (door by whale atrium) and at the rose garden next to the School of Music to lead weeding clean-ups. What team will collect the most weeds?

What to bring

Yourself (and all your friends)! Please note: gardening/weeding volunteers should bring gardening gloves and hand trowels, plus pruning shears for the rose garden.

Where to meet on Monday, May 2

St. John’s campus:
General cleanup: Arts building on the south side (by flagpoles) and at parking lot 22 in front of St. John’s College/School of Social Work on the north side

Garden cleanup: Core Science Facility (entrance by whale atrium) or rose garden beside the School of Music

Marine Institute: Gather in the lobby at main entrance for supplies and instructions on areas for cleanup

Signal Hill Campus: Lobby at main entrance

Dos and Don’ts

• Do wear the proper clothing for the event and weather, including footwear (no open toe shoes), safety gloves and colourful clothing.
• Do report any dangerous situations back to the event co-ordinators.
• Do pickup rocks, sticks, garbage and debris off lawns and pathways.
• Do ensure bags are full.
• Do have your cell phone with you.
• Do work in teams if possible.
• Do follow any COVID-19 restrictions as required.
• Do attend the coffee break gathering at the end of the cleanup (there will be prizes!).
• Don’t pick up broken glass, chemicals or sharps/needles.
• Don’t wear earbuds or headphones during the event.
• Don’t work in roadways or parking lots.
• Don’t forget to report any injuries or near misses (use the MUNSafe reporting function).
• Don’t forget to bring collected garbage back to gathering points for event co-ordinators to dispose of.
• Don’t smoke or vape during the event.
• Don’t forget sun block.
• Don’t forget to have fun!

The spring cleanup is a Facilities Management, Office of Sustainability and Climate Action and the university-wide Beautification Committee event.

Adopt-a-Garden Program

The inaugural Memorial spring cleanup coincides with the Year of the Garden: A Centennial Celebration of Canada’s horticulture sector running from Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2022, commemorating Canada’s rich garden heritage, celebrating today’s vibrant garden culture and creating important legacies for a sustainable future.

To mark the Year of the Garden 2022, Memorial is launching the Adopt-A-Garden Program on Monday, May 2, as well. If you love gardening or would like to learn, students, staff and faculty are invited to adopt a garden on St. John’s campus from May-October 2022.

No gardening experience is required, just a love of the outdoors. Everyone is welcome! Join as an individual or as a group.

If you are interested in adopting gardens in and around the sun dial (east of the Arts building), rose garden (next to the School of Music), the Arts building entrance, the Core Science Facility, the Queen Elizabeth II Library and the Office of Alumni Engagement and Development (Lamb’s Lane), contact garden@mun.ca or stay tuned for more information in the Gazette and on Memorial’s social channels.