Institutional Self Study = Internationalization 5 Worksite Wellness 8 en Douglas College SIDE Briefs 10 Zone 12 THE DOUGLAS COLLEGE NEWSLETTER # FEBRUARY 1997 College welcomes new environmental team Look for some new faces around campus—a crop of committed young environmentalists is now hard at work with Douglas College’s Institute of Urban Ecology (Room 0615, New Westminster Campus). BC Hydro has provided the latest infusion of funding for the Institute’s Green Links project, which aims to preserve and improve urban green space by developing ecological linkages throughout the Lower Mainland. Joining other corporate partners BC Gas, VanCity Credit Union and the Real Estate Foundation, BC Hydro’s support has created temporary contracts for 18 young people to work as project coordinators, field workers and support staff until summer 1997. “This new partnership means that Green Links is now the largest single research project ever undertaken by the College” says Institute Director Val Schaefer. The Green Links youth team will work on a variety of environmental projects throughout Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey/North Delta. Whether conducting biophysical inventories or building habitats and interpretive sites, each team member will gain practical experience in the environmental field. At the same time, local communities will benefit by gaining healthier green spaces and a greater understanding of the importance of urban biodiversity. For Outreach Coordinator Melinda Yong, the project will provide a vital step into her chosen career. “I want to work in environmental education, perhaps one day in developing countries” says the recent Capilano College Environmental Science Program grad. “I’m really pleased to be starting out right in my own backyard. I think that for all of us, that’s where responsibility for the environment begins.” One of Yong’s main responsibilities will be to encourage a higher profile for local environmental issues through community outreach activities. A major task for her will be to promote the Green Links Backyard Enhancement Challenge. “We're encouraging residents along Green Links sites to enhance their backyards to provide habitats for native plants and local wildlife.” continued on page 2 Kathleen Grainger (left) and Melinda Yong (right) check out the Institute of Urban Ecology’s home page on the Douglas College web site: