Carbon neutral weddings at TRU’s Horticulture Gardens

KAMLOOPS – Thompson Rivers University's Horticulture Gardens now has even more to brag about! 

Those who know the gardens, know it is one of the jewels of the campus crown at TRU. Its reputation was reinforced with the 2014 Huffington Post story ‘Best Wedding Venues In B.C.’

The gardens now feature newly designed retaining walls, which have replaced creosote ties with more aesthetic and sustainable materials. In addition, an adjacent facility uses renewable gas which helps allow for hosting carbon-neutral weddings or other functions.

The gardens feature a variety of ornamental and edible plants and trees set amongst easily accessible short walking paths; a large central paved area with a gazebo; and full-service catering and facility booking options through TRU.

The new retaining walls add to the impressive nature of the gardens and will be dedicated to Steve Wong, who was one of the founding faculty members of the TRU Horticulture Department. Mr Wong was instrumental in establishing the department in the early 80’s, and worked tirelessly to build the foundation upon which the Horticulture Gardens stand today. The dedication ceremony will take place at the gardens on August 23 at 2 PM, and the public is welcome to attend.

The wall was partly funded through TRU’s innovative Sustainability Grant Fund (SGF). The SGF empowers faculty, staff and students to be part of positive change on the campus, and has funded a wide variety of projects and research.

The Campus Activity Center (CAC) has gone through numerous energy saving measures and by purchasing Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) the facility can now claim carbon neutrality. The RNG is captured from sources such as landfills, agriculture waste sites or wastewater facilities. Other energy saving measures include high-efficiency boilers (which have reduced gas use by 50 per cent), state-of-the-art LED lights throughout the facility, and numerous changes to the Building Automation System to ensure optimal efficiency.

The facility is also a zero-waste facility, which ensures minimal waste enters the landfill by using standardized waste stations and 2 large in vessel composters adjacent to the CAC. TRU is a member of the National Zero Waste Council, and has significantly reduced waste entering the landfill over the past years.