February 2021
The Trent Symons Campus Lands are a precious asset, rich in natural and cultural heritage, vital to the resilience of Trent and our communities. Our vision is to create an inspiring, sustainable, and complete community to learn, live, innovate, and be active. In our care for and use of the land, Trent will demonstrate leadership in environmental education and stewardship, respect for Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, and thoughtful integration of the natural and built environment. 
FAQ
Trent Lands & Nature Areas Plan Approved
Taking the lead in best-practice campus planning, the Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan – a long term vision for how the Symons campus will develop new spaces for learning and living while at the same time preserving 60% of its lands as natural and green spaces – has been approved by Trent University’s Board of Governors. 

The Board’s approval of the Plan follows an extensive community engagement process that started in 2018. The final plan is informed by more than 100 meetings with various groups during three phases of engagement – gathering information and insight on the natural environment, identifying campus and community priorities, and a final phase to review and provide input on the draft plan. Thank you to those who spent time reviewing, considering and sharing feedback with us throughout the process.

An Implementation Plan is now in development that will provide clarity and focus on next steps for the Trent Lands. We will be sharing this for input and feedback shortly.
PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
A Few Plan Highlights
A best-practice approach to the Plan serves as a leading example of best-practice planning, built on ecological and archaeological data, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, campus and community input, and precedent-setting examples to guide the University in the short-, medium-, and long-term.

Protecting our natural environment by introducing the University Green Network: a connected natural system that covers 60% of the Trent Lands, and includes areas for habitat preservation and creation, corridors to facilitate wildlife movement, productive landscapes, and diverse green spaces that support learning on the land, hands-on research, and opportunities to interact with nature.
Enhancing learning opportunities for students through supporting and promoting inspiring land-based learning across the campus, across our academic programs, and in partnership with the local community.

Promoting on-campus food production through regenerative farming at the Trent Farm, and across the campus in smaller garden plots and plantings.
Setting a new standard for Indigenous engagement by including Indigenous knowledge, voices and values, and committing to a framework for continued dialogue and collaboration; and advancing reconciliation with the inclusion of new spaces for Indigenous teachings and ceremony, and placemaking that showcases Indigenous Traditional Knowledge including new spaces for a traditional teaching lodge, roundhouse and medicine garden.
Artist rendering of Indigenous space on campus
READ THE REPORTS
Summary

Full Reports

Background Data Reports
HISTORY OF TRENT LANDS PLAN
Planning for the Future
Since the 1964 Trent University Master Plan, land use planning has helped to protect, enhance and support our natural setting, teaching and research, the student experience, our academic reputation and the surrounding communities.
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