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The Otago Polytechnic will celebrate creativity, and sustainability with a “Living Market” for the whole community next week.
The free public event, to be held next Wednesday from 11am-4pm, in the Quad area, will include 27 stalls offering from plants to art works, food, refreshments and games for children.
In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside The Hub.
Otago Polytechnic Living Campus lead Kim Thomas said a large selection of plants propagated by her team in recent months would also be on offer at the Living Market.
“We have students from across the Otago Polytechnic involved in preparing for the Living Market, including our food design student making food using plants foraged from our campus gardens,” Ms Thomas said.
“Local charity Dunedin Curtain Bank will also be there, and the University of Otago Te Oraka sustainability office will be on hand to showcase what they do.”
Ms Thomas said the second annual Living Market had been organised with the support of Otago Polytechnic Student Success team health promotion navigator Stacey Harris.
“Our inaugural event last year received a lot of good feedback, including some great new ideas, so we are hoping for an even more successful event this year,” Ms Thomas said.
An additional aspect of the Living Market will be the chance for attendees to share their thoughts about the future of Otago Polytechnic, as its leadership team works on a five-year plan.
“We will be keen to ask people a few questions, including where they would like to see Otago Polytechnic positioned in terms of sustainability in the future.
“It will be good to get feedback from staff, students and the wider community.”
The Otago Polytechnic already has a strong reputation for incorporating sustainability into its teaching and campus operations and surroundings.
The Living Market events take the place of the former end-of-year plant sales, although the Living Campus nursery holds occasional plant sales during the growing season.
For more information, contact Kim Thomas by email on kim.thomas@op.ac.nz.