Graduation Garden Gets Going

Voting for the inaugural Class of 2014 tree in the secret Graduation Garden has now gone live on the YUSU website.

All students will have their opportunity to choose which tree they would like to commemorate the Class of 2014. The choices available are apple, pear, fig, cherry and plum.

Ollie Duguid and Charlie Pottle, the new Environment and Ethics Officers, said that they hope that their flagship project will become the “start of a new tradition where graduates can return together and remember their time at university”. The project urges students to take the opportunity to vote for their class tree which will stand in the Graduation Garden with commemorative plaque for generations to come.

Their vision is for a “usable ecological haven” in a secret garden yet to be officially announced. Designed in collaboration with Edible Uni, the community initiative run by University of York students, the garden will house fruiting plants as well as being animal and wildlife friendly. The fruiting trees will be reusable year after year with the end goal to create a small orchard to be used and enjoyed in years to come.

Voting for your inaugural tree will close at midnight on Sunday 8th June. Duguid and Pottle are keen for students to take a few spare moments from revision to ensure that they have their say on a small, but permanent place in the history books at York.