Chesterfield College
Shaping Nature - Re-Wilding through Construction
Finalist, Nature Positive
About
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This collaborative project brought together Construction and Initial Teacher Training, working with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Bolsover Council Volunteering Service, to embed nature-positive skills across education and practice. Construction students gained accredited skills in rewilding techniques, including coppicing and natural dam building, applying these in real-world environments. Trainee teachers received specialist training to integrate sustainability into their teaching. The project has delivered tangible environmental and social impact. On campus, students created a sustainable staff wellbeing space using low-impact methods, including electric machinery and recycled materials such as crushed brick. Off site, students supported the rewilding of a community space in Bolsover, enhanced by biodiversity education signage. As a result, sustainability is now embedded across curriculum delivery, with staff and students actively promoting green skills and supporting local nature recovery. |
Top three learnings
1. We learned collaboration accelerates impact, with expert partners rapidly improving delivery quality.
2. We experienced dedicated change makers who were essential to scale and embody sustainability organisation wide.
3. We found governance, leadership and accountability helped sustain momentum and drive whole college engagement.
SDGs
15- Life on land
What it means to win
To win a Green Gown Award would mean so much to us as the crux of the awards align so closely with what we strive to achieve as an organisation with all of our stakeholders, from students to employers and our own staff. The golden thread of sustainability is something that runs through every facet of what we do here so to receive recognition for what we've achieved and continue to strive for would really empower our staff to know just how amazing their hard work actually is and their efforts really do make the difference.
| 2026 | |
| Nature Positive | |
| Finalist, UK and Ireland |
More from the 2026 awards
Charles Sturt University
Restoring Nature, Inspiring Futures: 20+ Years of Biodiversity Leadership
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Finalist, Nature Positive
Green Gown Award Regions
Australasia
