Explore all the greenery on campus with the Green Signpost

Utrecht Science Park: a green oasis? That’s right!

In order to make students and staff more aware of all the nature that the campus has to offer, the Green Signpost is now on display on the square next to the Utrecht Science Park University Library. The signpost is a project of the Green Office and was officially opened on Wednesday May 8th by Prof. Annetje Ottow: "As a university we have the big sustainability ambition to be CO2-neutral in 2030. Sometimes we forget that the road towards this goal is made up of many small steps. Today, with the arrival of this Green Signpost, we have taken another step in the right direction."

'Concrete jungle'

The Green Signpost puts beautiful or interesting green spots on and around USP on the map so that staff and students may feel challenged to explore these places during their breaks from a long day of work or studying.

Michiel Scherrenburg, Programme Manager Sustainability at Utrecht University opened the official get together on Wednesday: "It is striking that many employees and students see our campus as a grey, concrete jungle. I sometimes take these people to the roof of the parking garage on Cambridgelaan. From there you can see the Botanic Gardens, as well as meadows and forests. ‘This too is Utrecht Science Park', I then say. But for people who walk straight into their office or lecture hall from the bus stop, this green side of the campus mostly remains unseen. We hope that the Green Signpost will change this. In the meantime, we are already making plans for the next step: actually increasing the ecological value of these areas, as green is not yet synonymous with high ecological value.”

The Green Signpost was designed by artists Ron and Sil Bokje. In addition to the signpost itself, the Green Signpost consists of a spacious, square bench of sustainable (FSC-certified) wood. Passers-by who don't have time to go on an adventure to one of the green spots can therefore find a moment of rest at the signpost itself. In July, the Green Office will be organizing lunch walks to these ‘green oases’. Keep an eye on the Green Signpost page for more information.

The signpost points to the following green areas:

  • Ringed Snake Forest - Environmental Monitor
  • Biologist’s Forest 'The Triangle'
  • Nightingale Grove
  • Utrecht Botanic Gardens
  • Amelisweerd
  • Oostbroek estate
  • Tiny Forest (to be planted later this year)