As part of Learna’s Environmental Policy, we are dedicated as an organisation to engage with all of our employees to help reduce human impact on the environment. To create a clean, healthy and sustainable planet is something we are committed to and part of this commitment is to undertake team building events which have an environmental benefit.
Last week, a group of Learna employees volunteered to help Keep Cardiff Tidy by litter picking in Nant Fawr Woods, a nature beauty spot near to our offices. Just as our team set off to hunt down rubbish, they made a positive discovery that the park was very well kept and instead of struggling to find litter, the team split into two groups and headed towards Roath Park Lake.
The biggest and heaviest item one member found was a watering can, the nastiest items were wet wipes and nappies and then the item most dangerous to wildlife was thin wire found on the outskirts of the lake.
Overall, our team found this outing very productive and reinforced how a healthy environment means a healthier life.
Sarah Wiley, Accreditation Manager at Learna, was the main organiser for this event and said: "Being able to combine getting some fresh air with improving the environment was a great thing to do. It was also a fabulous way to meet back up with colleagues old and new in a relaxed atmosphere."
By creating green communities, we are essentially creating a better future for all. In this blog, we highlight why it's important to spend more time outdoors and look after our natural environment:
Why do we need nature?
Our planet underpins our very existence, providing us with food, air and water and so when we collectively take care of our environment, we can take advantage of what nature has to offer us, without exploiting the planet.
Nature has a profound impact on our mental and physical well-being, and people living in close proximity to green spaces or just spending five minutes of activity in natural areas can seriously reduce anxiety and depression and decrease symptoms of dementia.
Exposure to natural light can also help those who experience seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that affects people during particular seasons or times of year.
Nature acts as a medicine and it is reported that being in rural areas can also reduce blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension - ultimately reducing mortality rates.
We are inextricably linked to the environmental landscape and so we all have a role to play in preserving what gives us good health, happiness and prosperity. As a company, we are aware that our products provide a greener alternative to traditional ways of learning with Universities producing high emissions and contributing to climate change. Learna’s low carbon footprint, totally online learning platform significantly limits environmental destruction.
We offer affordable qualifications to the global healthcare community, without the CO2 emissions from travel, energy and infrastructure associated with traditional campus-based learning.
Transportation as a whole, generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. For every gallon of fuel burned to attend school, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere. Studying online allows you to further your education from anywhere, reducing your carbon footprint with each car trip not taken.
Your paper consumption will decrease significantly too. Only 53 percent of the paper we use is recycled, with the vast majority ending up in landfill. Your choice to do an online degree, eliminates surplus paper and waste, saving between 55 and 100 million trees that get cut down every year.
So far, Learna has achieved the Bronze IIE award in 2021 and are now working towards the Silver award. To attain this, we will continue to encourage and educate our internal operations in order to reduce our overall environmental impact on a much larger scale.
We are very proud of our employees' green efforts and will always ensure that we push environmental corporate responsibility through the systems we outlined in our policy and through our Eco committee. To find out more about how Learna is committed to sustainability you can read more about our eco credentials and the steps we are taking to tackle the global climate emergency.