FAQ

The Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan is a critical first step in Trent’s Symons Campus planning process. Studies done on the land were high level and helped identify areas that are inappropriate for buildings due to natural heritage features. As projects come forward, site-specific studies, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and community engagement will shape the implementation of the Plan.  

The Plan commits the Board of Governors to maintaining 60% of the Symons Campus as Nature Areas and green spaces, encapsulated in the University Green Network. Significant natural features within the Nature Areas are protected by provincial legislation and are included as part of the new Natural Heritage System in the City of Peterborough’s Official Plan. Moreover, the Board’s Special Resolution on land use protects the Nature Areas from development. 

The Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan is a framework for the long-term future and evolution of the Symons campus, underpinned by the University's core mission to advance teaching, research and learning. The Plan seeks to enhance, develop and preserve the Symons Campus lands in a way that supports the long-term sustainability of Trent, our local, national and international communities, and the environment around us. 

The Plan outlines four guiding principals to guide and inform future decision making: 

• Learning and Discovery, 
• Environmental Resilience and Integrity,
• Economic Resilience, Leadership, and Innovation, and 
• Social Resilience, Community, and Inclusivity. 

The Plan also provides guidelines to ensure a welcoming and accessible campus; the natural environment is protected and enhanced; and clear expectations are set for engagement and sustainable development. 

The Trent Lands and Natures Area Plan is a framework for the long-term land management and continued evolution of Trent’s Symons Campus. The framework is underpinned by the University’s core mission to advance teaching, research, and learning. 

Parcels of the Symons Campus lands fall into four different land use categories, with the largest percent of the campus incorporated into the University Green Network for the preservation and restoration of green spaces and Nature Areas. 

The four land uses categories are: 

• 60% University Green Network: Nature Areas and green spaces  (868 ac/351 ha) 
• 20% Future University Lands: lands identified for future initiatives that create spaces where people and nature thrive (283 ac/115ha) 
• 12% Campus Core: the area associated with primary function of the University (173 ac/70ha) 
• 8% Planned University Initiatives: inclusive of Cleantech Commons and University-Integrated Seniors Village (116 ac/47 ha) 

The Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan is a high level framework for the use of and care for the Symons Campus lands. The vision of the plan is to create an inspiring, sustainable, and complete community to learn, live, innovate, and be active. In our care for and use of the land, Trent continues to demonstrate leadership in environmental education and stewardship, respect for Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, and thoughtful integration of the natural and built environment.

The Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan provides an ambitious vision for Trent’s future, and how the Board will fulfill its responsibilities to balance a variety of needs and growth pressures on and around campus with preserving the health of our ecosystems, economies, and communities for generation to come. These responsibilities include:

• Ensuring sufficient land for learning and future academic and student priorities,
• Our responsibility to preserve and enhance the natural environment in which Trent is located,
• To ensure the financial sustainability of the University, and
• To maintain and magnify our positive benefits to the community.

The plan was approved by the Trent Board of Governors in February 2021.