Working with nature

Honouring the land

The University of Calgary is committed to our collective journey of transformation, guided by our Indigenous Strategy, ii' taa'poh'to'p. As part of our journey, UCalgary consulted Elders and landscape architects to reimagine Swann Mall.   

The Hunter Student Commons’ landscaping returns the land to its natural state and consultants were guided by Elders to choose plants that will succeed in this climate and provide improved drainage. The landscape welcomes back Indigenous grasses and plants. Rather than fighting nature, we are now restoring it.  

With the profound and spiritual connection Indigenous Peoples have to the land, UCalgary is truly learning from the land. Restoring the landscape also means diverting less water to landscaping and avoiding fertilizers and supplements other plants might need to survive here.