Elemental Garden launches at Tallaght campus
TU Dublin recognises the need to support our community through spaces which enhance connection, wellbeing and sustainability. With most of our staff and students living in urban areas, gardens emerge as a vital resource for promoting health and well-being – providing numerous benefits that support our mental health and social cohesion. The new Tallaght Elemental Garden goes one step further – it supports education for our students and staff.
The Elemental Garden was officially launched throughout Climate Action Week and is Tallaght’s newest space for relaxation, learning and innovation. The Elemental Garden is a joint project between the Library and the Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment.
The garden is thoughtfully designed to prioritise relaxation and enjoyment, and provides numerous other benefits to students and staff. In one of the planting areas, the plants feature soft textures and strong scents, creating a sensory-rich environment that is especially appealing to our neurodiverse community. The garden includes a fernery which demonstrates plants that survive with lower levels of moisture. The pond is an integral part of the garden – the soft sound of water falling has an immense calming influence over the space.
A space for learning
The garden is an experimental space and currently has demonstrations of natural water treatment and different composting techniques. Students on the Sustainable Energy Engineering course have recently been using the space to study composting techniques gaining insights into soil health and how to evaluate it. Students have conducted hands-on experiments to assess air quality and water quality using sensors they built as part of their third and fourth year projects. You can find out more about how they do that here.
The Elemental Garden is led by Librarian and Green-Campus Tallaght Team Lead Linda Bennett and Lecturer in Sustainable Energy Engineering Gerard Ryder and is supported by many staff/volunteers including lecturer Niamh Plunkett, Mechanical and Energy Engineering. If you would like to get involved as a volunteer in the garden get in touch with Gerard Ryder.
The garden is open to all TU Dublin students and staff to use. Find it behind the Yellow Stairs and enjoy!