LINNAEUS ‘GREEN CHAMPION’ EDUCATING VETS OF THE FUTURE
- Details
Our very own ‘green champion’ Ellie West is continuing to spread the word about sustainability to the vets of tomorrow by collaborating with veterinary schools on seminars for their undergraduate programmes.
Ellie, an RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Anaesthesia and Analgesia at Davies Veterinary Specialists and our Environmental Sustainability Lead, will speak to students at Bristol Veterinary School in September.
It’s the second time this year Ellie will share her sustainability knowledge with trainee vets, after she spoke remotely to students at the University of Liverpool during their professional responsibilities week in May.
It is part of a programme of free resources and engagement, which is supported by Linnaeus.
Ellie, who picked up the title of Best Green Champion 2018/19 at the Investors in the Environment (iiE) Awards, said: “It’s vital we get the vets of the future planning how they will engage with sustainable practices. It is part of their social and professional duties, especially given the pressing nature of the ecological crises.
“With environmental sustainability in veterinary practice, our future is in our hands. We can all do our bit by supporting good governance; educating our colleagues and clients and thinking about how we can change the way we practice, such as implementing lower-carbon anaesthesia.
“Linnaeus is very supportive of my work and has a strong focus on quality of care. This extends to
being a sustainable business and fulfilling our commitments to our customers, our Associates and our communities. I am so excited to be part of this ambitious sustainability agenda, which will work to deliver a better future for everyone.”
Amy Homer, lecturer in veterinary practice (anaesthesia) at the University of Bristol, said: “We are extremely grateful and excited about the prospect of Ellie providing some teaching on this crucial subject.
“The students gain so much from external speakers and specialist in their field and this is such an important session that has obviously become all the more important in recent years.”
Sharon Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Distance Student Learning at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and convenor of the VetSustain academic group, said the move towards teaching sustainability to students was a positive one.
She said: “One of Vet Sustain’s objectives is to integrate sustainability topics in to the curriculum of all UK veterinary schools by 2022. The remit of the curriculum working group is to identify how best to achieve that objective and what support is required.
“As a group, we have started the process of identifying good practice examples which will help us determine aspects of sustainable practice that are already integrated in the curriculum. This challenge is not one that each institution can tackle alone; together we support each other, share skills and experiences, and help local staff and student groups to take action.”
You can read more about Ellie’s sustainability work on the Davies Veterinary Specialists website.