Carpentry Instructor Geoff Murray is always pushing the agenda. Sustainability as a topic within the Carpentry curriculum will ensure students are up to date.
鈥淚f we all do these little things, it can add up to make a big difference.鈥 - Geoff Murray
Geoff Murray 鈥 Learning by Doing: Sustainability through Camosun鈥檚 Carpentry Program
Geoff Murray, an instructor within Camosun鈥檚 Carpentry department, inspires learners in multiple programs. Current best practices for sustainability is one of the knowledge areas Geoff sees as important to include in curriculum and has been working on introducing as the Chair of the Carpentry Articulation Committee and lead Subject Matter Expert in the revision of the provincial Carpentry learning resources.
鈥淚 am always pushing the agenda. Sustainability as a topic within the Carpentry curriculum will ensure students are up to date鈥 says Geoff. With his passion and extensive teaching experience, Geoff is able to prepare carpentry students for the real world, ensuring that sustainability is a key learning outcome!
The construction and demolition industry uses a lot of resources and produces a lot of waste. Almost 10% of waste at the Capital Regional District鈥檚 Hartland Landfill is wood and wood products, and just more than聽. Some might think of sustainability as an insurmountable challenge in a sector like this. On the other hand, those most passionate about sustainability see the many resources used and the waste produced as areas offering potential for major improvement; Geoff Murray is one of those people.
Geoff has been instructing Carpentry at Camosun since 2006. However, his instructional experience began much earlier and in an entirely different setting 鈥 leading Outward Bound outdoor adventure courses all over Canada and the US, from the Arctic to the Everglades. Throughout his adventures Geoff began to place greater value on the natural environment and embraced the 鈥渓earning by doing鈥 way of teaching.
鈥淟earning by doing鈥 is something Geoff believes in. His academic background (he received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Manitoba in 1980 and LEED AP in 2008), experiential education based leadership, and more than 20 years of local carpentry experience provide a great foundation for his role within the Carpentry Department at Camosun. He considers himself very fortunate to work with others, both students and colleagues, who share his passion and who each bring their unique strengths to campus.
Geoff