Cherwell Collective had the privilege of participating in a vibrant community event hosted by Oxford University Development at Oxford University’s Begbroke Science Park. The event was the annual Begbroke Science Wonder Garden Party, held on 21 June 2025. The event offers a setting for community members to “take part in science experiments, interactive talks, trails, exploratory games, and creative workshops,” according to the event website.

Our exhibits helped teach participants about waste and the Carbon Cost of food.

The event also provided an opportunity to expose a wider network of participants to the work of Cherwell Collective and our Waste Innovation Station Headquarters (WISH) programme.

Pop Quiz (answer revealed further below):

Which of the following foods has the highest carbon footprint.

  1. Cheese
  2. Milk
  3. Chocolate

To support the event and help it participate in the Circular Economy, we supplied it with a loan of chairs and tables from the Oxford Party Library. Meanwhile, we set up some stalls and exhibitions to engage the participants in three of our key programmes.

  • Cherwell Larder used its booth to discuss our mission of reducing food waste and improving access to surplus food as well as our support of The Hygiene Bank.
  • WISH showcased handmade crafts created by our talented volunteers during workshops, celebrating creativity and community skill-sharing.
  • Climatarian Kitchen prepared refreshing salads and fruit for attendees waiting in the food queue. While the queue was long, sharing our surplus salads allowed us to lift spirits, spark conversations, and share more about our ethos and environmental mission.

We were also excited to introduce attendees to our an app we have have under development that will let users calculate the Carbon Cost of their food choices. Our volunteer tester managed to demonstrate key features and gather initial impressions. It was a valuable opportunity to discuss the app’s development and how it supports our goals and to gather user feedback that will contribute to app improvements as we continue testing.

A younger visitor participates in Begbroke Science Wonder Day

Among our various presentations, our Food Circulation Exhibit seemed to be a crowd favorite, especially among children, thanks to its interactive format. Many participants were surprised to learn the results of the quiz we presented above. Among cheese, milk, and chocolate, chocolate has the highest carbon footprint. While most plant-based food products have a lower carbon footprint than animal-based products like meat and dairy, a few plant-based foods including sugar, chocolate, and coffee have high carbon footprints due to effects like deforestation.

Climatarian Kitchen helped provide food to attendees.

This interactive quiz provided participants with a powerful moment of awareness. You can learn more here about the Carbon Cost of Food and how to adopt a more climatarian diet.

Overall, we welcomed roughly 385 visitors to our booths throughout the day, out of an estimated 2,000+ event attendees. We look forward to future collaborations with Oxford University Development and Begbroke Science Park.

Science experiments draw crowds, including many children, at the garden party.