Grounds
The Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund Grant Program promotes sustainability by providing grants to create and implement projects that positively impact environmental, social, health, and economic practices on our campus and in our community.
Native Landscapes: Phase II – Art Annex
Amount Awarded: $3,788.20
Academic Year: 2022-2023
Implementation: Spring 2024
Full Application: Link
Categories: Grounds Campus and Community Engagement
This grant was the second in a two-part series (see Native Landscapes Phase I – York Farm). The project aims to replace underutilized lawn space on campus with diverse selections of native plants in 2024. The goal of the Native Landscapes project is to create a model of sustainable urban landscapes by restoring our natural systems around campus and the city as native ecosystems. This small model implemented on campus will be combined with educational signage; these signs will promote student learning about native plants, explain the purpose of the Native Landscapes project, and hopefully encourage future student teams to expand on the idea.
The project, in partnership with WWU’s Grounds team, will be planted on the west side of the Art Annex on campus. The area was chosen by WWU’s lead gardener because it targets an underutilized space that the Grounds team was already looking to replace. Native vegetation that will be planted includes Pacific Bleeding Heart, Pacific Rhododendron, and Pacific Trillium. These native plants were chosen for their appeal to pollinators, their aesthetic, and their growing preference for shaded areas.
LEAD Reforestation Demonstration Project
Amount Awarded: $20,772.00
Academic Year: 2022-2023
Implementation: April 2023 – ongoing
Full Application: Link
Categories: Curriculum and Research Grounds Student Life
The LEAD Reforestation Demonstration Project brings environmental, social, and educational benefits to the WWU community through the planting of a native climax mini-forest on campus following the Miyawaki method. LEAD (Learning Environment Action Discovery) is a longstanding eco-restoration and service-learning program at WWU that has been directed by College of the Environment graduate students since the 1990s. They provide service-learning and volunteer opportunities for WWU students, and many students involved with LEAD have gone on to find jobs and careers in related fields.
This grant helped the team plant a mini-forest just north of parking lot 3R and adjacent to the Arboretum in efforts of restoring the local environment. The Miyawaki Method is based on recreating the conditions needed for a native forest to arise in decades, rather than centuries. This method is focused on planting forests rather than trees, the benefits of which include improved ecosystem function, carbon sequestration, habitat creation, temperature regulation, and low maintenance costs once established.