Funding for Sustainability Projects, October 2007

The Sustainable Idaho Initiative (SII) received 12 proposals for faculty or staff- led projects supporting campus sustainability. Three of these have been fully funded, and one has received partial funding. They are due for completion by June 30, 2008. In addition to these four, the UI Sustainability Center funded 3 student-led projects, which are described here.

Demonstration Green Roof: Student Union Building (PI Mark Miller, $7,500): This project will center on the installation of a planted Green Roof on a 1650 sq. ft. section of flat roof at the Student Union Building. This tri-leveled piece of roof is located due south of room 210A on the southwest corner of the building. The roof is a very suitable site due in part to its smaller size, it lays in part shade, is structurally capable of holding the additional load that will be added by the materials that would be applied to it, and is sheltered from high winds. It is very accessible and can easily be visited by the design, construction, maintenance and research personnel necessary for its completion. It also is bound by a sizeable catwalk that will be used for public observation of the project. The project will provide valuable learning and research opportunities for academic and non-academic student groups and University staff and faculty.

UI Campus/Moscow Community Green Map: A Guide to Features That Make the UI and Moscow a More Sustainable Community (PI Gail Eckwright and a team of 3, $3,500): This project will create an Interactive UI Campus/Moscow Community Green Map to promote awareness of the University of Idaho Sustainability Initiative and to map out the 'green' features of the University and the surrounding Moscow community. Green features to be mapped will include parks and open space, community gardens, recycling locations, bus stops, bicycle paths, bicycle racks, and farmers' markets. It will also include information about locations where 'green' practices have been implemented. The UI Campus/Moscow Community Green Map will become part of a global network of already-existing Green Maps found at www.greenmap.org. The UI Campus/Moscow Community Green Map will help the University of Idaho Sustainable Idaho Initiative publicize its activities, measure progress, and energize the community around its goals. It will also provide numerous opportunities for the campus and surrounding community to collaborate on making their sustainability efforts better known and better publicized, for current and future students and citizens.

Exploring Solutions to Increase Non-motorized Modes of Transportation in the UI Campus Community (PI Eric Delmelle and a team of 18, $2,675): This study will investigate incentives for university commuters (faculty, staff and students) to use non-motorized or public modes of transportation. We intend to analyze whether schedule flexibility, topographic factors, weaknesses in existing infrastructure, and clusters of high-risk intersections deter bicycling and walking. A geographical information system (GIS) will be used for that purpose. The role of the university in encouraging or discouraging its members to walk, bike, or use public transit will be explored. The final part of this work addresses how potential changes in commuters' behavior in regards to transportation could enhance the overall campus sustainability. Improvements in policy and infrastructure to increase bicycle and pedestrian use will be suggested and disseminated across the university population.

A Sustainable Day in the Life (PI Denise Bennett and students of JAMM:475 Digital Media Thesis Production, $1,300): "A Sustainable Day in the Life" is a short (10-30 minute) high definition documentary that juxtaposes three days in the life of an average University of Idaho undergraduate student. This piece will follow a traditional three-act structure. The first act consists of "Day 1" which will examine this person's normal behavior. The second act, or "Day 2", will consist of a critical examination of this person's behavior during day one by an expert (or several experts) and identify what behaviors this person can modify to increase sustainability at the University of Idaho and in the Moscow community. The third act, "Day 3", will show how the student's behavior has changed and the impact that individuals can make if they are educated as to how modifying their behavior can facilitate sustainability.

Fall 2007 Request for Proposals

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Funding for Sustainability Projects, February 2007

The Sustainable Idaho Initiative (SII) received 12 proposals for faculty or staff- led projects supporting campus sustainability. Five of these were funded. Completion is scheduled for September 15, 2007. In addition, the UI Sustainability Center funded 6 student-led projects, which are described here.

Soil Stewards, Student-Run Organic Farm: Advancing Sustainable Food Systems, and Experiential Education Opportunities on the University of Idaho Campus (PI Jodi Johnson-Maynard with Soil Stewards and others, $7,391): The Soil Stewards, an ASUI-recognized student organization, has been visibly promoting student-driven sustainability on the University of Idaho campus since 2003 with projects that are directly integrated with all five themes of President White’s Plan for Renewal. Funding is provided for infrastructure in the form of a semi-permanent greenhouse or hoophouse, on the established student-run organic farm. This structure will extend the growing season, thereby increasing our capacity to produce organic vegetables for distribution on campus, and increase on-farm learning opportunities for students during the spring and fall semester. The process of building the hoophouse and the ensuing outreach materials will engage students, faculty, staff, and citizens in interactive learning directly related to sustainable food systems on campus and in the community.

Future Visions of a Sustainable Palouse (PI Gundars Rudzitis with an 8-student team, $3,500): Funding for this project will support publication and associated costs to produce a paperback book, Future Visions of a Sustainable Palouse, being done in conjunction with an interdisciplinary State of the Palouse seminar. The main focus of the book will be on Moscow, the university, and outlying towns and counties, and the relationship between them and agriculture and farming, promoting more sustainable alternatives. Eight undergraduate and graduate students will research and produce chapters for the book, covering: agriculture and food systems; economic and growth possibilities with a focus on Moscow and adjacent areas; design alternatives and their use and impacts on university, city and surrounding landscapes; transportation systems and how different configurations and combinations may drive growth and land values; the expansion and return of wildlife in the region; the possibilities for the expansion of parks and protected areas; and the restoration of certain areas to pre-agricultural uses, especially Indian uses of the landscape.

Stateline Wetland Revitalization Project (PI Chris Dixon with a 4-student team, $2,250): University of Idaho faculty, staff, and students, in partnership with the City of Moscow and Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI), have developed the Stateline Wetland Revitalization Project (SWRP) in order to build upon the original constructed wetland site that was started in 1996. SWRP will work to elevate utilization of the Moscow wastewater treatment wetland by increasing accessibility and opportunities for environmental education and applied research, as well as providing a community wildlife viewing area. The project will also provide an opportunity for environmental science students to practice project management, leadership, and communication/teambuilding skills.

Idaho Falls Center Office Paper Recycling Program (PI Donna Cosgrove with 2 students, $1,153): This project will establish a recycling program at the Idaho Falls Center for Higher Education (IFCHE). The bins will be emptied by the Asociacion Latina Modivandote A Superate (ALMAS), an Hispanic student club, into a special dumpster and the paper will be collected by the recycler every other week. The costs of the dumpster are being borne by one of the National Laboratory site contractors, gratis to University Place. Funding is provided for (a) lids for the collection bins, (b) wheeled dollies and trash can carts to facilitate emptying of the recycle bins, and (c) a stipend for the student club.

Sustainable Library Services as Asset to the University Community (Co-PIs Maria Jankowska and Ben Hunter, and 1 student, $660): This project provides and markets sustainable scholarly communication and environmental information literacy. The University of Idaho Library has published the semi-annual Electronic Green Journal (EGJ), an open-access, peer-reviewed online journal since 1994. In order to improve the sustainability of EGJ, we will transition to Open Journal Systems (OJS), a free, open-source journal management and publishing system that will significantly increase the dissemination of scholarly environmental information. The initial transition into OJS involves approximately 60 hours of labor that will be performed by a temporary undergraduate worker. To search the Electronic Green Journal, go here.

Fall 2006 Request for Proposals