Each year students are given the opportunity to get hands-on experience improving their school through the University of Idaho’s Sustainability Center Grant Competition.
Matthew Aghai, Gabe Garcia and Gary Whitebird were awarded nearly $8,000 combined in grant money and get the chance to turn their eco-friendly proposals in to reality through the Sustainability Center.
Alecia Hoene, environmental science program adviser, said the competition was open to all majors. Students submitted project proposals outlining ideas to improve sustainability at UI.
“This is an opportunity for students to get involved with UI’s sustainability, learn lessons in project management and develop skills that they can use after graduating,” Hoene said.
The grant competition began in 2006 and receives a steady amount of applications each year, Hoene said.
Matthew Aghai, a graduate student in natural resources won the $3,000 grant for his proposal to improve water efficiency by 30 percent at UI’s Franklin H. Pitkin Forest Nursery.
“UI has six different green houses and produces around 350,000 seedlings for around the Palouse,” Aghai said. “My proposal focused on improving the water efficiency throughout the greenhouses as well as using less fertilizer.”
Aghai said with the grant money to fund his project, the Pitkin Nursery will be able to grow 10 thousand plants with less water and fertilizer.
The other two winners were Gabriel Garcia and Garry Whitebird. Garcia, a junior in biotechnology and biology, was awarded $2,700. His proposal focused on improving the university’s biodegradable process by adding biochar, a soil amendment, to compostable waste.
“His idea will improve the quality of UI’s compost and determine how well the university’s compost process works,” Hoene said.
Whitebird, a graduate student in the Professional Science Master’s Program, was awarded $1,913 for his idea to fund the purchase and installation of bicycle headlights and taillights for students.
“UI’s campus has a lack of bike safety and Whitebird’s grant showed steps to improve bike safety and encourage students to ride bikes instead of driving to class,” said Weiteke Holthuijzen, a winner in last year’s grant competition and member of this year’s grant competition advisory board. “Headlights and taillights will be available at the spring bike maintenance clinic and will cost only $2.”
Holthuijzen said the committee looks for proposals that are realistic and have a lot of student involvement and engagement.
“All three of these projects will be effective in different ways,” Holthuijzen said. “Aghai’s irrigation system will conserve water and make a big difference with growing proficiency. Garcia’s plan will determine how efficient the composting efforts are and where improvements can be made. Whitebird’s idea educates students on the importance of bike safety and provides students with price-reduced headlights and taillights.”
Holthuijzen said this is a great grant program and the ideas of the winning students will help develop effective levels of sustainability at UI.