Environmental Justice Projects

Basins of Relations

Project Description

This project focuses on capturing roof rain water for the Convent house within the Berkeley
Student Cooperative (BSC). Each winter, 236,000 gallons of roof rainwater exits the property
entering the Berkeley Marina. This two-day workshop will redirect rainwater into rain gardens
and tanks to support 1) groundwater recharge 2) water tank storage during drought and 3) install
a perennial food gardens to mitigate local climate extremes by providing:
1. Microclimate: vegetative cover mitigating extreme heat,
2. Food Security: mediterranean perennial...

Oak Woodland Restoration Project

Project Description

The Oak Woodland Restoration Project at UC Berkeley’s Hastings Natural History Reservation aims to restore rare, threatened blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodland habitat impacted by the October 2024 ...

The Pollinators of Campus Native Wildflower Gardens

Project Description

Our project aims to compare the presence and abundance of pollinator species at the native plant garden at mak-’amham (Cafe Ohlone) with other non-native gardens on the UC Berkeley campus. Two surveys will be conducted in March and April to capture species diversity, to promote sustainable gardening by showcasing how the native plant garden supports diverse pollinator populations, contributing to healthy ecosystems and food sovereignty. The project underscores the cultural and ecological significance of mak-’amham, supporting Ohlone identity and...

Housing and Dining Sustainability Advocates (HADSA) Covid Relief

Project Description

For the last several years, HADSA was funded directly by the RSSP department through housing contracts and meal plans. With reduced occupancy in the resident halls this year caused by the COVID pandemic, HADSA was cut from 11 funded positions to 1 funded position. Although RSSP expects to make a full recovery as the pandemic subsides, TGIF funding for five positions in the 2021- 2022 fiscal year would help HADSA continue providing much-needed outreach and sustainability initiatives for the housing & dining department. These positions are especially critical at...

Latinxs in their Element

Project Description

Latinx in their Element will be a project funding eight (8) student fellows to conduct environmental research projects during the academic year. This project was created with the

intention of supporting students as they explore the field of environmental sciences and guiding them in doing research on a specific element they are interested in. We will be hosting a series of workshops in order for research fellows to gain an understanding of the elements prior to conducting their own research. L&E has the intention of offering students...

Heated and cooled chairs for comfort

Project Description

Demonstrate the comfort effects of heated/cooled chairs for UCB students, and also their energy benefit, in a total of three campus buildings. The goal is to encourage campus-wide adoption of PCS. The approach is: 1) design and fabricate 10 battery-powered heating/cooling cassettes that attach to chairs on UCB’s purchase list; 2) demonstrate comfort effects for students in a library and a common room in a dorm; 3) quantify the HVAC energy savings potential in one open-plan office space.

Project Links

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Summer Agroecology and Sustainability

Project Description

This project seeks to maintain the functionality of Berkeley Student Farms during the upcoming summer, when we expect volunteer numbers to decrease and gardens to be left unattended; last summer we averaged 3 volunteers per workday compared to 62 in the fall. Through the support of TGIF, BSF aims to hire 5 summer Garden Managers who will continue the essential farm work needed to maintain critical garden operations: growing organic produce, leading student volunteers, coordinating food donations, and maintaining our compost systems, as well as renovating our...

Amplifying Sanctuary Voices: Climate Migration and Environmental Justice

Project Description

Amplifying Sanctuary Voices (ASV) is a storytelling project centered around migrant communities in the Bay Area. We believe that informed public discourse on immigration and climate change that centers the people whose lives are most affected is essential to promoting empathy, connected communities, and civic participation. ASV uses arts-based, trauma-informed methods to promote resiliency and healing for narrators and shares stories of migration to promote action for more fair immigration policies.

Project Links

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Berkeley Student Native Plant Nursery

Project Description

Community-led greening projects can benefit through the establishment of a low-cost, accessible native plant nursery that will also serve as a demonstration site where members of the local and student community will learn how to: responsibly harvest native seeds; create plant specific soil or “soil-free” potting mixtures; propagate plants from seed; identify native plants; troubleshoot native plant care. This space will also “bridge the gap” between native ecosystem restoration projects and the local indigenous communities whose ancestors were the original...

ASUC Eco-Office Stipends

Project Description
The ASUC Eco-Office is comprised of 7 departments, including Pour out Pepsi, UC Green New Deal, Environmental Education, Environmental Justice Campaigns, Eco-Community Development, Social Media & Graphics, and Legislative Affairs. Each are headed by directors who coordinate and organize their respective departments. The directors are all undergraduate students who are passionate about sustainability and environmental justice and have chosen to lead the projects that they are working on. The Head of Staff position is adjacent to the director positions as they...