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...
The Student Environmental Resource Center (SERC), in collaboration with the ASUC Student Union and Zero Waste Coalition, proposes the creation of The Bear Necessities Refill Station, an automated refill station that would provide convenient, accessible and affordable zero waste options for everyday personal care and cleaning products. The station will be powered by Wonderfil, a refill station provider whose mission is to eliminate single-use plastics at the source. Centrally located within the MLK Student Union, this refill station will be in proximity to...
We aim to make more evidence-driven, inclusive and deeply educational signage for UC Botanical Garden’s Crops of the World Garden. This will promote thinking about sustainability in food systems among visitors and student groups. We are pairing this with a database of botanical garden signage from around the world to link gardens and inspire further innovation in this field. Communication with the public is an essential function of these living museums. We strive to make environmental justice messaging accessible and inspiring in a site that brings joy to visitors...
The Island Justice Fellows Program at the Critical Pacific Island Studies Collective (CPISC) enables UC Berkeley students to contribute to environmental justice practice, research, and campus community engagement opportunities concerning issues facing Pacific Islander (PI) communities, both residing in the Pacific Island region and in the diaspora in California. This year-long fellowship program supports a team of graduate and undergraduate students to address multiple gaps on the UC Berkeley campus: (1) the lack of institutional support for scholarship on the PI region...
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.
The Indigenous Community Learning Garden (ICLG) highly values interacting with land in a sustainable and reciprocal manner. The compost hub project supports the production of culturally significant food crops and addresses sustainability dynamics relating to food sovereignty. In addition, the project serves to address other goals dealing with social, financial, and environmental aspects at the intersection of food and the environment. Through a series of interactive, hands-on workshops prioritized for Native and Indigenous community members, individuals will...
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 is headed by directors who coordinate and organize their respective departments. The directors spend roughly 5-7 hours a week leading their department and performing tasks including attending senior staff meetings, hosting department meetings, maintaining logistics and organization of their department, etc....
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...
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...
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.
