Fall Mini-Grants

These projects were part of our mini-grant program, which involves a shorter application, shorter project timelines, and a total funding limit of $5,000 per project. 

FUELSAFE - Fuel-Reduction, Ecological Stewardship, and Fire Education

Project Description

Goals of Project: The FUELSAFE Project (Fuel-load Reduction, Ecological Stewardship, and Fire Education) aims to reduce hazardous fuel loads, improve forest health, and expand experiential learning opportunities for UC Berkeley students at Russell Research Station. The project focuses on shrub and small-tree removal, burn-pile creation, controlled burning support, and road restoration to increase wildfire resilience. FUELSAFE also seeks to enhance student engagement with land stewardship and long-term ecological management at a UC-owned research forest. 3) Website...

Farmworker Justice: Creating Future Researchers to Uplift Farmworker Voices on Climate Change

Project Description

The primary goal of this project is to expand student participation in farmworker justice research and to provide interested undergraduate students with the opportunity to engage with farmworker communities in the broader Bay Area. Through this project, students will acquire hands-on experience with environmental justice research methods and practice as they travel to farmworker communities, participate in local advocacy and community building efforts, and conduct interviews with workers to learn more about their experiences with climate changes. The goal is to...

Fallen to Functional: Community Spaces from Campus Wood Waste

Project Description

A) Jack Van Thyne
B) Fallen to Functional: Community Spaces from Campus Wood Waste is a design-build project that turns fallen campus trees into outdoor furniture for student gathering spaces. The project offers a more sustainable and locally sourced alternative to the plastic and metal benches typically purchased from third-party suppliers.
By reusing wood that would otherwise be discarded, the project reduces waste, lowers environmental impact, and highlights UC Berkeley’s natural landscape. Each piece will include a small plaque describing where the...

Eco Lobby Day

Project Description

A) Project Leaders: Bella Santos, Jackson Goulding, Maya Williams
B) Goals of Project: The Eco Lobbying Day will provide up to 30 passionate students with the opportunity to travel to Sacramento and advocate for environmental issues at the State Capitol, including but not limited to environmental justice, renewable energy, water, and land use. This project seeks to remove the barriers preventing many students from engaging in lobbying and provide selected students with hands-on legislative and policy experience. Program participants will partake in a...

BARE Necessities Exchange Shop

Project Description

A) Project Leaders: Dr. Amari McGee, Amada Madrigal
B) Goals of Your Project: To provide accessible and gently used clothing and essentials to student residents and their families, fostering confidence, comfort, and a culture of giving and sustainability through donations and reuse.
C) Optional: a link to your website or social media presence: BARE YouTube page"

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Wine Barrel Composting

Project Description

The Anaerobic Digestion Project within ESW aims to build an anaerobic digester that will efficiently convert food waste into methane, the principle component of natural gas. Compared to other hydrocarbons, burning methane as fuel produces less carbon dioxide for each unit of heat released. Additionally, a byproduct of anaerobic digestion is digestate, a nutrient rich natural fertilizer.

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Tiny House in My Backyard (THIMBY)

Project Description

THIMBY’s objective is to design an innovative affordable and sustainable tiny house that can serve as a seed for a neighborhood of similarly minded design and build projects from UC Berkeley and the surrounding community.

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Strawberry Creek Water Quality Probe

Project Description

This grant will be supplemented by funding from EH&S and allow the Strawberry Creek Restoration Team to purchase a water quality probe that will assist with sediment and erosion research along Strawberry Creek.

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Blake Garden ADA Path with Native Plant Garden and Viewshed

Project Description

Blake Garden is currently building an ADA accessible path connecting the event lawn to a new handicap-accessible bathroom in the education center in hopes to expand equal opportunities for environmental education and direct experiences with nature. UC Berkeley landscape design students will use the TGIF funding to purchase native plants to plant a native and drought tolerant habitat around the path.

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Sustainable Water Infrastructure Campus Tours

Project Description

Grant funding is requested to create a book and online tour with new material about sustainable water infrastructure on campus, innovative design features that treat and/or detain runoff, and campus ecological restoration projects that maintain creek water quality as well as provide habitat for native plants and animals on campus.

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Project Application

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