In Progress Projects

These projects are still ongoing and are utilizing funds provided by TGIF

PlateUp: Reducing Single-Use Plastic Takeout Waste

Project Description

The proposed project consists of surveying, identifying, and assisting (10) pilot restaurants in their transition from single-use plastic takeout boxes to compostables and/or reusables.

Project Links

Project Application

Project Poster (coming soon!)

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...

Clark Kerr Restoration Project

Project Description

The goal of this project is to restore a small habitat of the Clark Kerr campus, replacing invasive non-native species with California native plants that support pollinators, and increasing the safety of the adjacent walkway.

Project Links

Project Application

Project Poster (coming soon!)

Compost Project for Native & Indigenous Garden

Project Description

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...

Sustainable Food and Farming Systems Education Mentorship Project

Project Description

The Berkeley Food Institute is an interdisciplinary research, education, and policy institute that works with communities on and off campus to advance a just and sustainable food and farm system. Our project, “Sustainable Food and Farming Systems Education Mentorship Project,” develops a replicable mentorship program supporting undergraduate and graduate students studying sustainable food and farming systems, providing wraparound support and targeted activities resulting...

Cultivation of Vertically-Farmed Microalgae for Biofuel Production

Project Description

VFB is seeking funds to create a sustainable biofuel from microalgae. Their goal is to create a model for growing renewable fuels with low carbon impacts and to eventually generate algae for Berkeley research labs and support future research into sustainably grown algae.

Project Links

Project Application

Project Poster (coming soon!)

Island Justice Fellows Program II

Project Description

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...

Zero Waste Reusables Advancement Research Project

Project Description

This gives undergraduates at UC Berkeley opportunities to have real experience in the field and to gain a deeper knowledge of the importance of zero waste on campus and in the real world. Each student will have a different concentration to focus their time on. One student will direct their attention to the reuse stations that are located throughout campus, and help the program become more developed. Another student will work on increasing the use of reusables and promoting zero-waste on campus by conducting surveys and helping educate through programs in Student...

Putting the "Campus" in Campus Grocery: The Food Collective as a Full-Service Grocery in the Student Union

Project Description

The Collective serves over ten thousand student patrons each year with affordable, healthy, sustainable and local foods from minority vendors and farmers — including over 150 weekly student member-volunteers each semester — out of a small space never intended for food service with a highly-limited but functional grocery selection. We're returning to the Green Initiative Fund — the single most significant funder in building the Collective's skill sets and capacity over the past 12 years — to support us in fulfilling the longtime student vision for a dedicated...

Community-engaged engineering: a partnership with the AB 617 community in Stockton

Project Description

We request $45,975 to hire student interns to sustain environmental justice work being done by Berkeley engineering students with the Stockton AB 617 community to improve local air quality and address climate change. The AB 617 community in Southwest Stockton, CA ranks in the top 5% of the most disadvantaged communities in California. It is ranked in the worst 1% for overall pollution burden, and in the worst 4% for asthma rates. In Spring 2021, I developed a new community engaged design class (CE 105 Design for Global Transformation) where we worked with...