GEF
'
Green Energy Fee Grant Program
SMALL PROJECTS -APPLICATION
For applicants requesting between $500 and $2,000. Application instructions can be found in the Small Grant Application Toolkit located on our website wwu.edu/sustain/oroqrams/qef/applv/ Submit applications by delivering a hard copy to the GEF Grant Program Coordinator, Regan Clover at Viking Commons Room 24 or by scanning the application and emailing it to [email protected] Applications are due by 12pm of selected due date. 1. PROJECT TITLE: Hydroponic Aquarium
2. PROJECT TAGUNE: Creating an educational pilot based on sustainable agriculture for growing foods hydroponically.
3. TEAM INFORMATION
Name Department/School Students also provide major/minor Position Faculty/staff/ student. Students provide expected quarter/year of graduation Phone Number Email W# Project Advisor:
PeterThut Biology 360.650.2905 [email protected] 00044387
Project Lead:
Allison Fina
Mikey Jane Moran Jackson Lee 4. PROJECT DETAILS
a. Describe your proposed project.
Stockroom Manager Project Lead Student Student 2062253241 4253295487 4253596928 [email protected] 01087681 [email protected] 00961398 [email protected] 00942486
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without substrate or soil of any kind. Plants grow floating on the top of water in a self-contained environment, allowing for nutrient and water recycling, which cuts down on waste and pollution to surrounding cropland. It promotes natural pest control and produces stable yields that are usually much higher than traditional crop methods, especially considering that non-native and out of ·season plants can be grown all year round.
We would like to construct a small hydroponic learning opportunity. The station itself would be a large tank, about Sx3x4 feet and holding 10 gallons, containing an edible crop like lettuce, basil, radishes or mint. It would be located on the first floor of the Biology Building. Aside from providing a small amount of food to be used in some facet for student consumption, with the eventual goal being to provide a more readily sustainable source of food in campus dining halls, this station would be a learning opportunity for students. Signs posted around the station would describe the process of hydroponics and its advantages for the environment. Instructions about how to create your own hydroponics at home (it's actually a very simple process) would be posted near the station too, making the station interactive and informative.
b. What are the goals and desired outcomes of your project?
We want to educate the campus population about an interesting and little-known agricultural process that has
huge advantages for the environment and potential gains for the campus community. We aim to not only
educate students, but inspire them to seek out more sustainable food sources. Students will naturally feel involved in this project because they will be able to get a close up look at the plant roots spreading into the tank, will be able to eat what they see growing and will be encouraged to start their own projects at home. c. Does your project tie into any broader campus sustainability goals or initiatives? If yes, please describe how. We also hope this project will serve as a pilot for other hydroponic projects in the future. It will be a
demonstration that will hopefully inspire other larger hydroponic projects on campus that could provide the campus with a significant amount of food, making us less dependent on commercial food sources that require excessive energy to produce and transport. Departments that might be interested in developing more
advanced hydroponics include the Biology Department, Environmental Studies, and Environmental Science. Perhaps, Western Washington University can become an example for all universities on how to involve science, education, and agricultural within a university community.
10 Provide a chronological timeline listing the steps and tasks it will take to iQlplement this project. Insert additional rows as necessary.
~~tep/Task
Coordinate with the biology department and campus clubs to discuss long-term maintenance. Research and design text for educational signs that will go around the station.
Talk to engineering department/environmental departments to get quotes and design the station. Meet with Biology Department to determine exact location of the hydroponic aquarium and
educational resources
Install station and host informational talks to raise awareness.
Completed by who Us, biology department, any interested clubs Us
Us
Us
Estimated Completion Date_ December 7th
November30 December 7th
December 7th
January 31st
How will the success of the project be measured? Describe the quantitative and/or qualitative sustainability metrics you will use to measure the success of your project.
Success will be measured qualitatively in the general spirit of the campus community. While one hydroponic will not save the school any money, if this project is successful and others are created, success can be measured in financial savings in dining service budgets. Success will also be measured by the knowledge acquired by Western campus on hydroponics. We can also start a comment forum a few weeks after installing the hydroponics to see how many students are aware of the hydroponics to see if it is reaching a wide enough audience.
f. Describe your project's education, publicity and outreach plan here. Then complete the table below outlining the proposed results of your education, publicity and outreach efforts. Insert additional rows as necessary.
Our entire project will be an educational opportunity. When the station is installed, we will host an
informational session talking about the way hydroponics work. why they are so good for the environment and how students can get involved in maintaining and eating the food from the hydroponics station. We will also host a workshop on how to create homemade, mini hydroponics. This will be a publicity opportunity for campus publications who will spread the word about the new station. Even after these events are over,
informational signs will continue to educate everyone who comes to see the station, which will be hopefully be worked into curriculums for students to study and visit it. We intend to also make an effort to increase the availability of the station by advertising.
Education outreach, Whowillmake How will this effort be Who is the Frequency of publicity effort this happen? implemented? intended implementation.
one-audience? time/daily/weekly? Educational signs Us 1 Permanent signage to Students Constant
accompany the station and diners
Coverage in campus Us, staff at Press releases Students Onetime
publications publications and
community
members
Information sessions Us, clubs or
I
Advertising events on Students Weekly for two or and workshops students whoI
campus calendars, designing and staff three weeks afterare also educational programs, installation
interested create-your-own hydroponics 5. PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS
a. How will your project involve students? How many students, or what percentage of the student body, will be affected by the project?
I
In order to reach a considerable percentage of the student body, it is essential that these hydroponic
gardens/aquariums be extensively advertised, so there location can be discovered by more than just biology majors. Additionally, offering the produce harvested from these hydroponic gardens to the student body through special events and workshops is another essential aspect of this plan. As noted earlier, one of the long-term goals of this project is for other hydroponic tanks to be constructed around campus. This would bring a sense of community and food independence to campus. Since the hydroponic station will be located on the first floor of the biology
department, which does receive the highest volume of traffic in the entire building, it should be noted that the direct effects of this project will be predominately felt by those enrolled in biology classes. With that said, the
indirect effects of this project (i.e. education pertaining to hydroponics) are predicted to reach a far larger
percentage of the student body. Through utilizing this project as a platform for hydroponic education, which then in
turn can be translated into student led attempts at hydroponic gardening or advocacy pertaining to the
development of these technologies in developing countries, we will be able to surpass the conservative projections proposed above. We envision that student involvement in this project can come in a variety ways - including, but not limited to, the construction of the gardens, outreach and advertising efforts, interfacing between this project and existing organizations on campus (i.e. Students for Sustainable Foods and the Outback Farm), and interpretation efforts (i.e. interpretive signs) pertaining to the environmental and economic benefits associated with this
agricultural technology.
10 If your project involves or requires permission from other organizations, departments, individuals, or stakeholders, list them below. Each stakeholder must provide a signature of approval for this project.
Insert additional rows as necessary.
Name Department or School and Position
I
Involvement in ProjectJ
Stakeholder signature of approval .Peter Thut Biology Stockroom Manager Advisor
**
If
your project team is proposing a temporary or permanent facility or property 'di cation, then a Proj Owner Form must be submitted with the application. Form can be found on GEF website:wwu.edu/sustain/programs/gef/apply
6. BUDGET
a. Provide an itemized list of the budget items required for this project. Include Equipment and Construction Costs, Education Publicity and Outreach Costs, Personnel and Labor Costs, and any other costs. Insert additional rows as necessary.
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Re(,uest
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Item10 gallon aquarium 1
I
Air pump - lS 1
-I
Air-line tubing 5 1' Air wand bubbler 20 1
Oasis cubes (comes with 2) 3S 1
I
Hydroponic nutrients 30 1I seeds lS 3
, Grow light 7S 1
I Shipping fees
so
1I
Misc replacement of aquarium parts for the future 240 1 IAquarium cleaning products
so
1Educational tools: laminated signs near the hydroponic set up
so
1Mini hydroponic kit 100 1
I
Electricity S4 watts for the growing light; 1 yield per quarter
=
Per day 11 cents 120 days 13.2 7 20' 4 months; even less for the bubbler approx
-I
I
I I I I ' I I TOTAL REQEST $780 J , _-b. If the project is implemented, will there be any ongoing replacement, operational, maintenance or renewal costs? If yes, has a source of funds been identified to cover those costs?
Yes, the tank system needs to be completely cleaned at the end of each harvest. However, seeing as the biology department and potentially the students for sustainable foods are willing to provide maintenance to the tank, there would be minimal maintenance costs. Maintenance also involves refilling the water level consistently and also checking the roots for rot or pests. The plant seeds will need to be bought each harvest so we have allocated funds for future seeds to be planted. As long as the aquarium is properly cleaned and cared for none of the materials should need to be replaced within the near future but to ensure that sustaining this project is possible we have allocated $200 in extra funds for parts. There should not be a renewal cost as long as all of the parts are still in good condition and the biology department allows there to always be a spot for the
hydroponics to be displayed.
c. Matching Funds. list pending, approved, and denied applications for funding from other sources. list amounts requested from those sources.
No other sources. Additional Information:
We would like to give the food grown by this hydroponic to the University Dining Service as this is what is being done on Gonzaga University's campus. However, do to liability we could donate that food to a shelter or work with an environmental club on campus to create a dinner from the food grown.
After meeting with Peter Thut, who has installed multiple aquariums in the Biology Building, there would be no need to get the signature of the Dean of the Biology Department or any other building maintenance
departments or managers.
GEF
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Green Energy Fee Grant Program
PROJECT OWNER FORM
If project team is proposing a temporary or permanent facility or property modification, then this Project Owner Form must be submitted with the application.
Project Name:
Hydroponic Aquarium Project Lead:
Allison Fina
By signing this form, I confirm that the project lead(s) has/have discussed this project with me, and that I (please check all that apply):
D
D
approve the stated project be conducted at the following campus facility/property that I manage Biology Building
agree to be part of the project team
am the administrator for my campus unit and agree to be responsible for the financial and human resources transactions associated with this project as described below.
This project is estimated to cost $ 70 for annual maintenance. If parts or components of this project stop
working or need upgrades, it is estimated that the replacement cost would be$ 240. This project has a ltfespan of 2 years. The Green Energy Fee Grant Program agrees to pay for the maintenance and replacement cost up to a cap of $310 (cost of 1 year of annual maintenance plus replacement cost) during the first year of the project's implementation.
D
During the first year of project implementation, I agree to pay for any operational costs exceeding the maintenance and replacement cost agreed upon by the Green Energy Fee Grant Program as specified above. After this project has been implemented for one year, I agree to take over the maintenance and replacement costs. I will pay for removal of the project should the project cease to secure maintenance and or replacement funding. My campus unit will retain ownership of the project post removal.
Wlth the following stipulations (H applicable):
Biology Stockroom Man~ger
Department/Organization:
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Additional Notes:2013-3014 ACADEMIC YEAR
Email: [email protected]
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