2013 Grant Awards

Berkeley Student Food Collective Food Prep Expansion

Project Description:Interns will be hired to investigate and promote the long-term financial and environmental viability of the BSFC. The four positions will be Storefront Sustainability intern, Real Food Advocacy intern, Community Relations intern, and Financial Viability intern.

TGIF Award: $6,844.31

Cal CAP 2.0 Internships

Project Description: Cal CAP 2.0 will support three important student climate related internships. The work the students will perform will be integral to the campus setting its next greenhouse gas emissions target, to informing the next campus Climate Action Plan, and to achieving our CalCAP education objectives.

TGIF Award: $9,000

Campus Shared Services Cycles (Discontinued)

Project Description: CSS Cycles will offer a shared electric assist bicycle available to CSS staff as an alternative to private, internal combustion powered vehicles, for the purpose of transporting staff as needed to and from the main UC Berkeley campus and the new Campus Shared Services (CSS) Center.

TGIF Award: $3,000

Campus Tree Inventory

Project Description: This project will inventory the main campus trees to create a tree database system for campus maintenance and to apply for tree campus USA status.

TGIF Award: $20,288.30

Cool Towers

Project Description: Cool Towers will hire two student associates to assist PP-CS in the development of a comprehensive cooling tower inventory. The students will identify system type, controls, water treatment type, and chemical usage, as well as an indication of overall water usage, strainer and basin health of the cooling towers. PP-CS will use the data to identify water and energy conservation opportunities and develop a campus-wide standard for future cooling tower installations and retrofits.

TGIF Award: $10,216

Fitting Plant to Place: Site-Specific Restoration Planning on Strawberry Creek

Project Description: Fitting Plant to Space will refine the trait-based approach tested by the 2012 TGIF Grant by measuring soil characteristics (moisture, organic matter content, nitrogen, texture and pH) and landscape factors (proximity to road, slope, and surrounding vegetation communities) at each site before planting. Fitting Plant to Space will also engage 500 volunteers and improve the efficiency and standards of the Strawberry Creek volunteer program.

TGIF Award: $12,388

Hearst North Field Soil Restoration

Project Description:Hearst North Field Soil Restoration project will eliminate the amount of synthetic leachate washed off from the field, and greatly reduce the watering needs of the field by 20%-30% with an estimated captured savings of over 250,000 gallons annually. The management methodology consists of covering the field with high quality compost, working the compost into the soil, and regularly applying a liquid compost brew to the turf.

TGIF Award: $32,000

Nature Village Sustainable Family Living, Phase II

Project Description: Nature Village Phase II will build upon 2012 TGIF Grant Project Nature Village by implementing a sharing campaign and a hazardous and electronic waste program, expanding the Green Family Program, and shooting a 3 min. Nature Village video.

TGIF Award: $18,840

Pedaling Towards Zero Waste

Project Description: Pedaling Towards Zero Waste would fund a hybrid human-electric powered Truck Trike to be used by ReUSE, CRRS, and other licensed and trained campus individuals for pick-ups and deliveries of reusable materials or during sustainability related projects.

TGIF Award: $7,994.80

Refills Not Landfills

Project Description: Refills not Landfills will collaborate with local beverage sellers to create a stamp card that can be used by customers who bring their own mugs. Each time a customer BYOM's s/he will receive a stamp and work towards a free drink, with a goal of incentivizing customers to "refill" or reuse, not "landfill".

TGIF Award: $4,853

Restorative Ecology Training Program

Project Description: The Restorative Ecology Training Program will develop an intensive training course for UC Berkeley undergraduate students geared toward young ecological professionals interested in sustainable soil use and habitat restoration. The training program will include lab, field, and outreach components.

TGIF Award: $19,785

Strawberry Creek Ecological Stabilization Project

Project Description: This Ecological Stabilization Project will help Strawberry Creek regain ecological stability by applying basic LID strategies and habitat restoration measures. Grant funding will finance the design phase of the project.

TGIF Award:$47,840

Solar Powering Cal

Project Description: Solar Powering Cal will ensure student engagement in the campus efforts to install solar on selected campus buildings and will make TGIF a key partner in solar as new reality at UC Berkeley. TGIF will also play a role in the larger regional effort to bring over 100 solar PV installations to public agency sites around the bay area.

TGIF Award: $60,000

SPROUTS

Project Description: SPROUTS, or Student Projects Redefining Our University's Trash, Sustainably, will be a waste education and outreach team focused on events, education campaigns, working with Overstock and Surplus, and teaching a standardized campus waste audit.

TGIF Award: $25,456