Salisbury University’s Green Fund program supports student and faculty projects to improve sustainability and environmental awareness on campus.
The Student Government Association introduced the Green Fund in 2015 and has funded around 65 projects over six years.
Wayne Shelton, SU’s director of campus sustainability and environmental safety, said all unused funds roll over into the following year.
“That means that somewhere around $90,000 every semester is available for students to request and use,” Shelton said. “Students have great ideas, and what they typically lack is the funding to get their idea put into reality, so the good news is there’s still plenty of funding left for the spring.”
One project was the campus picnic benches with solar panels operating charging stations.
Shelton embraces SU’s progress in sustainability efforts, ranging from “having energy efficient buildings to having a 50% or more recycling rate” on campus.
Switching to battery-operated equipment, as opposed to electric alternatives, has also been an effective project, said Frank Bowen, SU’s assistant director of horticulture and grounds.
“[Those projects have] worked out very well,” Bowen said.
Biology professor Jeremy Corfield used the Green Fund for bird conservation projects.
“We have a couple projects focused on making the SU campus more bird-friendly,” Corfield said. “We’ve been involved in putting nest boxes around campus [and] looking at ways to minimize collisions with our windows on campus.”
While the fall deadline for the Green Fund has passed, upcoming spring applications will be open until Feb. 28.
Students with an idea for a Green Fund project may visit www.salisbury.edu/administration/administration-and-finance-offices/sustainability/green-fund.aspx to review submission guidelines and download an application. All proposals must have at least one student and one faculty or staff advisor associated with the project.
By SOPHIA SMITH
Staff writer
Featured image courtesy of Salisbury University Public Relations Office.