In Our Nature

Two different projects from members of the UW community are using crowdfunding to help make sustainable ideas a reality.

One team of former UW students is using Kickstarter to produce an environmentally friendly trekking pole. The company they formed, Uphill Designs, claims their bamboo trekking pole is not only made from sustainable materials, but it also stronger and more resilient than aluminum. With just a couple days to go, the...

The work of Kevin Wood, research scientist with the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), was recently highlighted in a Reuters video, Old ship records to shed light on Arctic ice loss. Wood, in partneship with many other researchers and agencies, launched the Old Weather project to utizlize citizen scientists in exploring historical weather data from a wide variety of sources. The information provides...

Amy Snover, UW climate researcher, Director of the UW Climate Impacts Group, and Assistant Dean for Applied Research in the College of the Environment was interviewed by KING 5 reporter Michael Konopasek in December 2014 on what Governor Jay Inslee should consider as he develops policy around future climate change. Specifically, Snover points to that communities and businesses need to understand what to expect as climate changes in...

The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at University of Washington (DDCSP@UW) is looking for 25 freshmen and sophomores to participate in an eight week immersion course this summer. The goal of the multi-year conservation immersion program is to broaden participation within conservation, and diversify what it means to be a "conservation professional."

The student housing at Mercer Court includes a number of sustainability projects (like the UW Solar project on the roof). One feature takes advantage of Seattle's rain to help make doing laundry more environmentally friendly:

A new exhibit at the Nordic Heritage Museum titled Imaging the Acrtic showcases a collaboration between UW polar researcher Kristin Laidre and watercolor artist Maria Coryell-Martin as a unique way to communicate climate science.

Kristin Laidre, a scientist at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory Polar Science Center and the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences,...

The University of Washington was a proud sponsor and participant of the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's annual conference held in Portland, Oregon, at the end of October. Dozens of representatives from across the University attended the conference, including UW’s Associate Vice President Ruth Johnston who serves as a board member for AASHE, UW professors and academic directors, and staff members from UW Recycling, Housing & Food Services, and Environmental Stewardship &...

Finding the answer to the age-old question: are electric vehicles better than diesel?

If questions like this that deal with the environment and sustainability interest you, then create a proposal and apply to the Green Seed Fund!  Awarded $32,170, one group from last year’s funding cycle is working with the University of Washington Botanic Gardens to research electric and biodiesel utility vehicles. Using surveys to measure the use and opinions of the vehicles by staff and an opacity meter to measure the pollution from...

A research team is using a Green Seed Fund grant to test whether or not the indoor climate control system in the University of Washington student union building (HUB) is helping it save energy.

The Green Seed Fund awarded the group $75,410 last year, giving them the means to purchase a wide range of monitoring equipment. By attaching the devices to vertical rods, the group could record data such as air temperature, air velocity, and humidity from the ground to the ceiling. With this set up, the group proceeded to test the LEED-certified HUB building’s ability to regulate the indoor...

If you're thinking of applying for a Green Seed Fund grant to help launch a research project on campus sustainability, act fast. The funding deadline for this year is Dec. 11 at 5 p.m.

The Green Seed Fund aims to promote and fund research projects that advance sustainable research while contributing to the university’s sustainability goals. The fund was launched in 2013, and in its inaugural year 15 proposals totaling nearly $1 million were submitted. From that pool, proposals were selected and awarded nearly $279,000...