The explosive enrollment growth at the University of Washington Bothell (UWB)/Cascadia College (CC) joint campus has been manifested in an aggressive building plan resulting in ever more impervious surfaces, and an ongoing reduction of the surrounding forested area. This, in turn, is increasing the flow and reducing the quality of stormwater discharged to the adjacent campus owned wetland and North Creek.
UW Sustainability
Green Seed Fund 2016 Approved Projects
The Green Seed Fund awarded grants to UW faculty, students, and staff to research opportunities that advance sustainable research while contributing to campus sustainability goals. Listed below are the projects awarded funding during the 2015-16 funding cycle. You can browse the projects from the earlier years of the fund at the links in the menu.
A committee of students, faculty, and staff reviewed the proposals and awarded $190,000 in funding to three projects. The projects were selected because the review committee felt they will contribute to UW sustainability goals, are research focused, the project scope has a broad reach, and will contribute to significant water savings for the University.
Learn more about the Green Seed Fund.
The Washington Park Arboretum (WPA) is an accessible, living laboratory and a portal to the University of Washington for both those affiliated and unaffiliated with the institution. Established in 1934, it is co-owned and managed by the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and the City of Seattle Parks and Recreation. Its extensive plant collections are known amongst its botanic garden and arboreta peers to be one of the top five in the nation. Over 250,000 visitors a year walk our 230 acres with binoculars, cameras or dog leashes in hand ready to explore and learn while simultaneously getting exercise and outdoor experiences.
Irrigation water is a major contributor to water usage on the University of Washington Seattle Campus during the dry summer months. The University of Washington (UW) is determined to reduce its water consumption as declared by the Climate Action Plan in 2009. UW Facilities Ground Management made significant strides in improving irrigation. Landscaped areas are irrigated through a combination of drip and sprinkler systems connected to an intricate pipe networks that is centrally controlled and supervised through an advanced system of remote monitoring. Irrigation water is purchased from Seattle Public Utilities; however, alternative water sources such as harvested rainwater can provide the necessary water for irrigation. Therefore, this project proposes to monitor for water quality and quantity by constructing a rainwater collection system on UW Seattle Campus. Furthermore, this project will use the collected water to irrigate a small area on campus.