Green Fund Projects to be Implemented

Nearly $73,000 in Green Fund-supported, student-led sustainability proposals have been approved for implementation this year. The six projects include enhanced access to public transportation; native plant signage; "feather-friendly" window dots to reduce bird collisions; an outdoor air quality monitoring sensor; bike station repair at the Wildcat Trailhead; and a nontraditional lawn test plot.

All will be covered by the Green Fund, a student-paid fee that supports ideas submitted by students from any major and approved through a selection process.

"I am so proud of the projects that the students and selection committee moved forward this year," said Jes Thompson, assistant vice president for Sustainability and director of SHINE, or the Sustainability Hub for Innovation and the Environment. "They provide numerous benefits to all of our human and non-human stakeholders and embody the importance of fostering a healthy ecosystem for all."

Summaries of each project, along with the student(s) who proposed them, follow:

-Increasing student accessibility to MarqTran: This summer, a bus stop with a shelter will be installed on campus, along MarqTrans's current route. Grounds Supervisor Andy Smith will replace the roof of an older, formerly retired, bus shelter with solar panels, which will provide electricity for charging and lighting inside the shelter. Chief of Police Mike Bath has worked with MarqTran to add a Tracy Avenue stop to the North Marquette route, which runs through campus every 25 minutes. This will offer easy transport downtown to the transfer station, or to the shopping district on Third Street. Anyone with an NMU ID can ride for free. The project was proposed by students Kaitlyn Miller, Griffin Grava, Tom Rapp, Sam Kirkwood and Ashlyn Albert.

-Native plant signs around campus: Small metal signs that engraved with the plants' names, Anishinaabe name and in Braille will be installed in the Paul Lang Jr. Memorial Garden in front of Jamrich. These signs will not only inform students about what types of plants are growing around campus, but they will also educate parents and community members who walk through campus. Proposed by Ashlyn Albert.

-Applying feather-friendly dots to windows in the connector between Harden and Jamrich Hall: These dots reduce bird collisions by over 95%, come in multiple colors and do not add a thermal load to the windows. The latter is important so the dots will not void the warranty of the windows. This location was identified as a priority by students who had been conducting research on bird and building collisions on campus. Proposed by Mattea Muscat.

-Outdoor air quality monitoring sensor: The real-time air quality information supplied by this sensor can be linked to the NMU Sustainability Dashboard. Students, faculty and the community will be able to access the data about air quality on campus, and "the goal is to encourage research and education opportunities surrounding the air we breathe," Thompson added. Proposed by Taryn Andersen.

-Repairing the bike repair station at the Wildcat Trailhead. The existing repair station located near The Woods Lodge will be replaced with a new, public works-grade stand (new tools included), along with a working bike pump and wheel chock. Proposed by Alena Flynn, Brooklyn Moore, Jordan Bethke , Allison Haldane, Elena Koos and Lily Smentkowski

-Non-traditional lawn test plot. This will be installed next to the Hoop Houses behind Woodland Park apartments as a demonstration of biodiverse and pollinator-friendly lawn options. The area will be maintained by SHINE's native plant intern. This area will also be a research and community learning opportunity, and help determine if a nontraditional lawn would work in other parts of campus and the broader community. Proposed by Alena Abbott, Grace Freed, Cecilia Hagewood, Miki Rogers and Emma Wakefield.

In addition to these projects, three Hoop House-related enhancements-a part-time summer intern to maintain the plants, an irrigation system and the addition of rabbit-resistant netting-have been folded into the SHINE budget, Thompson said, though they originated as Green Fund proposals.