The Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) will be regularly featuring alumni, project leaders and other students who help the CSF make a difference on campus. Today's spotlight is on Jordan Hoy, who is project lead for the UW Tower urban garden demonstration.
UW Graduation Year: 2017
Major: B.A Environmental Studies
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Favorite UW Class: ENVIR 240, The Urban Farm
CSF Project: Green Square: UW Tower Urban Garden Demonstration
What inspired you to get involved with CSF?
"This project is a good representation of my past 2 years at UW studying environmental studies and focusing on the social science aspect of the environmental movement. It's exciting that we can incorporate greenery into our environment, into our daily lives and the countless benefits it can bring. Our project team is trying to make urban agriculture really accessible. We hope people will see different permaculture techniques in our garden and think, 'Wow, I can apply that to my backyard, or my little porch that I have, or the top of my boat,' for example. I currently live on a boat, which has no yard whatsoever, so I would like to have some food production. I have a couple blueberry plants, but I am just getting started."
What's your takeaway from applying for a CSF grant?
"During the grant writing phase, it was all about the context that we presented. Key in our application was the context of the UW and the sustainable vision this institution wants to present to the outside world. The Green Square project is unique because the UW Tower is the face of the UW. Visitors come through our project space daily, and with the new light rail station, it will experience even more exposure. So, it's very important for that little brick courtyard to express the sustainable values of the UW. We also addressed the larger context of our food system and unsustainable practices. The most effective way to learn about this is to look at our personal lifestyle choices. So we hope that people can take little techniques or aspects from our garden demonstration into their daily lives."
What advice would you give to other students interested in the CSF?
"If you see something that really needs to be done, go for it! The university is such a great platform for people who want to make a difference and the CSF is a great program to fund those activities. There are so many different exciting things that are going on because of CSF."