the UW Sustainability blog
Tucked behind an assortment of trees along UW's Stevens Way is a garden unknown to many. The UW Medicinal Herb Garden is home to about 1,000 plants from around the world, spread out across seven plots, and provides a relaxing escape from the surrounding campus.
The garden hasn't always been as richly populated as it is today. There's one man in particular who has doubled the plant collection over the last 20 years.
I was surrounded by a row of fields covered with a variety of crops, ready to learn what the UW Farm was up to this summer. Ellie Garcia handed me a tiny plum, one of the many fruits available at the farm, before detailing her experiences working there.
At 15 feet tall, the new hoop house for the Society for Ecological Restoration's UW Chapter (SER-UW) serves as a reminder of all the hard work 50 student volunteers put in over the course of six days.
Working eight to ten hour shifts, students from UW’s Construction Management department, Sigma Lambda Chi and volunteers from SER-UW set out to construct a 30 foot by 48 foot hoop house at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Now, the student run native plant nursery has room for about 5,000 plants in the hoop house.
Rebeca Rivera has gone above and beyond to involve students, faculty and staff in sustainability efforts across the UW Bothell campus. She is in the process of trying to start a garden at the UW Bothell campus, which is pending approval from the university. If all goes well, Rivera will begin the garden as soon as possible.
The UW Farm's 2015 annual report is out - learn what the Farm accomplished over the past year, including raising over $10,000 to build a shelter and two earthen ovens at the Center for Urban Horticulture—a space that will serve as a wash-pack station and community gathering venue for years to come.
The UW student chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration’s (SER-UW) native plant nursery is located on campus at the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH). It is a student run operation that provides plants to the on-campus restoration projects that SER-UW manages. This year, with the support of a Campus Sustainability Fund grant, the nursery is expanding by building a new hoop house, growing more plants from seed and cuttings, and increasing its opportunities for volunteer involvement.
The UW Farm is looking for three student staff members to work during the 2016 growing season, and applications are due by March 1.
Applications will need to be able to work Spring, Summer and Fall quarters. To apply, submit a resume and cover letter to Sarah Geurkink at sgeurk@uw.edu by Tuesday, March 1.
The UW Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration has two open student internship positions for the winter quarter. The interns will work with SER-UW's native plant nursery and could fill a variety of roles, depending on the applicants. The nursery is located on campus at the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH). It is a student run operation that provides plants to the on-campus restoration projects that SER-UW manages.
Did you know that there are nearly 500 dairy farms in Washington state? According to the Department of Agriculture, milk is the No. 2 agricultural commodity in Washington, produced by both small and large scale farming operations. One UW student is working to learn how to make dairy production sustainable across the state.
Whether it’s conserving water or donating unused food, the University of Washington Club is always looking for new innovative ways to stay sustainable.
“We try to align ourselves with the University’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Jenelle Ebisu, the UW Club’s general manager. “We’re always trying to support the environment as much as we can.”