The winner of the campus Sustainability Fund is the project to sustainably manage Clarkson’s natural spaces. This project received 45% of the 450+ votes. The other two projects though were also popular. Moving the digester to improve food waste management received 34% and the bike infrastructure project received 21%. It is great to see the enthusiasm and interest in all of these projects. The ISE will continue to work towards making all of these happen over time.
Past project winners of the Sustainability Fund in this format include upgrading the greenhouse (currently under construction) and building/installing the ducted wind turbine on the Science Center. The natural spaces project is not as clearly defined as the previous two. We will be holding stakeholder meetings and town hall discussions to determine which specific projects we will pursue to improve our natural spaces.
Potential opportunities for faculty/staff/student:
• Investigate and implement sustainable standards & management plans for landscaped and forested natural areas
• Develop/implement maps, kiosks, signage for trails and unique attributes
• Improve trail systems
• Invasive species mitigation
• Inventory trees, plants and wildlife
• Restore the “brown spot” along the Munter Trail
• Beautify / rewild the campus
• Explore use of forested areas for increased carbon sequestration and carbon accounting
Benefits
• Identify a common land ethic and aesthetic for the campus community
• Improve use of campus for low-impact recreation opportunities
• Improve long term biodiversity on campus
• The DEC has warned that if left alone our forest will lose its diversity
We would like the campus to be involved with this process. Please reach out to the ISE and look for upcoming campus announcements regarding sessions for stakeholder input