Projects Funded in 2020-2021

Converting Taps Maintenance Equipment to Electric

Allocated Funds: $4,935.00

UCSC Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) provides professional maintenance service year-round for the residential campus and satellite campuses' transportation faciiities. TAPS staff purchased electric equipment, including electric blowers, an electric trimmer, an electric mower, an electric KombiHead multi-tool and battery power packs to replace their existing gas-powered maintenance equipment. See more here. 

West Research Park (WRP) Bike Room Upgrade 

Allocated Funds: $4,810.00

The existing Storage Bike Room at West Research Park will be renovated to increase indoor bike park stations to support and incentivize people commuting by bike. This upgrade includes physical room maintenance (painting, flooring, and ceiling improvements), an electronic door lock, bike racks, a bike repair station, and a bike pump station installation. These funds will be used to support part of the project, which includes the purchase of ground mounted racks (#20 posts), vertically mounted racks (#10 posts) and a repair and pump station. See more here. 

Carbon Sequestration, Dung Beetles, and Soil Microbes in Pasturelands of Central Coast California

Allocated Funds: $19,579.76

One source of greenhouse gas emissions is from animal agriculture that pertains to land that is improperly grazed, or cleared to create pastures for animal feed. Grasslands can sequester carbon, however, when animals are grazed on pastures that are properly maintained. Dung beetles are a type of arthropod that impact the soil microbial diversity in pasture systems, and play a role in sequestering carbon and managing pests. This project includes an on ranch experiment utilizing field observations of pastures to assess the contributions dung beetles make. See more here. 

CR/MR Lamp Replacement Project

Allocated Funds: $5,727.05

This project was led by Colleges, Housing and Educational Services (CHES) staff to replace 25+ years old incandescent 100 watt floor lamps with floor lamps with a 9.5 watt LED bulb at the Crown and Merrill apartments. See more here. 

CZ Redwood Grove Bedroom Relamping

Allocated Funds: $12,568.61

Colleges, Housing and Educational Services (CHES) staff were involved in relamping the Redwood Grove bedrooms with commercial electric 11" LED lights to reduce energy usage in this area and provide consistent lumen over time. See more here. 

Gas Mower Replacement

Allocated Funds: $19,170.00

The Grounds department replaced a 4-stroke mower with an electric lawnmower for Grounds services to use. See more here. 

Solar Table 

Allocated Funds: $13,950.00

A Carbon Neautrality Initiative (CNI) fellow purchased a solar powered picnic table made with recycled HDPE to be placed outside of the Cowell Dining Hall for everyone in our community to use to demonstrate UCSC's commitment to a culture of sustainability and support for the renewable energy industry. Residence Life was inspired by the project and is purchasing additional tables. See more here.

Thimann Incubators

Allocated Funds: $8,989.00

The Biology Teaching Laboratories Manager purchased two modern and efficient fruit fly incubators with Peltier elements to replace the three loud and inefficient 1990's era fruit fly incubators that rely on traditional compressors for cooling. This purchase will support upper division biology laboratory courses on Science Hill. See more here. 

Cargo Ebikes for Parenting Students: Sustainable Transportation Solutions for Covid and Beyond

Allocated Funds: $13,971.58

Services for Transfer and Re-entry Students (STARS) and Family Student Housing (FSH) staff were awarded a Carbon Fund grant to purchase and loan six Blix Packa cargo ebikes and the infrastructure for their security to Family Student Housing student parents each quarter to transport their kids to nearby elementary schools. See more here.