SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word received a city grant to advance its gardening and composting efforts on campus and near the Headwaters Sanctuary.
The $15,000 grant from San Antonio’s Office of Sustainability will also support renovations of a greenhouse near the Headwaters Sanctuary, construction of pollinator gardens and a seed library, and expanding a compost site.
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Educational programming around soil enrichment, socio-ecological justice and urban agriculture is also expected to be supported by the grant, a university news release said.
Those opportunities would be offered during summer camps, coursework and other events.
“This project will attract students to UIW, invest in providing greenspaces in urban areas to mitigate heat-island impacts and extreme heat emergencies, prevent soil erosion on campus, and increase carbon sequestration,” said Dr. Benjamin Miele, associate professor of English and Chair of the UIW Sustainability Advisory Board.
Miele said a seed library supported by the grant will be open to the San Antonio community, helping to alleviate food insecurity and community resilience, the release said.
In July, the university’s Brooks campus library was one of five internationally recognized institutions that received a grant to support the installation of rooftop solar panels.
The Office of Sustainability awarded 133 businesses and organizations more than $2 million in funding to further sustainability goals. The efforts were undertaken through the office’s Climate Ready Community Action Fund.
“We are delighted with the overwhelming interest in this program, and the diverse projects that will support the implementation of the SA Climate Ready Plan,” said Doug Melnick, chief sustainability officer for the City of San Antonio.
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