Green Action Fund Project Proposal
Recycling Center Garden
Project Proposer: Matt DeCapo
Project Supervisors: Bill Spiegel
and Gerry Snyder
Introduction
In the summer of 2013, I (Matt
DeCapo) and my friends put a garden in at
the recycling center here on the K-State
Campus. The top picture to the right
shows the KSU recycling center in early
spring 2013. After working throughout
the summer, we had the garden up and
running with many different plant
species.
Bill Spiegel, the manager of the
Recycling Program at KSU, and his staff
were very supportive of the garden. Bill
even got irrigation installed to help with
watering the garden.
Last year, I was studying abroad
and was not able plant anything in the garden in 2014. However, this year the recycling
facility is going to get a circle drive put in at some time in the near future. We would like to
landscape the area near the recycling building to make it beautiful, biodiverse, and
structurally stable.
Project Description
When the weather warms up, we will take compost fertilizer from the North Agronomy
Farm and put it in the soil near the Recycling Center. The Recycling Center has helped to
produce the fertilizer by hauling the campus’ food waste to the large compost piles at the
North Agronomy Farm. We will complete the nutrient cycle by putting the compost into the
ground near Recycling Center. This will return the nutrients that our food pulled from the
ground where the crops grew back into our local soil. Then we will plant a diverse garden to
make the area more beautiful and attractive.
We are requesting funding to purchase some nice hardy perennial species that will
survive the winter and not require much maintenance while providing a beautiful
environment. Several of the plants will produce edible fruits. The garden will attract visitors
to the Recycling Center and make visitors to the center happier. We will make educational
materials about permaculture,
biodiversity, and composting to
have available to visitors to the
KSU Recycling Center.
We are also requesting
funds for labor to install the
garden and to provide an
internship opportunity to a
team of horticulture students
to design the garden and select
the plant species.
Sustainability and
Environmental Benefits to
Kansas State University
The area will absorb rain
water better, erode less, and
provide a better foundation for
our great Recycling Center.
The Recycling Center Garden at its height in late July 2013.
Students will gain experience
building gardens and will learn
about composting.
Composting is essential
for keeping our soils healthy.
Students will be able to see
how anyone can use compost to
restore vitality and life to even
degraded and polluted areas.
Plants survive much better in
soil with compost in it.
Biodiversity is very important
for our health. Composting
helps many diverse organisms
live in our soil, keeping it
healthy. Also, composting is a
way that we all can sequester
carbon in the soil and mitigate
the effects of climate change!
The Recycling Center Garden in January 2015. We want to bring
the garden back to life once warm weather is here this spring.
We do not want pesticides to be used on this garden like they are on most of campus.
We do not believe the pesticides are good for us or the insects that want to pollinate the
plants. I do not think it is wise to use pesticides and other dangerous chemicals in areas with
large human populations like on our campus. We want more natural biodiverse areas on
campus that, if they have food growing in them, we can be sure that no one from the
university has been paid to apply poisons to them. I had a really bad experience eating the
food that is growing at Kansas State University Gardens before. The food crops are made to
look “perfect” by using pesticides to keep any potential damage caused by insects to a
minimum. Unfortunately, not everyone knows that these good looking food crops are covered
in pesticides, so some people may take them and get sick. We should be able to let our kids
run free in a University Garden and not be worried that they will eat something covered in
dangerous chemicals. There need to be more garden areas on campus where people can be
sure that pesticides have not been sprayed and that their children can explore, touch, taste,
and learn without risking their health!
Student Involvement in Project Implementation
Many students from Students for Environmental Action have expressed interest in
gardening opportunities near the campus. Students will learn all about composting, flood
prevention, soil protection, the importance of putting carbon back in the soil, gardening, and
biodiversity.
Students from Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, and Biological and Agricultural
engineering work on projects similar to this in class. We will involve students in these
departments to work on the garden. More diverse majors will get involve through the student
groups SEA, Farm Club, and Rotaract.
There will be 2 potential horticulture internships designing the garden and working on
the installation. These will be announced to the students through the Student Farm Club
advisor, Dr. Rhonda Janke. We will interview students and select 2 for the design team. I
(Matt DeCapo) will be in charge of the interns and will work with them on the project.
Students for Environmental Action will announce the work opportunities to their
listserv and to other interested groups. Gerry Snyder will help work with me to distribute the
money for labor to the workers evenly.
Many students will have more of an attachment to the recycling center area and will
want to show it to their friends and family. More people will learn about the Recycling Center
and all of the services it does for us at KSU.
Benefits to Kansas State Student Body
Students will have a beautiful garden on campus next to the Recycling Center. This
will draw people’s attention when they are in the nearby parking lot areas. We will also
produce herbs, fruits, and vegetables that students could harvest if they need some free,
healthy, local food. People will spread the news about the attractive garden near the
Recycling Center, so more people will want to come to the recycling center to see the garden
and recycle their valuable materials that may have gone to the landfill had they not been told
about the Recycling Center!
The Recycling Center has done wonders to improve the solid waste management in our
community, thanks to the tireless efforts of Bill Spiegel and his whole staff. We want to show
our appreciation by making the area more beautiful and enjoyable to be around.
Project Administration and Budget
Gerry Snyder, faculty advisor for SEA, will help with the distribution of the funds.
Each of the two internships will receive $200 for an expected 10 hours of design and
10 hours of labor. There will be an additional $200 allocated to support 25 more hours of
labor at 8$/hour. There will be an additional $200 for the purchase of the different plants.
Compost, mulch, and tools will all be provided for free.
The total expected costs of the project is $800.
Project Timeline - Spring 2015
February - Spread word about internship opportunities. The applications will be due
at the end of February. Talk to Bill Spiegel about exact details of the construction of a circle
drive at the Recycling Center, so that our design team will know what they have to plan
around.
March - Conduct interviews in the beginning of March to make selection by March 9th.
The interns will meet before spring break to start planning the design of garden. By the end
of March, the design should be well under way and the plants species selected.
April - The interns will share design with Students for Environmental Action and any
other interested students. Every weekend in April will have work days to prepare the area for
planting by moving existing mulch to the side and incorporating compost in with the soil.
When the area is ready for planting, we will pick up the plants before the next weekend work
day and begin the plant installation. We will advertise the garden and Recycling Center on
Earth Day
May - We will finish planting in the garden and will mulch the remaining area. The
mulch will protect the soil from erosion and keep more moisture in the soil, increasing
irrigation efficiency. We will compile a report about the project as well as education
materials for display at the Recycling Center.
Future Expansion
There is an abandoned
greenhouse right next to the
recycling center. We would like to
see who is in charge of this area
and if it could be taken over by
students who want to produce food
for the nearby Derby Dining Center.
This would be a great opportunity
for students to practice what they
learn in class and get more local
food to students living in the
dorms! If we can get approval to
work here, we will request
additional funding next Green
Action Fund to get the greenhouse
running and producing food for the
nearby dining center.