Campus, Community

(1) Develop three NWF Campus EcoLeaders; (2) Cultivate three on-campus native greenspaces that support campus sustainability efforts; (3) Introduce principles of eco-wellness into the greenspaces; (4) Research the impact of project initiatives on the EcoLeaders’ personal and career development

Advocacy, Community Building, Communications/Marketing, Education, Research

Through this project, three undergraduate students have completed requirements for the Campus EcoLeader Certification and are in the process of submitting their applications. We installed native plant habitats at the University of New Orleans in March with over 150 plants added to the sites. We have gotten approval to add signage to our habitats that help engage members of the community in ecowellness activities in the project area; additionally, we hosted an event in April that allowed community members to engage in a wellness art activity that will also contribute to our planting sites.

Plants planted

We added over 150 Louisiana native plants to our habitats, including nearly two dozen individual species.

The project began in August 2022. We have been able to complete our initial aims as of May 2023 and have gotten approval to expand the project with new students and new planting spaces.

Because the project has taken place at a university, we have had to navigate several bureaucratic processes, including getting approval from Facility Services for planting spaces and signage and working through our Accounts Payable office to purchase materials. Each involved strategic communication and follow-up communication with each office. Additionally, the New Orleans area has had a particularly cold winter, which delayed our planting events and created challenges with selecting plants. The team really had to put our heads together to pivot plans when needed and ensure that tasks were completed in a timely manner.

The project had representation from UNO faculty (project lead), UNO students (student EcoLeaders), student organizations, and community organizations.

The project was funded through an internal grant from the UNO Office of Research.

Thus far, we've used social media to share about the project activities and events. We're aiming for a campus news blast in May or June.

Group reflection, Individual reflection, Other

The project lead, Dr. Belser, will be analyzing qualitative interview and journal data to better understand how the project experience has helped the three students who completed Ecoleader certification.

Communicated your project results through a blog or other media, Presented your project results at a conference or meeting, Added new team members with different expertise, Applied for funding, Celebrated

We have a campus news blast in the works, and Dr. Belser will be sharing about the project at several conferences. The project was the subject of a poster presentation at Innovate UNO, a campus research symposium, back in March 2023. Dr. Belser will also start the process of seeking external funding to expand the project.

Projects of this magnitude involve patience and grit. As with many projects, things don't always pan out as planned. When nature is involved, you are at the mercy of the weather and must have backup plans and flexibility. When bureaucracy is involved, patience and effective communication are essential.

Establish your partnerships early. Find out who your specific contacts will need to be within each partnership and keep them in the loop about progress, challenges, and next steps. This will help keep the process moving more smoothly. When activities don't go as planned, look for the learning opportunity, rather than focusing on what didn't get done in the way it was intended.

We are currently developing a long-term sustainability plan for the native plant habitats, that will involve a UNO student organization and a community organization. Dr. Belser is seeking external funding to expand the project into other planting spaces on campus and with additional student participants.