Laurier announces 2024 Sustainable Hawk Fund recipients

May 15, 2024

The Sustainable Hawk Fund is an initiative of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Sustainability Office that awards up to $30,000 annually to projects that promote sustainability on campus and in the community.  The fund is open to students, staff and faculty across all campuses, providing the opportunity to turn sustainability ideas into reality. 

This year’s Sustainable Hawk Fund applicants submitted business plans, creative work, and project goals as part of the application process and were later invited to present a pitch to the Sustainable Campus Committee, comprised of staff, faculty and students. Recipients were selected based on the strength of their applications and pitches.  

Below are this year’s Sustainable Hawk Fund recipients, whose work will tackle sustainability issues from fast fashion to food accessibility and more.

Healing Global Citizenship Journey (Kassidy Morency) 

The Healing Global Citizenship Journey podcast project offers listeners an immersive experience into parks across Waterloo Region, where they can engage with healing practices at the nexus of sustainability and mental health. Sustainable Hawk Fund support will be utilized to procure supplies and equipment for participants during these interactive sessions. 

Community Closet (Hannah Castell) 

Community Closet is a clothing rental service designed to assist university students in curating stylish outfits without the need to buy new clothing. Built on principles of the circular economy, Community Closet seeks to breathe new life into garments sitting idle in closets, providing students with a diverse range of affordable and sustainable clothing choices. 

Thrifted Threads (Maia Flinton) 

Thrifted Threads is a venture aimed at reintroducing Laurier merchandise to the community through a sustainable approach. The project encompasses a feasibility study to evaluate the sale of pre-owned Laurier clothing on campus, along with periodic workshops designed to educate students about clothing waste reduction and the importance of reuse.  

Mini Market Green Wall (Ricky Jasson) 

The Mini Market Green Wall initiative tackles the challenge of providing affordable fresh produce to students on Laurier’s Waterloo campus. In collaboration with Just Vertical, a company specializing in innovative green walls, this project aims to enhance access to fresh produce during the fall and winter seasons.

Biophilic Wall Design (Geography and Environmental Studies)

The Geography and Environmental Studies department will be integrating biophilic design principles into a collaborative workspace for graduate students. Specifically, the room will be redesigned to include moss art with living and artificial plants.   
   
The Sustainable Hawk Fund has helped create or accelerate more than 50 sustainability projects at Laurier since 2015. Learn about past recipients and the projects they created.