Project Aims at Reducing Plastic Waste on Campus

Article provided from the College of Menominee Nation website. 

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A team of 24 students from the College of Menominee Nation have accomplished an ongoing demonstration project designed to reduce the waste of plastic water bottles.

With funds from a two-month fundraising campaign during fall semester, the team has purchased two retro-fitted water fountains for the College. The units enable re-use of water bottles and encourage conservation by keeping a running tabulation for users of how many disposable plastic bottles have been “saved” from landfills.

The project was funded with money raised by the students and a match gift from the College’s Scott Zager Venture Fund.

Students in the Sustainable Development class of Professor William Van Lopik said the project is intended to draw attention to a major landfill problem. With people in the U.S. buying more than 28 billion plastic bottles a year, reducing the amount of plastic bottles being purchased and recycling existing plastic bottles are both important issues.

The project team notes that their College is especially active in encouraging students and the community “to live with the land rather than pollute or destroy their surroundings.” With re-filling stations now located in Fowler Library and Shirley Daly Hall (2nd Floor), students, staff and visitors have one more option for doing their part toward waste reduction.

Mani Boyd served as project leader and other team members were Stephanie Bugler, Teanna Davis, Ravena Fowler, Oren Hill-Sackatook, Barbara Johnson, Brenda Miller, Chase Quinney, Carol Red Kettle, Beth Schultz, Barbara Warrington, Susan M. Waukau, Chad Courtney, Cierra Dickenson, Delores Grignon, Gwendolyn Hawpetoss, Laundi Keepseagle, Tara Kirchner, Franny Kitson- Denny, Kayle Klitz, Greta Nelson, Monea Warrington, Jenna Waupoose, and Joshua Waupoose.

The Scott Zager Venture Fund was established at the College in 2008 in memory of Zager, a Brown University student from Illinois who was a grandnephew of the late Father David Kiefer of St. Anthony Parish on the Menominee Reservation. Zager’s parents, David and Gina Zager, and his maternal grandmother, Kathryn Peot, created the fund to help support innovative student projects at the College. Including two projects conducted this fall, the fund has assisted 46 students working independently or in teams on activities ranging from the establishment of an on-campus coffee shop to doing research at a biological field station in Costa Rica.

CMN student Cierra Dickenson's Internship Experience with Natural Resources

College of Menominee Nation student Cierra Dickenson gave a presentation about her internship experience working over the summer of 2012. The internship focused on natural resources with a various team of experts as mentors.  She had the opportunity to work in many fields related to sustainability and the health of the forest on the Menominee Indian Reservation. She worked not only with Paul Crocker, MTE, on GIS inventory, but she got a comprehensive look at many different career options. Thanks to some great mentors, Cierra said they made even the challenging aspects enjoyable.

One of the summer projects detailed working on regeneration surveys with Jeff Grignon. "The purpose was to create a healthy stand in the long-run," said Dickenson. They would record tree population and identify tree species. Another project included working as a fishery biologist with the help of Rich Annamitta. "We shocked the fish which was pretty cool," said Dickenson, "the purpose was to get an estimate on fish population."

Cierra also worked as a water resource technician under the guidance of Joe Lyons, Water Resource specialist at the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin - Environmental Services. They would test water quality and get samples for the lab. In another project, Cierra focused on forest health with Dr. Dave Mausel. "We'd ride down the river to record where purple loosestrife was and how bad it was," said Cierra. "Awesome job," noted Mausel, health forester, who was an attendee at the presentation.

Other summer projects included working on timber harvest with Mike Waukau, fire protection with Ron Waukau, and identifying cultural sites with Jeff Grignon. "He showed us how to identify different kinds of sites," said Cierra.

After the presentation, when Cierra was asked what the most challenging part was, Cierra said the amount of help and teamwork she got throughout the internship made it all manageable. In addition, she added, "The internship helped me figure out what I want to do." She plans on continuing her studies in Natural Resources, and finishing her bachelor's degree, perhaps at UW-Stevens Point.