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Grant Program History & Past Projects
The Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Green Fee was proposed in a student referendum and approved by a near-unanimous vote of the university's students in Spring 2008. It was subsequently adopted by the W&M Board of Â鶹Æƽâ°æors and implemented by the establishment of The President’s Committee on Sustainability (COS) by President Emeritus Taylor Reveley. In 2026, the program was renamed to " W&M Sustainability Grant Program". 
The W&M Sustainability Grant program is intended solely for purposes that advance the university’s interests in sustainability relating. The Green Fee is included in the General Fees of the W&M Budget and is paid on a per-semester basis by all students who pay tuition. All unspent or unallocated Green Fee funds carry forward and may only be used for sustainability purposes.
This year's award winners (Spring 2026) are listed below. Previous W&M Sustainability Grant program awards (formerly the Green Fee) are listed to the left.
Predatory Bugs Instead of Pesticides in the Greenhouse
$1,440 to Patricia White-Jackson and Amelia Kim
Many pesticides contain harmful chemicals that can be toxic to humans, are detrimental to bees, and are water-soluble, so they might spread to surrounding bodies of water and impact those ecosystems. This Green Fee provides additional funding for the removal of Safari from the Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Greenhouse in favor of using predatory bugs that naturally control pest populations.
Establishment of Native Grasses and Wildflowers on a Recently Distributed Campus Hillside
$625 to Aspen Ouellet, Eliza Wilson and Doug DeBerry
This Green Fee funds a student-faculty collaborative effort to plant native grasses and flowers on the hill between Oak Hall and the West Woods Dining Hall. The establishment of native plants will help reduce erosion, improve biodiversity, and raise awareness of grassland ecosystem services.
Special Waste Management Fellow Pilot Program
$5,000 to Nicholas DeSante, Alyce Snead and Tony Orband
The Special Waste Management Fellowship will be a student-led program to handle waste that is hard to dispose of, such as plastic bags, batteries, and ink cartridges, by monitoring new special waste bins. The Fellow will also prepare reports on the efficacy of the bin and collaborate with the departments of Facilities Operations, Grounds and Gardens, Waste and Recycling, Environmental Health and Safety, and the Office of Sustainability.
Installation of Infrared People Counters on the Highland Rustic Trails for Monitoring and Evaluation of Trail Use
$2,714 to Jason Woodle
This Green Fee funds the installation of infrared people counters on the trails at James Monroe’s Highland. The trails at Highland are open to the public and invite visitors to see conservation projects such as streambank restoration, invasive plant removal, native plant reintroduction project. Through the monitoring of visitor numbers, the counter will also support current and future visitor programs and development projects.
Solar Power for Wood Curing Kiln
$2,500 to Christopher Wagner and Tony Orband
Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Grounds and Gardens is collaborating with the Virginia Department of Forestry and UVA Sawmilling Program to salvage trees that are downed on campus. The pieces of lumber will soon be dried on a wood-curing kiln being built on campus. The kiln is solar powered and the Green Fee will provide funding for ventilation. Once the lumber is dried, it will be used in Studio Art classes.
From Waste to Value: Repurposing Laboratory E-Waste for Sustainable STEM Innovation and Education
$45,000 to Margaret Saha and Eric Bradley
Laboratories generate significant electronic waste because of rapid technological turnover, equipment obsolescence, and limited repair pathways. This project addresses this challenge by establishing a model for repurposing discarded laboratory equipment that would otherwise contribute to toxic e-waste. Through faculty-mentored, student-focused protocol development, a new COLL 100 course, and community outreach initiatives, the project transforms discarded scientific instruments into educational and research tools.
Expanding Campus Compost Infrastructure
$844.69 to Harriet Ramasamy and Adam Poling
Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s compost program is managed by Dining Sustainability and spans 96 bins across campus. Student interns collect compost from the bins, diverting waste headed to landfills. This Green Fee will fund the purchase of 5 additional bins, new pails for staff kitchens and bin connectors that will allow interns to transport 3 bins at a time on the golf carts.