EnviroWatts Grant – Grace College’s Tree-rific Campus

EnviroWatts Grant – Grace College’s Tree-rific Campus

EnviroWatts Program

The KREMC EnviroWatts Grant Program is a voluntary program created in partnership with Wabash Valley Power Alliance that gives residential members the opportunity to purchase green energy while also giving back to their community.

Members who choose to participate donate 1 cent for each kilowatt-hour they use, up to 750 kWh. Those pennies – a maximum of $7.50 a month per member – make up the EnviroWatts fund, which then goes back to the community through grants to local environmental projects, and those kWh are guaranteed to be generated from renewable, environmentally-preferred sources.

One recipient of the EnviroWatts grant last year was The Lily Center for Lakes & Streams. They have been hard at work adding beauty and environmental value to Grace College’s campus in Winona Lake through their recent tree planting initiative. Read on to learn more about this cool project.

Student-Led Environmental Improvement

A student-led environmental group supported by the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams began this tree planting initiative on campus in 2022. Their ultimate goal is to plant all 101 native Indiana tree species on campus. To date, 45 native tree species are growing on the Grace College campus.

This process takes careful planning and a very strategic approach, as the planting of the trees must be staggered so that when trees get too old or damaged, the removal of them will be gradual, creating a wide range of tree ages across campus and allowing for sustainable maintenance.

This provides a quality educational experience for these student volunteers as they work to create a beautiful college campus environment.

Arbor Day Foundation Recognition

These students hard work has paid off, and Grace College campus has been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree Campus, along with 16 other universities in the state of Indiana.

EnviroWatts Fund Use

The funds from the EnviroWatts grant were used specifically to plant eight trees total, with species including Allegheny Serviceberry, Black Gum, Chinkapin Oak, Autumn Blaze Maple, Yellowwood, and White Oak. These funds were also used for necessary supplies for tree planting, like tools, root stimulation, and fertilizer. This helps ensure the maximum survival rate of the trees purchased.

Are you interested in helping to contribute to projects like this and investing in green energy sources? Visit https://kremc.com/community/envirowatts-program/ to learn more and join KREMC’s EnviroWatts Program.