Sustainability department receives Resource Conservation and Development grant

The Marshall University Sustainability Department received a check for $3,219 from the Greater Kanawha Resource Conservation and Development council June 14 to help with a water diversion project at the Marshall University Student Gardens. The funds helped construct a raised rain barrel deck and will also help with a permeable paver path.

The raised rain barrel deck holds four 55-gallon barrels, which are fed by diverted rainfall from the Career Services building. Collected rain water will supply the Student Gardens, located  behind the Career Services building at 1687 5^th Ave.

Marshall’s carpenter shop manager, Ronnie Hicks, and Mark Buchannan of Environmental Health and Safety assisted with the installation. Later this summer, Dreamscape LLC will install two small, permeable paver paths as part of a pilot project to ensure a level, sturdy path for those with mobility issues, and to divert excess water directly into the water table during heavy rainfall to prevent flooding.

The Student Garden is an ongoing conservation and sustainability project of the Marshall University Sustainability Department (www.marshall.edu/sustainability), serving as a resource for education, outreach and food security for Marshall’s Huntington campus and the greater community.

The GKRC&D, founded in 1979, is a 501(c)(3) organization representing Boone, Cabell, Clay, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Putnam and Wayne counties. It has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to land conservation, land management, water management  and community development.

“Our council is pleased to participate in this Marshall University water conservation garden project,” said Don McCroskey, council treasurer and member representing Cabell County. “It is the type and quality of project for which our funding is intended.”

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Photos: (Above) Donald McCroskey, Greater Kanawha Resource Conservation and Development council treasurer, and member representing Cabell County (left), and Helen Stanley, GKRC&D chair (right) are shown presenting a check to Eve Marcum-Atkinson (Marshall Sustainability Department Manager) to fund the development of a water diversion and collection system for Marshall University’s Student Garden. (Below) Jim McClelland (Greater Kanawha Resource Conservation and Development council member representing Cabell County) is shown at the Marshall University Student Gardens standing next to the raised rain barrel deck, and the plaque presented by the GKRC&D, which funded this project.