Combating Urban Heat Islands in Small Cities
How can design a policy reduce urban heat effects in growing towns like Charlottesville or Richmond?
Creating Pollinator Corridors in Suburban Landscapes
What strategies can connect fragmented habitats for native bees and butterflies in residential areas?
Designing Community-Based Nutrient Recycling Systems
How can schools or neighborhoods reduce food waste and return nutrients to soil?
Restoring Forests After Invasive Species Disturbance
What is the most effective way to rehabilitate Eastern deciduous forests after emerald ash borer or gypsy moth outbreaks?
Reducing Microplastic Pollution from School Campuses
What practical steps can be taken on school grounds to reduce microplastic runoff into local waterways?
Eco-Retrofitting School or Municipal Buildings
What energy- and water-saving renovations would make a public building more environmentally sustainable?
Developing a Local Flood Risk Early-Warning System
Can citizen science, low-cost sensors, and GIS mapping help communities near rivers or coastlines respond to flood risk?
Designing Native Plant Landscapes for Carbon Sequestration
What native species in your region are best for pulling carbon from the air and storing it in biomass or soil?
Monitoring and Managing Light Pollution
How does artificial light at night affect local wildlife and human health, and what can communities do about it?
Reimagining Transportation in Rural Communities
What sustainable and realistic public or shared transportation systems could reduce emissions in car-dependent areas?
Conserving Groundwater Through Smart Irrigation in Home Gardens
Can rain sensors, soil moisture probes, and native plants cut suburban water use?
Mapping Local Environmental Justice Concerns
Where do environmental burdens (e.g., pollution, heat, lack of access to nature) disproportionately affect certain populations—and what policy changes could address this?
Building a Student-Led Air Quality Monitoring Network
How can students collect and analyze local PM2.5 or ozone levels and share the data with the community?
Designing a School-wide Zero Waste Initiative
What waste streams can be eliminated or redirected through behavior change and infrastructure redesign?
Mitigating Salt Pollution from Winter Road Treatment
What alternatives to road salt could reduce contamination of local soils and freshwater systems?
Using Land Use Planning to Protect Aquifers
How can zoning and land conservation prevent contamination and overuse of groundwater sources?
Revitalizing Abandoned or Brownfield Sites for Public Green Space
What is the safest, most cost-effective way to convert unused land into functional green space in a community?
Designing a Local Ecotourism Model
Can tourism in natural areas be made sustainable, educational, and locally beneficial?
Reducing Packaging Waste in Local Food Systems
How can farmers markets, school cafeterias, or groceries reduce single-use packaging without compromising food safety?
Preventing Stream Bank Erosion in Agricultural Areas
What structural and biological methods can be used to stabilize stream banks on farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed?