Four local Peterborough environmental innovators were awarded funding by the Rotary Club of Peterborough for their Rotary Environmental Innovators Fund (REIF).
REIF is a fund that awards thousands of dollars to local environmental innovators for proposed projects that help better the local environment.
The REIF is now in its fourth year and the REIF has already awarded over $40 thousand dollars in funding for projects that advance local environmental innovators working in biodiversity such as water and wastewater technologies, climate change, sustainable living, pollution, waste disposal, wildlife protection and more.
The winners selected are described by the REIF committee as Local visionaries, environmental entrepreneurs who are often overlooked by traditional funding models.
This year’s winners out of 8 applications for local projects are:
• Manan Ravat, Trent University – Photocatalytic Degradation of Water Contamination
• Leora Berman, Turtle Guardians – A Community-Powered Turtle Conservation Initiative
• Megan Ward, Trent University – Across the Wetland with Finn – a Children’s book introducing young readers to the importance of wetlands, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship.
• Shannon Learoyd, Trent University – Just Keep Skimming: Exploring strategies to lower wildlife mortality associated with inground pools
Each winner has received up to $3000 dollars for use in their environmental projects.
PTBOToday spoke to Karen Laws, who’s the committee chair for the Rotary Environmental innovators fund, who told us the selection process for these local innovators.
Mana Ravat, a fourth year physics and astronomy major at Trent University, says the funding will allow his project to have a higher chance of being used by the provincial and municipal government due to this funding.
Al Lu from Turtle Guardians says the funding will help allow Turtle Guardians to keep running their programs and help with operating costs.
Though Shannon Learoyd couldn’t be there to present her project, Kirsten Tucker-Upshall and Dr. Sarah Jameson spoke on her behalf of her about what the funding means for Just Keep Skimming.
Supporting the environment is one of Rotary international’s seven areas of focus, the REIF is a local initiative that will reflect the clubs commitment to service, innovations, and local impact as we are seeing in Peterborough with these award winners.
(Written by: Branden Rushton)
