Another academic year has passed, and graduation season is once again upon us. This is a special time of year when we come together to celebrate our graduates and their many accomplishments here at the University of Washington College of the Environment.

In appreciation of their contributions to enriching our community — and based on the recommendation of our Student Advisory Council and a vote by our graduating students themselves — the College will be partnering with the Campus Sustainability Fund to help fund the UW Farm Wapato Pond project.

The UW Farm is a 1.5-acre student-powered urban farm that provides locally grown produce to UW students, staff, faculty and the greater community through local partners and the UW Food Pantry.

This gift will help fund the development of Wapato Pond, a new growing space for the cultivation of aquatic, freshwater Indigenous food crops such as wapato, increasing the farm’s food production and diversity of produce. A diversity of crops and farming methods will help to ensure that the UW Farm is resilient in the face of future challenges.

We are thrilled to be a part of the Wapato Pond project and to continue to support the UW Farm and their mission to become a campus center for urban agriculture and sustainability.