Viterbo University seniors Emily McCurdy, left, and Ben Lisek were part of a crew that recently planted two pollinator gardens on campus supported by a city of La Crosse Youth Climate Action grant. (Viterbo, contributed)
The City of La Crosse recently announced 10 winners of the Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF) microgrants. The YCAF is a program of Bloomberg Philanthropies that challenges La Crosse residents, ages 15- 24, to take innovative actions to address climate change. The microgrants range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are awarded to organizations and groups engaging youth to implement climate action initiatives in La Crosse.
Friends of the Marsh/Adela Piggush (age 15)
Adela’s project consists of QR codes on kiosk signs around the La Crosse River Marsh, inviting trail users to learn more about the area surrounding the kiosk. Her goal is to help community members recognize the importance of marshes, specifically the habitat they provide and the role they play as the planet heats up due to global warming. The QR codes link to the Friends of the Marsh web pages that include videos produced by young people and other informational resources about the marsh and trail history.
Ope! Publishing/Aditi Muduganti (age 16)
Aditi is writing a children's book she plans on presenting and distributing to La Crosse elementary and middle schools. The book will describe ways youth can get involved in climate action and introduce them to rising technologies that are making a difference in the field of climate change. After writing and illustrating the book, Aditi will donate copies of this book to the La Crosse elementary and middle schools. She will also host reading and Q&A sessions for students during the school year.
Downtown Mainstreet Inc./Andrew Ericson (age 24)
Andrew’s project will install 20 new bike racks in downtown La Crosse. He feels bike
parking downtown is sporadically placed and too far from popular destinations. His goal is to help the city realize potential gains in mode share and carbon reduction that new infrastructure upgrades can provide. Andrew will collaborate with other youth bicyclists to identify the best bike rack installation locations. He will then work with the city to create a plan including cost estimates, rack delivery, and installation. He will promote the newly installed bike racks using his personal and organizational social media accounts.
La Crosse Film Academy/Ella LeDocq (age 22) & Mahlivanh Fleckenstein (age 22)
Ella and Mahlivanh are producing a short film focusing on the impact environmental education and community engagement have on the La Crosse ecosystem. The film will showcase how local businesses and individual community members commit to climate
action beyond education. The goal of sharing these stories is to encourage community members to find their own way to participate in the La Crosse Climate Action Plan.
Viterbo University/Emily McCurdy (age 22) & Benjamin Lisak (age 22)
Emily and Benjamin’s project is to plan and plant two pollinator gardens on Viterbo University’s campus. These gardens will attract and support native pollinators and promote biodiversity. The plants selected will offer an array of flowering plants. The bloom times will differ throughout the seasons and provide a continuous food source for pollinating animals such as bees, butterflies, and moths. Emily and Benjamin’s objective is to create a more authentic natural American Landscape, a goal of the La Crosse CAP, and increase awareness on campus of the importance of native species while educating the students about how we can interact and live with nature.
Central High School Environmental Club/Ever Grabhorn (age 15)
Ever and the La Crosse Central High School’s Environmental Club will help plant pollinator hedgerows at the new hospital farm space. Hedgerows suppress weeds, attract beneficial insects, stabilize soil, improve water quality, and reduce wind damage. The group will purchase the hedgerow plants, prepare the planting area, and plant the hedgerows. The hospital farm aims to educate the community about healthy eating and the links between agriculture, human health, and environmental health, by growing a diversity of vegetables with regenerative organic methods.
Habitat for Humanity/Hannah Kompas(age 22), Kaitlyn Wiehe (age 23)
Hannah and Kaitlyn’s Reclaimed Draft Blockers project will address energy efficiency and sustainability in the local community by teaching a class on making draft blockers from reclaimed fabric. They will host a class for 15 people at the La Crosse Public Library’s creation station where participants will make draft blockers to use in their homes. Draft blockers help reduce energy costs and improve home warmth during the winter, particularly in low-income and rented households. The project, in collaboration with Cia Siab, Inc., targets the Hmong community to provide accessible, culturally relevant resources. They will coordinate with Cia Siab, Inc. and other local organizations to gather reclaimed fabric and filler materials. They will also distribute 50 additional draft blockers through Cia Siab, Inc. and other local organizations to low-income households.
La Crosse Youth Symphony Orchestra/Kaarina Dunn (age 16)
Kaarina is helping the La Crosse Youth Symphony Concert (LYSO) to reduce waste. Their first goal is to limit paper waste by printing the programs and posters for their Fall Concert on recycled paper and purchasing reusable 100% post-consumer waste recycled folders for the musicians’ music. Their second goal is to reduce waste at their post-concert reception. They will mix beverages themselves instead of buying plastic bottles for refreshments, and they will use compostable plates and cups that will be collected and composted at a local youth 4-H farm.
Habitat for Humanity/Kallie Arenz (age 18)
Kallie is working on the Logan Middle School Rain Garden Project. This aims to address critical stormwater management issues and enhance environmental sustainability on school grounds. The primary goals of the project are to manage stormwater runoff, improve water quality, and support local biodiversity through the installation of a rain garden. The rain garden will capture and filter runoff, reducing flooding and preventing soil erosion. This aligns with the city’s goal to enhance stormwater infrastructure to handle severe weather and utilize green infrastructure to manage runoff.
The garden also decreases impervious surfaces and increases green space, helping to mitigate heat island effects and support local pollinators through the inclusion of native plants, contributing to the city’s goal of increasing pollinator-friendly spaces.
The rain garden will serve as an outdoor classroom, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities about environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Cia Siab Inc/Meenan Yang (age 23)
Meenan will be integrating traditional Hmong medicinal practices with climate action by planting ginkgo trees, which are used for their healing properties. This will increase the community's access to natural medicinal resources and promote the preservation of
Hmong cultural heritage and traditional knowledge. Hmong elders often lack the resources and suitable spaces to grow ginkgo trees, which are vital for their traditional medicinal practices, leading to a loss of cultural knowledge and practices. Planting ginkgo trees will also increase urban green spaces and provide training to teach the Hmong community stewardship of trees. This has the potential to improve air quality and sequester carbon dioxide contributing to climate change mitigation. Involving Hmong youth in the planting and care of ginkgo trees will foster environmental stewardship, leadership skills, and community engagement. This will strengthen community bonds, and empower the younger generation with knowledge of traditional
Hmong uses of ginkgo trees, creating a sense of ownership and pride in their cultural and environmental contributions.