NEWS & UPDATES
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Kless Sustainability Fund Applications open for Spring 2026!
We are coming up on the Kless Sustainability Fund Application due date, and we want to make sure that you are putting your student sustainability dollars to work. Project proposals will be accepted until NEXT WEEK. Applications close on March 11th at 11:59 pm. Proposals should be prepared with the help of the Sustainability Engagement Coordinator and relevant campus building managers to help guarantee completeness. Visit the Kless Sustainability webpage to learn more about the application process.
Grant Funds Available: $26,500
Large Loan Funds Available: $254,000
Additionally, our new Kless Ultra Low Temperature Freezer rebate is a great way to make your research lab a little more sustainable. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Visit our website to learn how to qualify!
Apply for the Green Thread Workshop: For Instructors
Green Threads is a two-day workshop on May 13 & 14 for UM instructors to help broaden their understanding of sustainability, introduce “threads” of sustainability education into existing courses, and develop new sustainability courses at UM. Participants are asked to bring a course for modification and will have ample time to brainstorm and workshop with each other. Any UM faculty, instructor, or graduate student instructor is eligible to participate. Sign up by March 30th!
Thanks to a $38,167 grant from the Heart of the Rockies Initiative, UM Housing installed additional bear-safe dumpster enclosures and signage at the South Campus University Village apartments. This infrastructure helps keep residents safe and reduces bear-human conflicts around waste management. This is part of UM’s commitment to becoming a bear-safe campus. Read more about the HRI grant and the new infrastructure.
EVENTS & EXPERIENCES
April is Earth Month!
Earth Month is approaching quickly, and we are excited to celebrate all-things sustainability, conservation, and climate action. Here are some important things to keep in mind (and your calendars) as we move through March.
Save the Date - April 21st, 11:30 AM to 2 PM: Join us for our annual Earth Day Fair on the UM Oval. Celebrate Earth Week by learning about ways you can get involved with climate action, conservation, sustainability, and more on campus and in your community.
Table at our Fair: Every year at our Earth Day Fair, we have around 50 campus and community organizations that highlight climate action, conservation, and sustainability join us on the oval. If you are interested in participating and tabling with us, send us an email, and we will follow up with more information.
Call for Events: Do you have or know of any Earth Month events that we can help support or promote? We would love to support any organizations highlighting Earth Month in any way we can, so if you know of any such events, send us an email!
SAVE THE DATE - Campus Thrift
It may still seem like a while away, but the end of the semester is approaching fast and with it… CAMPUS THRIFT! Here is the schedule for the 2026 Campus Thrift.
Collection: May 6 - 8 (11 AM to 5 PM) and May 9 (9 AM to 12 PM)
Set Up: May 11 - 12 (9 AM to 5 PM)
Sale: May 13 (9 AM to 2 PM)
We don’t have a volunteer sign-up form yet, but if you’d already like to get your name down, email [email protected].
SUSTAINABLE ACTIONS
Even with the improvement in waste diversion from our new infrastructure and signage in the UC Commons, there are still a couple of recurring landfill items that we always see in the compost, including:
Eson Gib bowls
Nautical Bowls plastic containers
Outside plastic wrappers & sandwich bags
Sorting waste can be confusing, but we are here to help, so here are some important things to remember next time you get lunch in the UC Commons.
Think about the packaging your food will come in before you buy it. Pick vendors that you know offer compostable options.
Once you get your food, think about the lifespan of the packaging after it leaves your hands. Is there a way you can prevent it from going into the landfill?
What YOU do makes a difference. Whether it is choosing not buy plastic or making sure you compost your containers after lunch, your decision affects the world around you.
Spring is here and with it comes warmer weather, longer days, and lots of yard work! Before you start tackling your big projects, remember that what you do in your yard has a direct impact on the environment. Remember these easy tips to keep stormwater runoff pollution-free and keep the Clark Fork clean!
Clean Up - Dispose of any trash that may have blown into your yard over winter, as well as compost any leaves and garden cuttings so they don’t enter our waterways.
Fertilize Carefully - Use slow release nigtrogen fertilizer, spread small fertilizer applications out across the growing season, and NEVER fertilize before it rains.
Plant Natives - Spring is a great time to plant native trees, shrubs, and perennials. Native Species require less maintenance, are more beneficial for wildlife, and absorb more stormwater.
Mow Sharp and High - A sharp mower blade cuts grass cleanly and improves turf health. Set your mower deck to 2.5” or more to reduce stormwater runoff.
FROM OUR PARTNERS
Garden City Harvest - Community Garden Plot Applications Due March 15
Apply for a community garden plot with Garden City Harvest, where you can reserve a garden plot to grow food for you and your family each year. A sliding scale fee is available to students in need when you apply. Each of their garden sites provides participants with a garden plot, tools, water, manure, straw, compost, and educational resources.
Plots may be available at the ASUM garden, behind Lewis & Clark Villages!
Climate Change Studies Scholarship - Due April 6th
The Nicky Phear Scholarship for Climate Leadership will be awarded to students who are actively practicing or considering inner development as it relates to their growth as climate change leaders. There will be up to 5 awards of $1,000 or more, along with a climate retreat hosted by Dr. Nicky Phear.
Missoula Conservation District 2026 Scholarship - Due March 31
The Missoula Conservation District (MCD) is pleased to offer two $2,500 scholarships to support Missoula County students pursuing degrees and careers related to natural resource conservation, stewardship, and community resilience.
-MCD High School Senior Scholarship for Missoula County high school seniors planning to attend a post-secondary institution.
-MCD Post-Secondary Scholarship for Missoula County residents currently enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution or planning on enrolling after a gap period.
Communicating Your Science: Breaking Plastics and Breaking Barriers
Join us in the Gilkey Auditorium on Monday, March 9, from 4 -5 PM to hear Dr. Julie Rorrer discuss how scientists can frame research around varying audiences, using her sustainable chemical recycling research as an example.
Climate Smart Missoula - Upcoming Events Galore!
The month of March is jam-packed with events at Climate Smart Missoula, and you are invited to all of them! From Crafting for Climate to Induction Stove Demos to Tree Pruning at Fort Missoula, fill your month with these awesome events!
The Big Event
First started by Texas A&M University in 1982, The Big Event has since grown into one of the largest single-day student-led service efforts in the U.S., with over 100 colleges participating annually. Now, we are thrilled to bring this tradition to Missoula and are planning to host our first-ever Big Event on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Stand Up for Science
On Saturday, March 7th, join the National Day of Action to STAND UP FOR SCIENCE. At 1 pm, gather at the Missoula County Courthouse to take back our science, health, and democracy! Visit the link below to register, volunteer, and donate.
Families for a Livable Climate - Climate Action Potluck
FLC invites you to join us for a Climate Action Potluck on Tuesday, March 10, 5:30-7 pm at the Missoula Public Library: a warm, welcoming evening of food, connection, and collective action. This isn’t a meeting or a lecture. It’s a chance to arrive in our bodies, connect with one another, and take meaningful climate action together.
“March onto the Bus” Weekly Raffle Prizes
Each week during the month of March, a $25 Missoula Downtown gift card will be raffled off to those who logged a transit trip on Way to Go! Missoula that week. Winners will be picked on the following Monday. Bonus points for those who log their first-ever bus trip!