Rotary Club of Peterborough Funds Local Green Startups and Environmental Innovators

The Rotary Club of Peterborough has funded several local green startups and environmental innovators for the fourth straight year through its Rotary Environmental Innovators Fund (REIF) at its meeting at the McDonnel Activity Centre on Monday afternoon.

(From left to right) Dr. Balaji Subramanian, Dr. Sarah Jameson, Jeremy Favro, Manan Ravat, Meghan Ward, Al Lu and Kirsten Tucker-upshall. REIF has already awarded more than $40,000 in project funding. Photo courtesy of the Rotary Club of Peterborough.

The funded projects advance local environmental innovators working in biodiversity, water and wastewater technologies, climate change, sustainable living, pollution, waste disposal, wildlife protection and more who may have been overlooked, according to the Rotary Club.

The following are this year’s recipients of funding up to $3,000:

  • 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

This year’s REIF committee has received eight applications for local projects.

The applications are judged based on how they might impact the local climate and environment, how innovative the project is compared to existing solutions, the project's practicality, expected benefits and how the funds would be used.

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